FRISCO — Petar Musa has his eyes set on June 17.
That’s when Croatia is scheduled to face England at AT&T Stadium in one of the most anticipated group‑stage matches of the World Cup — and the FC Dallas striker may walk onto that pitch in the region he now calls his second home.
Musa helped Croatia get there. He scored his first international goal in its penultimate European qualifier, a 3–1 win over the Faroe Islands that sealed Croatia’s place in the tournament.
For a kid who once sprinted from school to the playground in Zagreb, the moment felt like the fulfillment of a promise he made to himself before he was even old enough to understand it.
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Before the goals, before the qualifiers, before becoming a rising FCD star, Musa was simply a boy waiting for the school bell to ring so he could play football.
“I had a very normal childhood,” he says, smiling. “I was a happy kid, always playing football around, waiting for school to finish so I could play with my friends.”
He’s carried his scoring form into the start of the 2026 MLS season. His six goals are second in the league. He featured in Croatia’s 2-1 win over Colombia last Thursday in Orlando in one of the team’s final World Cup tuneups. Croatia, a nation of about 3.9 million people that competed in its first World Cup in 1998, has turned into a world soccer power. It finished runner-up in 2018 and third in 2022.
Musa, 28, was only a few months old when Croatia finished third in its debut 1998 World Cup, held seven years after the nation declared its independence.
His first soccer ball came from his mother, a former professional who stepped away from the sport when she became pregnant. That gift planted the dream. By age 3 or 4, Musa knew what he wanted to become. It still shapes him today.
You can see it in his training habits, his demeanor, and the way he treats each day as something to be earned. Inside FC Dallas, everyone notices.
“Musa is a highly driven individual,” FC Dallas coach Eric Quill said. “He has a big‑picture focus every second of his life, and he’s not here to mess around.”
Read more: From FC Dallas to the 2026 World Cup: See the big names who could be there next summer
When it comes to precision, Quill says he’s never coached anyone quite like him. Ricardo Pepi, vying to be the United States’ starting striker at this summer’s tournament, comes closest, but Musa is the rare striker who converts nearly every chance.
Then Quill adds a line that captures Musa better than any stat sheet.
“He gets in his car each morning with a mission and ends the day knowing he’s pushed himself to be the best version of himself. And he does that daily — not occasionally, but every single day.”
FC Dallas forward Petar Musa (9) celebrates after scoring a goal for the game-winner in the 87th minute of an MLS soccer match against the Houston Dynamo, Saturday, March 21, 2026, in Frisco. ORG XMIT: 202308061
Smiley N. Pool/The Dallas Morning News
A rising FC Dallas icon
That discipline traces back to his mother and to the uncle who spent years driving him to tournament after tournament.
It’s paired with a humility he returns to again and again.
“For me, the most important thing in life is to be humble,” Musa says. “Be grateful for everything you have and enjoy the moments with your loved ones. You never know.”
Musa’s path has never been straightforward. At 17, he left Croatia for Slavia Prague, a top team in Czechia and a Champions League mainstay. Then came five years of loans, including a short spell in Germany that helped him grow. Portugal followed — the place where everything finally clicked.
He says he learned more about soccer there than anywhere else.
In North Texas, he’s already carved his name into club history. Musa became the first FC Dallas player to record two hat tricks, the latest coming on March 14 in a 3–3 draw against San Diego FC.
He now sits at 40 career goals for the club — fourth all‑time — with Kenny Cooper’s 46 next in his sights.
On Tuesday, Musa could see action again when Croatia faces Brazil, also in Orlando.
Croatia national team coach Zlatko Dalić said he has given Musa the opportunity to be with the national team in Orlando thanks to the discipline and commitment he has shown both on and off the field.
“[Musa] has made himself noticed because of the way he trains and how he carries himself at the hotel during team activities — everything is taken into account,” Dalić said in comments published by the Croatian daily newspaper Slobodna Dalmacija.
Croatia was placed in Group L of the World Cup along with England, Panama, and Ghana.
Croatia forward Petar Musa (26) makes a sliding block against Colombia midfielder Jhon Arias (11) during the second half of an international friendly soccer game, Thursday, March 26, 2026, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Kevin Kolczynski)
Kevin Kolczynski/AP
A nation’s spirit
Dalić said that no one has a guaranteed spot on the national team and that it’s up to the players to keep improving at their clubs to be called up for the World Cup.
That should bode well for the lead-by-example Musa.
Quill describes Musa as introverted — someone who leads through actions, not speeches. But he’s no bystander. Whether in small‑sided games or passing drills, he sets standards and holds teammates accountable.
