FC Barcelona midfielder Dani Olmo will be returning to Croatia to play for world champions Spain, in a match with some personal significance. Despite being born in Catalonia and passing through Espanyol and Barcelona’s youth academies, he joined Dinamo Zagreb’s youth set-up when he was 16.
“It’s going to be a very special match for me. I spent six years of my life here, and it’s a country that has given me almost everything as a footballer and as a person. It brings back wonderful feelings,” Olmo
said in the pre-match press conference.
It was with Dinamo that he got his first big breaks and turned professional. Croatia’s national teams even reportedly tried to convince him to join them and spur Spain. Olmo spoke Croatian and fit in well by all accounts, and though he was said to have appreciated the offer, he turned it down. He instead moved up through the ranks from Spain’s U16 team to U17, U18, U21, U23, and finally its senior team. He earned his first call-up while still playing in Croatia.
“Everyone has their own story and reasons; what led me to decide to come to Dinamo was their interest in having me and the vision they had for me. It was one of the best moments of my career,” Olmo said.
After six years in Zagreb, Olmo joined RB Leipzig. His star continued to rise in Germany and was a key figure in La Roja’s conquest of Euro 2024. He returned to Barcelona shortly after, as a conquering hero, having left as a fledgling teen.
Now, Olmo is a FIFA World Cup winner and he’s back to play against Croatia in the UEFA Nations League in Split.
“It’s a very intense fanbase that really gets behind its players. It won’t be an easy match, but we’re ready for it,” he said at the presser.
