Marco Pasalic

Marco Pašalić was born in Karlsruhe and holds dual Croatian and German citizenship. He came up through German youth football with SG Siemens Karlsruhe, SV Sandhausen, TSG 1899 Hoffenheim and Karlsruher SC before joining VfB Stuttgart II in 2019. His path took a significant step in July 2021, when he signed for Borussia Dortmund. A free transfer to HNK Rijeka in June 2023 gave him the regular football he needed. Over two seasons he made 49 league appearances, scored ten goals and set up others, a run of form that brought a call-up to Croatia's squad for Euro 2024. He made his senior international debut against Latvia in November 2023 and scored his first goal for Croatia the following June, in a friendly win over North Macedonia. In February 2025, Orlando City signed Pašalić from Rijeka as a Designated Player, a deal reported at around €4.8 million. He scored the fastest goal in the club's home-opener history against the Philadelphia Union that same month. His debut MLS season produced double-digit goal returns across competitions and a selection for the 2025 MLS All-Star Game. On the international stage, he has continued to add caps for Croatia and was named in the squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.