<\/p>\n
FC Dallas forward Petar Musa celebrates as he leaves the field with his son Niki after a victory over the Houston Dynamo in an MLS soccer match, Saturday, March 21, 2026, in Frisco.<\/p>\n
Smiley N. Pool\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n
The Croatian striker who arrived at\u00a0FC Dallas<\/a> just two years ago will now represent his country in a match many have labeled one of the marquee showdowns of the World Cup group stage: Croatia<\/a> vs. England<\/a>.<\/p>\n The kid who once waited for the school bell to ring so he could sprint outside and play soccer is now walking onto one of the sport\u2019s biggest stages.<\/p>\n Petar Musa\u2019s<\/a> path has never been straightforward. At 17, he left Croatia for Slavia Prague, a top club in Czechia and a regular in the Champions League.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Then came five years of loans \u2014 including a short stint in Germany that hardened him \u2014 before Portugal, the place where everything finally clicked. Musa says he learned more about soccer there than anywhere else.<\/p>\n In February 2024, he joined FC Dallas on a four\u2011year contract after the club paid a record $9.7 million transfer fee<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Related: Everything you need to know about the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Dallas<\/a><\/p>\n His impact in North Texas has been immediate and historic. Musa became the first FC Dallas player with two hat tricks and has climbed to 46 goals in 77 matches \u2014 a scoring pace few in club history have matched.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Musa, now 28, was only a few months old when Croatia finished third in its World Cup debut in 1998, just seven years after the country declared independence.<\/p>\n On Wednesday, he\u2019ll play a World Cup match in front of the same local fans who have witnessed his rise since he arrived in North Texas.<\/p>\n Rising the ranks<\/p>\n In a recent interview with The Dallas Morning News, Musa said playing a World Cup match at Dallas Stadium<\/a> (AT&T Stadium) would be \u201cvery special,\u201d but above all, he described himself as a grateful man.<\/p>\n \u201cFor me, the most important thing in life is to be humble,\u201d Musa said. \u201cBe grateful for everything you have.\u201d<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Convincing Croatia manager Zlatko Dali\u0107 to bring him back into the national team wasn\u2019t easy, but Musa\u2019s scoring form in MLS became a message impossible to ignore.<\/p>\n Related: A closer look at Petar Musa’s electric start in MLS: A shot at FC Dallas history and more<\/a><\/p>\n Musa had to wait nearly two years for another call\u2011up after his last appearance in October 2023.<\/p>\n Then, in November 2025, he became a household name in Croatia by scoring the goal that secured the nation\u2019s place in the World Cup.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was amazing. The feeling was really hard to describe in words,\u201d Musa said of the goal that sealed qualification against Faroe Islands.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cI had been waiting for that moment for a long time, especially because with that win we secured our spot in the World Cup.\u201d<\/p>\n Croatia was drawn into Group L alongside England, Panama and Ghana.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n