He’s not the type to roam the locker room looking for conversations, but if you’re near him, he’ll engage. And one teammate has become almost like family.
“Logan’s like the little brother to Musa,” Quill says. “He’s mentoring him.”
Forward Logan Farrington laughs when he hears that — because it’s true.
“We’re very good friends,” Farrington says. “We spend a lot of time off the field. He’s a couple years older, so he’s been a great mentor to me.”
Their connection is unusual: two big strikers who instinctively read each other’s movements. Farrington looks for Musa in the same spots he’d want the ball himself, and Musa does the same.
Farrington said that lining up next to someone bound for the World Cup still feels surreal.
FC Dallas forward Petar Musa (9) celebrates with forward Logan Farrington (23) after scoring a goal during the first half in Game 2 in the first round of MLS soccer’s Western Conference playoffs against the Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, in Frisco.
Smiley N. Pool/Staff Photographer
Last summer, Farrington even visited Croatia to see Musa’s home. He met his family, experienced the culture, and saw how Musa is recognized and well respected in his country.
For the Croatian community in North Texas, Musa has become a figure who embodies the nation’s spirit.
“We are a small nation, but we consistently produce world‑class athletes in every sport,” said Marijana Barancia, a Croatian fan who has had the chance to watch Musa play for FC Dallas at Toyota Stadium
She credits Musa’s success — and that of many other elite Croatian athletes — to a blend of cultural traits: strong nutrition rooted in traditional food, tight‑knit communities that nurture and cheer on young talent, a relentless work ethic supported by high‑level coaching even in small towns, and a competitive spirit instilled from childhood.
Above all, Barancia points to a deep sense of Croatian pride — a mindset shaped by centuries of defending their identity rather than seeking to dominate others.
Flying under the radar
Despite his impressive stats with FC Dallas and his performances with Croatia, Quill believes Musa is still overlooked across the MLS.
Asked whether Musa is one of the most underrated players in MLS, the FCD coach didn’t hesitate: “Absolutely.”
Musa is perfectly comfortable operating in the background. Attention isn’t what drives him — controlling what he can is.
He and his family have settled comfortably in North Texas. He knows the cafés and steakhouses. He cooks decently, he says, though his wife is better. His only disappointment is the lack of a Croatian restaurant nearby — he misses sarma, his favorite winter dish.
Back home, fans and media alike are closely tracking Musa’s performances at FC Dallas.
“When Musa moved to MLS, it came as a bit of a surprise,” said Daniela Rogulj, a San Diego–born journalist who has spent the past 11 years in Croatia, where she works as sports editor for Total Croatia News.
“When you think about MLS in terms of a player’s career, if the choice is staying in Europe or going to the United States, most players would typically stay in Europe,” Rogulj explained.
Rogulj, who will be covering Croatia during the World Cup, noted that the national team has struggled to fill the number nine role since Mario Mandžukić retired following the 2018 tournament.
Given that context, she believes Musa has a genuine opportunity to break into the striker rotation for Croatia, thanks to his strong performances in MLS.
Rogulj believes that Musa has an advantage over other players competing for his position, particularly with the World Cup taking place in the United States and Croatia set to open in Arlington. His familiarity with the climate, stadiums, and overall environment could work in his favor.
“Musa really has a chance to make a significant impact for Croatia,” Rogulj said.
Full circle
“The Moose,” as fans affectionately call Musa, dreams of hearing his national anthem echo through AT&T Stadium.
He insists Croatia is no underdog. For the past eight years, he says, they’ve been among the world’s top five national teams. Expectations are high, and they’ll fight to the end.
Ask Musa about dreams, though, and he doesn’t mention trophies.
His greatest achievements, he says, are off the field. He’s already fulfilled his biggest dream by becoming a father. His oldest son, not yet 2, sleeps with two soccer balls — maybe a sign he’ll follow in his father’s footsteps.
“He’s crazy about soccer,” Musa says, laughing. “Maybe one day he’ll become a professional player, but I won’t force him.”
It’s the only time Musa lets himself imagine the future — not goals, not World Cups, not legacy. Just his kids running to him when he gets home from training.
“That feeling,” he says, “is priceless.”
Inside FC Dallas, Musa is the standard. The professional. The finisher. The quiet leader. The mentor. The father.
And yet he insists he’s simply grateful — for his health, his family, and the chance to play the game he fell in love with when he was barely a toddler.
“Focus on doing the best you can under the circumstances you can control,” he says. “If you do that, good things will happen to you.”
Find more World Cup coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.