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Marco Pašalić

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Marco Pašalić
Pašalić with Croatia in 2026
Personal information
Date of birth (2000-09-14) 14 September 2000 (age 26)
Place of birth Karlsruhe, Germany[1]
Height 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)[1]
Position Right winger
Team information
Current team
 Orlando City
Number 87
Youth career
SV Sandhausen
Karlsruher SC
SG Siemens Karlsruhe
–2016 TSG Hoffenheim
2016–2019 Karlsruher SC
2019–2021 VfB Stuttgart
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2020–2021 VfB Stuttgart II 35 (8)
2021–2023 Borussia Dortmund II 35 (6)
2021–2023 Borussia Dortmund 1 (0)
2023–2025 HNK Rijeka 49 (10)
2025– Orlando City 50 (14)
International career‡
2016 Croatia U17 1 (0)
2021–2022 Croatia U21 4 (0)
2023– Croatia 18 (1)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 05:05, 13 September 2026 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals as of 23:23, 27 June 2026 (UTC)

Marco Pašalić (Croatian pronunciation: [mâːrko pǎʃalitɕ];[2][3] born 14 September 2000) is a professional footballer who plays as a right winger for Major League Soccer club Orlando City. Born in Germany, he plays for the Croatia national team.[4]

Pašalić is a product of six different German academies, but graduated from the academy of VfB Stuttgart. In Pašalić's initial years as a professional footballer, he spent most of his time playing for the reserve teams of VfB Stuttgart and Borussia Dortmund respectively. In 2022, Pašalić made his Bundesliga debut, which would ultimately be his only appearance in the league thus far. The following year, Pašalić moved to Croatia and joined HNK Rijeka.

In 2023, Pašalić made his debut for the Croatia national team, and the following year he was named to Croatia's UEFA Euro 2024 squad. After two seasons in Croatia, he joined Major League Soccer franchise Orlando City in 2025 as a designated player and in his debut season he was named to the MLS All-Star team. Pašalić represented Croatia at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Club career

[edit]

Early career

[edit]

Pašalić received his early training in his hometown with Karlsruher SC and SG Siemens Karlsruhe, as well as in the youth teams of SV Sandhausen and TSG 1899 Hoffenheim. In 2016, he returned to Karlsruher, where he played for three years. Following trial training sessions at Bayern Munich and NK Osijek, he joined VfB Stuttgart II, the reserve team of VfB Stuttgart, in 2019.[5]

VfB Stuttgart II

[edit]

On 5 September 2020, Pašalić made his senior debut for VfB Stuttgart II in the Regionalliga Südwest division when he played the full match of a 2–0 loss at home to Hessen Kassel.[6] On 24 October, Pašalić scored his first senior goal, the reserve team's second in a 2–2 draw with Kickers Offenbach.[7] Pašalić would go on to score eight goals across 24 appearances.[8]

Borussia Dortmund II and Borussia Dortmund

[edit]

On 21 May 2021, Pašalić announced on his Instagram that he would join 3. Liga club Borussia Dortmund II, the reserve team of Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund.[5] On 24 July, Pašalić made his debut for the club when he started at FSV Zwickau on the opening matchweek of the 2021–22 3. Liga season. The game would end 2–1 in Borussia Dortmund II's favor, with Pašalić coming off in the 78th-minute for Cebrail Makreckis.[9][10]

In the following matchweek, Pašalić scored his first goal for the club, the first goal of a 1–1 draw with Waldhof Mannheim on 31 July.[11] After Pašalić scored two goals in three games for the reserve team, Borussia Dortmund coach Marco Rose called him into the squad for the 2021 DFL-Supercup on 17 August. Pašalić entered as a 78th-minute substitute for Giovanni Reyna in the final phase of the 3–1 defeat against Bayern Munich.[12] Pašalić would finish the season with two goals and one assist across 13 appearances.[13]

In the following season on 8 November 2022, he made his Bundesliga debut for Borussia Dortmund under coach Edin Terzić in a 2–0 away defeat against VfL Wolfsburg.[14][15] Across the season with the reserve team, Pašalić's playing time would more than double and he would increase his output to four goals across 22 appearances.[16]

HNK Rijeka

[edit]

