Meet Marco Pašalić.
An Orlando City Designated Player, the 25-year-old is one of the most exciting players in MLS and will now help guide Croatia at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Pašalić is one of two MLS attackers on the Croatia roster, alongside FC Dallas striker Petar Musa.
- Age: 25
- Hometown: Karlsruhe, Germany
MLS background
A key part of Orlando City's attack, Pašalić brings a creative edge to the Lions' front-three.
Initially joining the club as a Designated Player from Croatian top-flight side HNK Rijeka, ahead of the 2025 season, he helped Orlando qualify for the Audi 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs, scoring 12g/5a in his first 33 regular-season games.
This season, he has remained a constant piece of Orlando’s setup and will look to team up with Atlético Madrid legend, Antoine Griezmann, who will join the club after the World Cup.
Awards & stats
- 14g/6a in 43 MLS appearances
- 2025 MLS All-Star
International experience
- Caps: 14
- Goals: 1
Born in Germany but eligible for Croatia, Pašalić is among a new wave of talents starring for the Vatreni.
He made his international debut against Latvia in November 2023 and has since played 14 times for his country, providing two assists as a key part of Croatia's World Cup qualification success.
After joining Croatia's UEFA Euro and Nations League squads in 2024, Pašalić will be making his first World Cup appearance in 2026.
World Cup schedule
Croatia are in Group L alongside England, Panama and Ghana.
- June 17: Croatia vs. England, 4 pm ET | Dallas, Texas
- June 23: Croatia vs. Panama, 7 pm ET | Toronto, Ontario
- June 27: Croatia vs. Ghana, 5 pm ET | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
The 2026 World Cup has expanded from the usual 32 nations to 48 total. The top two teams advance from each group, and the top eight third-place finishers also make the knockout phase (Round of 32).
The tournament, which is co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, spans from June 11 to July 19.
World Cup history
This is Croatia’s seventh overall World Cup appearance.
The country has advanced to the semifinals at the last two tournaments, losing to France in the final in Russia in 2018 and falling to eventual champions Argentina in the semifinals in Qatar in 2022.
How Croatia qualified
Croatia punched their ticket to the World Cup by winning Group L of the European (UEFA) World Cup qualifiers.
