Kramarić started his football career in his hometown clubDinamo Zagreb and holds the record as the top youth goalscorer in the club's history.[6] Hailed as one of the club's biggest talents, he made his first official appearance for Dinamo at the age of 17. In 2013, after he had a dispute with the Dinamo board of directors,[7] Kramarić was transferred toHNK Rijeka, where he scored 37 times in 42 league games prior to his move toLeicester City for a record £9 million.[8] He played a year-and-a-half there, spending time on loan atTSG Hoffenheim before moving there permanently. On 29 March 2019, he became the club's all-time top goalscorer.[9] On 24 January 2021, he became the Bundesliga's all-time top Croatian goalscorer.[10] On 15 January 2026, he became most capped Croatian player in the Bundesliga and Croatian player with most goals in professional career, surpassingZvonimir Soldo andDavor Šuker respectively.[11]
Kramarić wascapped 53 times at various youth levels for Croatia, scoring 22 goals in total. He took part at the2010 UEFA European Under-19 Championship, making four appearances for a Croatian team that reached the tournament semi-finals. He made his debut for the senior team in 2014, later taking part at threeUEFA European Championships (in2016,2020 and2024) and twoFIFA World Cups (in2018 and2022), helping Croatia to reach thefinal of the 2018 tournament.
Kramarić's parents, Josip and Danica, are fromBednja, a municipality in the region ofZagorje, where he spent much of his early childhood while his mother worked there as a local physician.[12][13]
Kramarić joinedDinamo Zagreb when he was just six years old.[16] During his youth career, he scored over 450 goals forDinamo youth teams, making him the top youth scorer in club history.[6]
Kramarić made his debut for the Dinamo senior squad on 24 May 2009 in aleague match againstZagreb. He made an appearance as a 69th-minute substitute forJosip Tadić.[17] It was also his only match for the Dinamo first-team during the2008–09 season.
Kramarić was promoted to the first-team squad thefollowing season. He made his first appearance of the season and also debuted in theUEFA Champions League on 15 July in an away match againstPyunik, which finished in a goalless draw.[18] Later that year, Kramarić won his firstleague title with Dinamo, scoring seven goals in 24 appearances en route.[19] He also made five appearances in the2009–10 Croatian Cup and scored four goals, and made five appearances inUEFA competitions. The following season turned out to be disappointing for Kramarić, however. With the arrival of new coachVahid Halilhodžić, Kramarić was mostly used as a late substitute, rarely being used as a match starter. He managed to collect less than 600 minutes of playing time in 17 appearances he made throughout the2010–11 season, scoring five goals in process. Despite the personal struggle, he won theleague andcup double with his team.[20]
In the first half of the2011–12 season, Kramarić's status in the club did not change, as he collected only three appearances before the winter break, and the speculations about him leaving the club started to rise.[21] In February 2012, it was announced that Kramarić would be loaned to Prva HNL teamLokomotiva Zagreb.[22]
In February 2012, Kramarić was loaned to Lokomotiva until the end of theseason.[23] At Lokomotiva, he became one of the most proficient strikers inSoutheast Europe, scoring 20 goals in 44 league appearances in the season-and-a-half he spent with theLokosi. In his first fullseason with Lokomotiva, he finished runner-up toLeon Benko in the Prva HNL top goalscorer race with 15 goals. He also helped his team reach theCroatian Cupfinal in where they were defeated byHajduk Split.[24]
There was great excitement when Kramarić returned to Dinamo Zagreb at the start of the2013–14 season, with many pundits predicting that he would become the ruthless striker Dinamo had been lacking in recent years. He started his returning season coming on as a late substitute in aCroatian Supercup match where Dinamo secured their first trophy of the season by defeating Hajduk Split onpenalties.[25] But things for Kramarić did not go very well, as he found himself once again on the bench. He quickly became discouraged and complained to the press about his lack of playing time.[26] This did not bode well with club directorZoran Mamić, who decided to put the young star on the transfer list.[27]