On 22 June 2023, Pašalić moved to Croatian Football League club HNK Rijeka on a four-year contract.[17] On 27 June, Pašalić made his debut for the club and international debut in the qualifying rounds of the UEFA Europa Conference League when he came on as a 69th-minute substitute for Alen Grgić in a 1–0 win over KF Dukagjini.[18]

In the following leg on 3 August, Pašalić scored his first goal for the club when he scored the first goal of a 6–1 win.[19] Pašalić scored his first league goal for the club in the following match when he scored the third goal of a 6–0 rout of rivals Istra 1961 on 6 August.[20] Pašalić would score six goals and make two assists across 30 league appearances in his first season with the club.[21]

On 25 June 2024, Pašalić made his UEFA Europa League debut in the qualifying rounds of the tournament in goalless draw with Corvinul Hunedoara.[22] On 18 September, Pašalić scored his first Croatian Cup goal when he scored the second goal of a 3–1 victory over Neretvanac.[23] On 22 October, Pašalić scored his first senior brace in a 3–0 win at NK Bednja Beletinec in the Croatian Football Cup.[24][8] Pašalić ended his time with the club with four goals and three assists across 19 league appearances in his second season.[25]

Orlando City

[edit]
Pašalić with Orlando City in 2025

On 5 February 2025, Major League Soccer club Orlando City announced the signing of Pašalić as a Designated Player on a three-year contract with a club option to extend into 2028.[26] Pašalić made his debut in the opening match of the season against Philadelphia Union, scoring a brace in a 4–2 loss.[27] Pašalić's opening goal of the match which was scored in the 8th-minute was the fastest in any of Orlando City's home openers in MLS and the fastest goal for a club debut, beating Daryl Dike's previous record in which he scored in the 17th-minute in 2020 against Inter Miami.[28]

On 22 March, Pašalić scored the fourth goal of a 4–1 victory over D.C. United.[29] Pašalić's goal was voted Goal of the Matchday by fans four days later with 64.7% of the vote share.[30] On 15 July, Pašalić was selected by head coach Nico Estévez to represent the league in the 2025 MLS All-Star Game against the Liga MX All-Stars on July 23 at Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas.[31] The MLS All-Stars would defeat the Liga MX All-Stars 3–1 with Pašalić coming on as a 34th-minute substitute for Hirving Lozano before being substituted off in the second half for Orlando City teammate Alex Freeman.[32][33]

In Pašalić's debut season in Major League Soccer, he contributed 16 goals and nine assists across all competitions for a total of 25 goal contributions, his most prolific season in his career thus far.[34] League writer Joseph Lowery described Pašalić as the ninth most impactful signing of the 2025 season.[35][36]

Following the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Pašalić became a transfer target for newly promoted Premier League club Hull City head coach Sergej Jakirović, with Jakirović describing Pašalić as an "option for the right wing".[37] However, any deal to sign Pašalić ultimately fell through, and the club moved onto other targets.[38] Pašalić returned to playing for Orlando City on 8 August 2026, scoring in a 2–1 loss to León in the Leagues Cup.[39]

International career

[edit]

Pašalić made appearances for the Croatian youth national teams of U17, and U21.

On 18 November 2023, Pašalić made his senior debut for Croatia in a 2–0 away win against Latvia during the Euro 2024 qualifying.[40] On 20 May 2024, he was selected in the 26-man squad for the UEFA Euro 2024.[41] A few weeks later, on 3 June, he scored his first international goal in a 3–0 friendly victory over North Macedonia prior to the tournament.[42]

On 26 May 2025, Pašalić was called up by Croatia head coach Zlatko Dalić for World Cup qualifiers matches against Gibraltar and Czech Republic.[43] On 18 May 2026, Pašalić was selected by Dalić for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.[44] Pašalić was recalled to the national team by new head coach Slaven Bilić on 7 September following the World Cup for 2026–27 UEFA Nations League matches.[45]

Personal life

[edit]

Pašalić was born in Karlsruhe to a Croatian refugee family who fled to Germany to escape the Yugoslav Wars in the early 1990s. Pašalić stated that he was "grateful to grow up in Germany", but that he is "fully Croatian" and that he had always opted to play for Croatia internationally.[46] Pašalić has two brothers, one of whom owns a construction company. As a teenager, Pašalić worked for the construction company after training sessions and would often work into the early morning hours, but his brother would allow him time to rest before the next training session.[47]

