Duje Ćaleta-Car is a Croatian professional footballer born in 1996, known for his role as a centre-back.
He began his professional career at HNK Šibenik, where he played from 2012 to 2013.
Ćaleta-Car had a successful tenure at FC Red Bull Salzburg, contributing to their historic Europa League semi-final run in 2018.
Biography
Early Life
Duje Ćaleta-Car was born in 1996 in Croatia, where he began his journey in football at a young age. His early career kicked off at HNK Šibenik, where he played from 2012 to 2013, showcasing his potential as a promising defender.
Career
Ćaleta-Car's professional career took off when he joined FC Liefering in 2014, making his debut in the Austrian Football First League. He quickly moved to FC Red Bull Salzburg, where he contributed to the team's remarkable 2017-18 season, culminating in a semi-final appearance in the UEFA Europa League. In July 2018, he signed with Olympique de Marseille for €19 million, where he made a significant impact, scoring his first goal for the club in September 2019. After a successful stint in France, he transferred to Southampton F.C. in September 2022, before moving to Olympique Lyonnais in 2023. Throughout his career, he has also been a vital part of the Croatian national team, making his senior debut in 2018 and participating in major tournaments.
Personal Life
In addition to his football career, Ćaleta-Car values family life. He married Adriana Đurđević in May 2021 in a civil ceremony in Dubrovnik, and they welcomed their son, Mauro, in August 2021. The couple later celebrated their marriage with a church ceremony in June 2022, further solidifying their bond in the picturesque setting of Dubrovnik.
Collected from open sources (3) · facts link to sources · AI-processed
Career & Clubs
Early career
Ćaleta-Car joined FC Liefering in 2014 from FC Pasching. He made his Austrian Football First League debut with FC Liefering on 25 July 2014 against FAC Team für Wien.
Red Bull Salzburg
During the 2017–18 season Salzburg had their best ever European campaign. They finished top of their Europa League group, for a record fourth time, before beating Real Sociedad and Borussia Dortmund thus making their first ever appearance in a UEFA Europa League semi-final. On 3 May 2018, he played in the Europa League semi-final as Marseille played out a 1–2 away loss but a 3–2 aggregate win to secure a place in the 2018 UEFA Europa League Final.
Marseille
On 20 July 2018, Ćaleta-Car joined Marseille on a five-year deal for a transfer fee of €19 million. Upon his arrival, Ćaleta-Car was given the squad shirt number 15. On 29 September 2019, he scored his first goal for Marseille, the equalizer in a 1–1 draw with Rennes. At the start of the 2020–21 season, Ćaleta-Car scored a brace against Brest, converting assists of Florian Thauvin, as Marseille won 3–2. At the end of the January 2021 transfer window, Premier League side Liverpool launched a £23 million bid to secure his services but the move failed to materialize as Marseille didn't have enough time to sign a replacement.
Southampton
On 1 September 2022, Ćaleta-Car joined Southampton on a four-year contract. On 1 October 2022, Ćaleta-Car made his Premier League debut in a 1–2 defeat…
In October 2015, Ćaleta-Car received a first call-up for the senior national team for the Euro 2016 qualifying matches against Bulgaria and Malta, as a replacement for injured Jozo Šimunović. He was in the first 27 players team called for the Euro 2016 but was dropped along with midfielder Alen Halilović and goalkeeper Dominik Livaković. In May 2018, he was named in Croatia's preliminary 32-man squad for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. On 3 June, he made his international debut in a friendly match against Brazil, coming on as a substitute for Vedran Ćorluka in the 52nd minute. In June 2019, he refused to be part of Croatia squad for 2019 UEFA Under-21 Euro, citing exhaustion and the club's demand to take a rest for the upcoming season as reasons. Soon it was discovered that the real reason was a vacation in the Maldives with his club teammate Nemanja Radonjić. As a disciplinary action, he was the only outfield player who wasn't given even a minute of playing time in senior Croatia squad's June fixtures against Wales and Tunisia and was completely dropped ahead of September fixtures against Slovakia and Azerbaijan. In an interview with Sportske novosti, he denied going on the vacation and said that the sole reason of not participating in the tournament was suggestion of his club coaches Andoni Zubizarreta and André Villas-Boas to take a rest instead since his previous season was not on the level it was expected to be, partially due to his participation in the World Cup the…
Club
As of match played 9 May 2026
International
As of match played 31 March 2026
As of match played 31 March 2026 Scores and results list Croatia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Ćaleta-Car goal.
- Club
- HNK Šibenik (2012–2013)
- Club
- FC Liefering (2014–2015)
- Club
- FC Red Bull Salzburg (2014–2018)
- Club
- Croatia national under-17 football team (2012–2013)
- Club
- Croatia national under-18 football team (2013–2014)
- Club
- Croatia national under-19 football team (2014–2015)
- Club
- Croatia national under-21 football team (2014–2018)
- Club
- SK Austria Kärnten (2013–2014)
- Club
- Olympique Lyonnais (2023–2024)
- Club
- Croatia men's national football team (2018–)
- Club
- Olympique Lyonnais (2024–2026)
- Club
- Real Sociedad (2025–2026)
- Club
- US Sassuolo Calcio (2026–)
- League
- La Liga
- National team
- Croatia
- Club
- Olympique de Marseille (2018–2022)
- Club
- Southampton F.C. (2022–2024)
Personal
In May 2021, Ćaleta-Car married Adriana Đurđević in a civil ceremony at the top of the Revelin Fortress in Đurđević's native Dubrovnik. In August 2021, Ćaleta-Car and Đurđević became parents of a baby son, whom they named Mauro. In June 2022, Ćaleta-Car and Đurđević married in a church ceremony in the St. Ignatius Church in Dubrovnik.
Clubs
- Croatia men's national football team2018current
- US Sassuolo Calcio2026current
- Croatia national under-17 football team2012–2013
- HNK Šibenik2012–2013
- Croatia national under-18 football team2013–2014
- SK Austria Kärnten2013–2014
- Croatia national under-19 football team2014–2015
- Croatia national under-21 football team2014–2018
- FC Liefering2014–2015
- FC Red Bull Salzburg2014–2018
- Olympique de Marseille2018–2022
- Southampton F.C.2022–2024
- Olympique Lyonnais2023–2024
- Olympique Lyonnais2024–2026
- Real Sociedad2025–2026
Played together with
Aaron RamsdaleSouthampton F.C. · 2024
Abdelaziz BarradaOlympique de Marseille · 2014- Abdelhamid KermaliOlympique Lyonnais · 1955–1959
- Abdelkader Ben BoualiOlympique de Marseille · 1936–1938
Abdelkader GhezzalOlympique Lyonnais
Abdoulaye MéïtéOlympique de Marseille · 2000–2006
Abdul Kader KeïtaOlympique Lyonnais · 2007–2009
Abedi PeleOlympique de Marseille · 1988–1993
Abedi PeleOlympique Lyonnais · 1993–1994
Abou DiabyOlympique de Marseille · 2015–2017- Adam HammillSouthampton F.C. · 2007–2008
Adam LallanaSouthampton F.C. · 2006–2014
Archive
Passport
Identifiers & aliases
Duje Ćaleta-Car is a Croatian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Serie A club Sassuolo and the Croatia national team.
Opinions of fans — not verified facts.
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