Rijeka were the quickest to react to the falling out between Kramarić and Dinamo, securing his services on 31 August 2013. Kramarić debuted for the team on 15 September, playing in the starting line-up in aPrva HNL league match againstSlaven Belupo, in which he also scored his first goal for the team in the 15th minute, the match's only goal. During aCroatian Cup match, Kramarić scored eight goals againstBŠK Zmaj. In November 2013, he scored an astonishing goal againstLyon in theEuropa League group stage.[28] He scored his first hat-trick of theseason againstIstra 1961 in a match that ended 3–3, with Kramarić also missing a penalty.[29] He then netted another goal against Rijeka'sarch rivals Hajduk Split at theStadion Poljud. Kramarić finished his first season with Rijeka by winning theCroatian Cup,[30] and scoring 27 goals in all competitions.In July 2014, just before the start of the new season, Kramarić won theCroatian Supercup when Rijeka defeated his former club and reigning champions Dinamo Zagreb.[31]
Kramarić opened thenew season of the Prva HNL by scoring five goals in the opening two matches, including a hat-trick against Hajduk Split.[32] By the end of October 2014, he had already scored more than 20 goals in all competitions,[33] including a hat-trick in aEuropa League match againstFeyenoord.[34] On 9 November, Kramarić scored five goals againstLokomotiva Zagreb in a home match that ended 6–0, a feat that was entered into league annals—for 14 years, no player had scored more than four goals in one match, and in history only two other players have managed to score that number.[35][36]
On 8 January 2015,Premier League clubLeicester City announced that they had agreed a deal to sign Kramarić on a three-and-a-half-year contract,[37] confirming an earlier announcement by Rijeka.[38] The transfer, however, was dependent on Kramarić being awarded a work permit on appeal, as he did not meet the requirements for one to be automatically granted.[39] Four days after Leicester's announcement, an FA Panel recommended the approval of work permit, clearing the way for Leicester to apply to theUK Border Agency.[40][41]
On 16 January, Leicester announced Kramarić had officially joined the club after being granted a UK work permit and that he would wear the number 40.[42] His transfer fee was £9 million, a club record for Leicester.[43] He made his debut the day after signing, replacing strikerJamie Vardy for the last 25 minutes of a 0–1 home defeat againstStoke City.[44] On 10 February, Kramarić scored his first goal for the club in 2–1 away defeat againstArsenal.[45]
Kramarić failed to establish a spot in the starting XI for the early stages of the2015–16 season. He played only two league games when Leicester became Premier League champions, making him ineligible for awinner's medal (minimum five league games required).[46]
On 20 January 2016, Kramarić was loaned toBundesliga club TSG Hoffenheim.[47] He made his debut againstBayern Munich on 31 January, then scored his first goal in a draw withWerder Bremen, where he also was sent off in the 77th minute for accumulating two yellow cards. On 30 April he missed a penalty againstIngolstadt 04, however Hoffenheim won 2–1.[48] On 25 May 2016, Kramarić signed for 1899 Hoffenheim on a four-year deal for an undisclosed fee.[49]
In his debut season, he was Hoffenheim's2016–17 season top-scorer with 18 goals (15 league goals). On 4 April, Kramarić scored a 21st-minute goal to give Hoffenheim the lead againstGerman champions Bayern Munich, a game which Hoffenheim won 1–0. Kramarić was considered one of Hoffenheim's key players in their 2016–17 campaign in which they finished fourth, alongsideNiklas Süle,Sandro Wagner,Ádám Szalai, andSebastian Rudy.
On 29 March 2019, after scoring his forty-seventh goal for Hoffenheim in a 4–1 league victory overBayer Leverkusen, Kramarić became the club's all-time Bundesliga top goalscorer, surpassingSejad Salihović who scored 46.[9] On 28 April, he missed a penalty againstVfL Wolfsburg at result 1–0 for Hoffenheim and Wolfsburg turned the match over into a 4–1 victory, which left Hoffenheim four points behind fourth position, the last one which gives a chance to compete in theChampions League. It was his second league penalty miss for Hoffenheim, and third in total.
