Raul Kumar

The contract came on his eighteenth birthday. On 6 February 2026, Istra 1961 announced that Raul Kumar had extended his deal with the club until 2030. Sporting director Saša Bjelanović said the club sees Kumar as potentially the most expensive player in its history when a transfer eventually comes.

Kumar was born in Pula and came through Istra's own academy, which is where his professional career began. He made his first-team debut in December 2024, coming off the bench against Velika Gorica. Through the 2024/2025 season he was listed with the senior squad while picking up minutes at reserve side Uljanik in the Croatian Second League, where he played seven matches.

He made 21 appearances in the Croatian First League, plus another seven in the second tier. He did not score, and collected four yellow cards. Two more HNL matches followed in 2026/27.

His youth international record is the fuller one. Kumar has 12 caps and two goals for Croatia's under-17s, including the final tournament, and at the 2025 World Cup. At under-19 level he has three caps and a goal, scored in qualifying for the 2027 European Championship. He has not appeared for the senior national team.

He won two national finals in the same season — the Završnica HNK juniors title and the Završnica HNK NS Rijeka cadets title, both in 2024/25.