Career statistics

[edit]

Club

[edit]
As of match played 12 September 2026[8]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] Continental Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
VfB Stuttgart II 2020–21 Regionalliga Südwest 358———358
Borussia Dortmund II 2021–22 3. Liga 132———132
2022–23 3. Liga 224———224
Total 356———356
Borussia Dortmund 2021–22 Bundesliga 0000001[b]010
2022–23 Bundesliga 100000—10
Total 1000001020
HNK Rijeka 2023–24 HNL 306506[c]2—418
2024–25 HNL 194236[d]0—277
Total 491073122—6815
Orlando City 2025 Major League Soccer 331211—7[e]24115
2026 Major League Soccer 17210—3[f]1213
Total 501421—1036219
Career total 1693794122112320147
  1. ↑ Includes DFB-Pokal, Croatian Cup, U.S. Open Cup
  2. ↑ Appearance in DFL-Supercup
  3. ↑ Appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League
  4. ↑ Four appearances in UEFA Europa League, two appearances in UEFA Conference League
  5. ↑ Six appearances and two goals in Leagues Cup, one appearance in MLS Cup playoffs
  6. ↑ Appearances in Leagues Cup

International

[edit]
As of match played 27 June 2026[1][48]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Croatia 202320
202431
2025 6 0
2026 7 0
Total181
Scores and results list Croatia's goal tally first.
List of international goals scored by Marco Pašalić
No.DateVenueCapOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1 3 June 2024Stadion Rujevica, Rijeka, Croatia5 North Macedonia3–03–0Friendly

Honours

[edit]

