Ante Budimir

FC St. Pauli

In August 2014, Budimir joined German club FC St. Pauli of the 2. Bundesliga on a four-year deal until 2018. St. Pauli had to pay a transfer fee believed to be around €900,000. In an interview on Budimir's signing, former Croatian international Jurica Vranješ described him as "tall, strong in the air, and reliable in combinations" and compared his style to Dimitar Berbatov. Budimir had a tough time at St. Pauli, scoring one goal in 20 appearances in the St. Pauli shirt.

Crotone and Sampdoria

On 1 September 2015, Budimir was loaned out to Italian club Crotone for the remainder of the season. He made his Crotone debut on 7 September 2015, in a 4–0 loss to Cagliari Calcio, coming on as a 71st-minute substitute for Pietro De Giorgio. In March 2016, Crotone exercised their €1 million buyout option on the player. Budimir ended the season as Crotone's top goalscorer with 16 goals in 40 Serie B appearances, as they were promoted as runners-up to Cagliari; this tally was fourth for goalscorers in the whole league season. In June 2016, ahead of Crotone's debut Serie A season, Sampdoria of the same league activated Budimir's release clause believed to be in the region of €1.8 million, and the player signed a deal ending in mid-2020. A year later, he was sent back to Crotone on a one-year loan with obligation to buy. The obligation was fulfilled by now relegated Crotone at the end of the season, and he remained in the club on a permanent contract.

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On 27 August 2020, during pre-season training, Budimir was called up by the Croatia national team coach Zlatko Dalić for September Nations League clashes against Portugal and France. He made his national team debut on 7 October in a friendly 2–1 victory over Switzerland, providing Mario Pašalić with an assist for the winning goal. He scored his debut goal on 11 November in a friendly 3–3 draw with Turkey. Budimir was a member of Croatia's squad that finished third at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He appeared twice as a substitute – in the round of 16 against Japan and the quarter-final against Brazil. On 21 November 2023, Budimir scored the only goal of Croatia's 1–0 win over Armenia to qualify the nation for the UEFA Euro 2024. On 18 May 2026, Budimir was selected in the 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He scored the only goal in a 1–0 victory against Panama in the second group-stage match, becoming the oldest Croatian player to score at a World Cup at 34 years and 336 days old.

Club

As of match played 6 September 2026

International

As of match played 2 July 2026

Scores and results list Croatia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Budimir goal.

Budimir's family comes from the village of Ozimica in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and he was born in Zenica as it was the nearest town with an adequate hospital. Fleeing the war, the family moved to Croatia when Budimir was 6 months old. He was raised in Velika Gorica in Turopolje, where he eventually met his wife Monika.