Meet Petar Musa.
One of the most potent goalscorers in MLS, Musa has become a bona fide star with FC Dallas ahead of joining Croatia for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
He is one of two MLS players on Croatia's roster, alongside Orlando City winger Marco Pašalić.
- Age: 28
- Hometown: Zagreb, Croatia
MLS background
Ahead of the 2024 season, Musa joined FC Dallas from Portuguese giants Benfica for a club-record fee and has developed into one of the most productive strikers in MLS.
With FC Dallas, Musa has scored 46 goals in 73 MLS matches, including double-digit goal tallies in each of his three seasons with the club.
So far in 2026, Dallas' talisman is squarely in the MLS Golden Boot presented by Audi hunt with 12 goals in 13 matches.
Awards & stats
- 46g/11a in 73 MLS appearances
- 2024 MLS All-Star
International experience
- Caps: 11
- Goals: 1
After making his international debut in 2023, Musa dropped off the Croatian national team radar for over two years before his stellar MLS play helped him return to the fold in November 2025.
He enters the tournament with one goal in 11 previous caps, having scored the winning goal in a 3-1 victory over the Faroe Islands, which clinched his nation's 2026 qualification.
This will be Musa's first World Cup appearance.
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, which runs from June 11 to July 19, 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).
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 the final to France in 2018 and falling to eventual champions Argentina in the semifinals in 2022.
How Croatia qualified
Croatia punched their World Cup ticket by winning Group L of the European (UEFA) World Cup qualifiers.