On 20 June 2020, Kramarić scored in a 4–0 victory overUnion Berlin.[51] On the last matchday, 27 June, he scored all four goals in a 4–0 away win against second-placedBorussia Dortmund, becoming the first Hoffenheim player to do so in a Bundesliga match.[52] He also became the first player to score four against Dortmund away in a single game, surpassingFritz Walter,Erhard Hofeditz andGerd Müller who had managed to score three.[53] The victory also secured Hoffenheim's sixth place league finish and qualification for theEuropa Leaguegroup stage.[52]
On 13 September, Kramarić scored both goals in aDFB-Pokal 2–2 draw withChemnitzer FC, and successfully converted a penalty in a shootout as Hoffenheim won 3–2.[54] On 19 September, in Hoffenheim's firstleague game of theseason, Kramarić scored a hat-trick in the 3–2 victory overKöln. That meant he scored nine goals in three consecutive games for the club, being the club's only goalscorer in all three of them.[55][56] At the same time, he brokeMario Gómez's record of goals scored in consecutive1. Bundesliga and2. Bundesliga matches (7), scoring eight in four consecutive league games.[53] On 27 September, he scored a brace in a 4–1 victory overGerman andEuropean champions Bayern Munich, ending their 32-game unbeaten streak and 23-game winning streak in all competitions and inflicting the first defeat of the calendar year on them.[57][58] On 16 October, he was named the Bundesliga Player of the Month. The same day, it was announced that he tested positive forCOVID-19.[59] On 24 January 2021, he surpassedIvica Olić and became Bundesliga all-time top Croatian goalscorer after scoring a brace in a 3–0 victory over Köln and reaching the number of 74 goals.[10] On 15 May, in a 1–1 draw withArminia Bielefeld, he scored his 19th goal of the season, a record for a Hoffenheim player, surpassingVedad Ibišević who scored 18 in the2008–09 season.[60]
On 22 January 2022, Kramarić scored his 100th goal for Hoffenheim in all competitions, by scoring the initial equalizer in a 3–2 home defeat againstBorussia Dortmund.[61] In the 2022–23 season, Kramarić reached two major milestones, scoring his 100th Bundesliga goal and providing his 50th assist for Hoffenheim in all competitions. On 20 May 2023, he scored his 99th and 100th goals, and provided the assist for the fourth goal, which was his 50th assist in a 4–2 victory overUnion Berlin.[62] This victory secured their stay in the top flight league.[62] On the final matchday of the2023–24 season, he scored three goals in a 4–2 win over Bayern Munich, becoming the third player to achieve aflawless hat-trick for the club, followingIshak Belfodil andVedad Ibišević.[63] On 13 December 2025, he featured in his 300th Bundesliga match with Hoffenheim in a 4–1 victory overHamburg, becoming the fourth foreign player to achieve this feat with a single club afterDedé,Steve Cherundolo andZvonimir Soldo.[64][65]
Kramarić was capped a total of 53 times for various Croatian youth teams and scored 22 goals in return. His first national team appearance came againstBavaria national team on 31 March 2005. He was then playing for the under-14 team and was capped a total of two times. Kramarić then started competing at the under-16 andunder-17 levels. He made a total of seven appearances in friendly matches for the under-16 team and scored four goals. For the under-17 team, he was capped 12 times and scored six goals. He also participated in all of under–17 team's qualifiers for the2008 European U–17 Championship. At the under-18 level, Kramarić was capped nine times and scored three goals.[66]
On 20 August 2014, Kramarić received his first call-up for the Croatian senior squad under coachNiko Kovač for the friendly match againstCyprus andUEFA Euro 2016 qualifying match againstMalta. He made his debut forCroatia on 4 September 2014 in a friendly match againstCyprus and provided an assist forMario Mandžukić in 18th minute,[68] receiving positive reviews from both critics and national team coach for his debut performance.[69][70] Kramarić scored his first goal for Croatia in his competitive debut in the qualifying match against Malta.[71] He scored his second goal againstAzerbaijan on 13 October 2014.[72]
On 9 October 2017, Kramarić scored two goals in a crucial2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier againstUkraine, securing Croatia's qualification toplayoffs.[73] On 4 June 2018, he was included in Croatia's finalWorld Cup squad.[74] On 7 July, in the2018 FIFA World Cupquarter-final match against hostsRussia, he scored Croatia's equaliser in the first half of regulation time. A 1–1 draw after 90 minutes saw the match go into extra-time, and following a 2–2 draw after 120 minutes of play, Croatia once again progressed to the next round in the ensuing shoot-out, winning 4–3 on penalties.[75] He would later come on as a substitute in thefinal, where Croatia was defeated byFrance 4–2.[76]
Kramarić has been described as versatile striker who is mobile enough to run behind defences and rather than waiting for crosses or ball to come to him, tends to run towards the ball, engulfing his opposition with an air of unpredictability about his play. Although naturally a lonestriker, his versatility makes him able to play well as awinger or second striker.[82] His former national team coach Niko Kovač compared him with legendary Croatian strikerDavor Šuker.[83] In May 2021, his former Hoffenheim coachJulian Nagelsmann named him the best player he had ever worked with.[84]
He has been reported gifting sports equipment to the elementary school inBednja, and held a flag displaying its name at the 2018 World Cup, during post-match celebrations.[85][86]
On 31 March 2021, Kramarić married Mia Ćurković in a private ceremony at theOld City Hall inZagreb Upper Town.[87] In late August 2021, they became the parents of a son they named Viktor.[88]
^Antolić, Dražen; Čičin-Mašansker, Goran (16 January 2026). "Kramarić postao Hrvat s najviše nastupa i golova, prestigao i Šukera".Jutarnji list (in Croatian). No. 9847. p. 28.