Individual

References

[edit]
  1. 1 2 3 Marco Pašalić at WorldFootball.net
  2. ↑ "Mȃrko". Hrvatski jezični portal (in Croatian). Retrieved 28 August 2021. Mȃrko
  3. ↑ "pȁša2". Hrvatski jezični portal (in Croatian). Retrieved 28 August 2021. Pašàlīć
  4. ↑ "Marco Pašalić - Croatian Football Federation". hns-cff.hr. Archived from the original on 17 August 2023. Retrieved 13 September 2026.
  5. 1 2 Wozniak, Krystian (21 May 2021). "BVB: U23 verpflichtet Top-Talent vom VfB" (in German). RevierSport. Retrieved 12 September 2026.
  6. ↑ "Stuttgart II vs. Hessen Kessel". Soccerway. 5 September 2020. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
  7. ↑ "Stuttgart II vs. Kickers Offenbach". Soccerway. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
  8. 1 2 3 Marco Pašalić at Soccerway. Retrieved 2026-09-12.
  9. ↑ "Zwickau vs. Borussia Dortmund II". Soccerway. 24 July 2021. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
  10. ↑ Straub, Brian Szlenk (25 July 2021). "Borussia Dortmund II begin 3. Liga campaign with come from behind win over Zwickau". BVB Buzz. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
  11. ↑ "Borussia Dortmund II vs. Waldhof Mannheim". Soccerway. 31 July 2021. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
  12. ↑ "Borussia Dortmund 1–3 FC Bayern München". Bundesliga. 17 August 2021. Retrieved 12 September 2026.
  13. ↑ "2021–2022 3. Liga Player Stats". FBref. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
  14. ↑ "VfL Wolfsburg 2–0 Borussia Dortmund". ESPN. 8 November 2022. Retrieved 12 September 2026.
  15. ↑ "Wolfsburg vs. Borussia Dortmund". Soccerway. 8 November 2022. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
  16. ↑ "2022–2023 3. Liga Player Stats". FBref. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
  17. ↑ "Marco Pašalić potpisao za Rijeku: "Srcem sam na terenu 100 posto"" (in Croatian). HNK Rijeka. 22 June 2023. Retrieved 12 September 2026.
  18. ↑ "Dukagjini vs. Rijeka". Soccerway. 27 June 2023. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
  19. ↑ "Rijeka 6–1 Dukagjini". UEFA. 3 August 2023. Retrieved 12 September 2026.
  20. ↑ "Rijeka vs. Istra 1961". Soccerway. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
  21. ↑ "2023–2024 Hrvatska NL Player Stats". FBref. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
  22. ↑ "Corvinul Hunedoara vs. Rijeka". Soccerway. 25 July 2024. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
  23. ↑ "Neretvanac Opuzen vs. Rijeka". Soccerway. 18 September 2024. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
  24. ↑ "Bednja vs. Rijeka". Soccerway. 18 September 2024. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
  25. ↑ "Hrvatska NL Player Stats". FBref. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
  26. ↑ "Orlando City SC acquires Croatian international Marco Pašalić as Designated Player". Orlando City. 5 February 2025. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
  27. ↑ "Philadelphia 4-2 Orlando". ESPN. Retrieved 22 February 2025.
  28. ↑ David, Austin (22 February 2025). "📸 Must-see: Marco Pašalić scores eight minutes into his Orlando City debut". Orlando City. Retrieved 22 February 2025.
  29. ↑ "Match report: Orlando City SC dominates in 4-1 win over D.C. United". Orlando City. 22 March 2025. Retrieved 27 March 2025.
  30. ↑ "Orlando City SC's Marco Pašalić wins Goal of the Matchday". Major League Soccer. 26 March 2025. Retrieved 27 March 2025.
  31. ↑ "Six players added to 2025 MLS All-Star Roster". Major League Soccer. 15 July 2025. Retrieved 15 July 2025.
  32. ↑ "Back on top! MLS All-Stars top LIGA MX All-Stars in Austin". Major League Soccer. 23 July 2025. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  33. ↑ "MLSvsLMX 07-23-2025". Major League Soccer. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  34. ↑ "2025 Marco Pašalić Match Logs". FBref. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
  35. ↑ Gallan, Daniel (12 September 2026). "HAY88". Retrieved 13 September 2026.
  36. ↑ Lowery, Joseph (12 December 2025). "Ranking the 10 most impactful signings of the 2025 MLS season". Major League Soccer. Retrieved 12 December 2025.
  37. ↑ Cooper, Barry (1 August 2026). "Sergej Jakirovic makes transfer confession as Hull City seek to get deals done". Hull Daily Mail. Retrieved 25 August 2026.
  38. ↑ Cooper, Barry (18 August 2026). "Hull City eyeing seven more signings before transfer window closes". Hull Daily Mail. Retrieved 25 August 2026.
  39. ↑ Foley, Kyle (8 August 2026). "Orlando City can't protect lead at home, falls to León in Leagues Cup". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved 25 August 2026.
  40. ↑ croatiaweek (18 November 2023). "Croatia beats Latvia to take big step towards Euro 2024". Croatia Week. Retrieved 13 September 2026.
  41. ↑ "Croatia head coach Dalić presents preliminary EURO 2024 squad". Croatian Football Federation. 20 May 2024. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  42. ↑ "Hrvatska – Sj. Makedonija 3:0, Pašalićev prvijenac" [Croatia – North Macedonia 3:0, Pašalić's first goal] (in Croatian). HNK Rijeka. 3 June 2024. Retrieved 12 September 2026.
  43. ↑ "Dalić aktivirao pretpoziv Marcu Pašaliću" [Dalić activated standby call-up for Marco Pašalić]. Croatian Football Federation (in Croatian). 26 May 2025. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
  44. ↑ "Croatia announces squad for 2026 World Cup". Croatia Week. 18 May 2026. Retrieved 18 May 2026.
  45. ↑ "Slaven Bilić objavio popis igrača za novo izdanje Lige nacija" [Slaven Bilić announced squad list for new edition of Nations League] (in Croatian). 7 September 2026. Retrieved 9 September 2026.
  46. ↑ David, Austin (20 February 2025). "Marco Pašalić ready to bring his 'hard work' mentality to Orlando City". Orlando City. Retrieved 21 February 2025.
  47. ↑ Boehm, Charles (25 April 2025). "Marco Pašalić takes unlikely path to Orlando City: "I believe"". Major League Soccer. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
  48. ↑ Marco Pašalić at National-Football-Teams.com
  49. ↑ "MLS & LIGA MX provide final rosters for 2025 MLS All-Star Game". Major League Soccer. 23 July 2025. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
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