Petar Ratkov

Born in Belgrade, Ratkov grew up in Vojvodina and is a youth product of TSC. He started playing as a second striker before switching to a left-footed winger. On 18 June 2023, Ratkov signed for reigning Austrian Bundesliga champions Red Bull Salzburg on a five-year contract. In total, he has made headlines with 22 goals in two-and-a-half seasons, showing particular brilliance in the 2024–25 Austrian Bundesliga with 12 goals. On 8 January 2026, Ratkov moved to Serie A club Lazio for a fee of €13 million. He made his league debut for the club on 12 January in a 1–0 victory. On 1 September 2026, Ratkov was loaned to La Liga side Levante, for one year.

Ratkov is of mixed Bulgarian and Croatian descent. He holds both Serbian and Bulgarian citizenships, allowing him to represent either Serbia or Bulgaria. Ratkov was also eligible to play for Croatia through his mother's said descent. In September 2023, he rejected a call-up for Bulgaria, committing himself to the Serbian national team. On 14 October, Ratkov eventually debuted for the Serbian football team in a UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying match against Hungary. Ratkov was selected in Serbia's squad for the UEFA Euro 2024, but did not make an appearances in the tournament.

Ratkov has been analysed by the International Centre for Sports Studies (CIES) Football Observatory. In issue no. 375 of its weekly report, he was ranked 79th among the top 100 performing under-20 outfield players across 32 European leagues. CIES characterised his profile as that of a target-man striker with a primary emphasis on finishing, based on performance data across multiple areas of play, including aerial ability and shooting.

Club

As of match played 16 August 2026

International

As of match played 8 September 2024