 Pongračić playing forBorussia Dortmund in 2021 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1997-09-11)11 September 1997 (age 28) | ||
| Place of birth | Landshut,Bavaria, Germany | ||
| Height | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)[1] | ||
| Position | Centre-back | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Fiorentina | ||
| Number | 5 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2013 | Bayern Munich | ||
| 2013–2016 | FC Ingolstadt 04 | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2016–2017 | 1860 Munich II | 17 | (1) |
| 2017 | 1860 Munich | 6 | (0) |
| 2017–2020 | Red Bull Salzburg | 35 | (0) |
| 2020–2023 | VfL Wolfsburg | 21 | (2) |
| 2021–2022 | →Borussia Dortmund (loan) | 17 | (0) |
| 2022–2023 | →Lecce (loan) | 9 | (0) |
| 2023–2024 | Lecce | 36 | (0) |
| 2024– | Fiorentina | 30 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2017–2018 | Croatia U21 | 3 | (0) |
| 2020– | Croatia | 16 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 17:03, 9 November 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 23:36, 17 November 2025 (UTC) | |||
Marin Pongračić (Croatian pronunciation:[mâriːnpǒnɡratʃitɕ];[2] born 11 September 1997) is a Croatianfootballer who plays as adefender forSerie A clubFiorentina and theCroatia national team. Pongračić is principally acentre-back but can also play atright-back or as adefensive midfielder.
Pongračić started his football career as a product ofBayern Munichacademy, before moving toFC Ingolstadt 04 in 2013 at the age of 16. He made 38 appearances at under-17 and under-19 levels, before moving to1860 Munich in 2016 in search of professional football. After establishing himself in thereserve team, he made his2. Bundesliga debut on 16 April 2017 in a 1–1 draw withSandhausen. He made seven appearances for the first team, including an appearance in arelegation play-off againstJahn Regensburg. Pongračić wassent off in the 80th minute, as the match ended up as a 1–1 draw.[3][4][5]
In summer 2017, he joined Austrian clubRed Bull Salzburg on a four-year deal.[6] He made his debut for the club on 22 July in a 2–0 victory overWolfsberger AC.[7] However, due to an abductor muscle injury, he missed thirteen games for the club. He returned to the team for the 5 November game againstSt. Pölten. He made hisUEFA Europa League debut on 23 November in a 3–0 victory overVitória Guimarães.[8] He then featured throughout Salzburg's Europa League campaign as they reached thesemi-final, where they were eliminated byMarseille.[9] Salzburg ended theseason as theAustrian champions.[3]
On 29 August 2018, in aChampions Leaguequalifying play-offreturn leg againstRed Star Belgrade, with Salzburg 2–0 up on the night and seemingly comfortably headed towards Champions League qualification, Pongračić received a 63rd-minuteyellow card for foulingMilan Pavkov by stomping on him. The game ended a 2–2 draw and Red Star qualifiedon away goals. Red Star captainVujadin Savić later credited Pongračić's foul for providing extra motivation to the Belgrade club, calling Pongračić out for "provocations throughout the entire match."[10][11] On 21 February 2019, he providedPatson Daka with an assist for the second goal as Salzburg defeatedClub Brugge 4–0 inEuropa Leagueround of 32.[12] In his second season at the club, Pongračić helped Salzburg win thedouble.[3]
During the first half of the2019–20 season, he made only seven appearances for the club due to injuries. On 5 November, he made hisChampions League debut in a 1–1 draw withNapoli.[13]
After the injury-stricken stint at Salzburg, Pongračić joinedVfL Wolfsburg on 15 January 2020 on a four-and-a-half-year deal for a fee believed to be €10 million.[14][15] On 8 February, in his second appearance for the club, he was sent off after elbowingAlfredo Morales, as Wolfsburg drew 1–1 withFortuna Düsseldorf.[16][17] On 26 May, Pongračić scored twice as Wolfsburg defeatedBayer Leverkusen by a score of 4–1.[18]
After he missed the beginning of the newseason due tomononucleosis, Pongračić returned to the team on 8 November as an injury time substitute forXaver Schlager in the 2–1 victory over1899 Hoffenheim.[19] However, on 18 November, he tested positive forCOVID-19.[20][21] On 27 February 2021, he was sent off in the injury time of a 2–0 victory overHertha Berlin.
On 31 August 2021, Pongračić joinedBorussia Dortmund on loan for the duration of the2021–22 season.[22] He made his Dortmund debut on 11 September in a 4–3 victory over Bayer Leverkusen.
On 22 August 2022, Pongračić moved on loan toLecce in Italy, with an option to buy.[23]
On 30 June 2023, Lecce announced that they had exercised their option to buy with the defender signing an initial two-year deal with the option for a further year.[24]
On 19 July 2024, Pongračić joined fellowSerie A clubFiorentina.[25]
Eligible to representGermany andCroatia, Pongračić was called up to a training camp for theCroatia U17s in 2014.[26] He was capped three times onunder-21 level, againstMoldova,Austria andFrance.[27] He was dropped fromCroatia's squad forUEFA Under-21 Euro 2019 due to injuries.[28]
He received his first call-up for the senior team on 17 August 2020 for SeptemberNations League fixtures againstPortugal andFrance.[29] However, ten days later, he withdrew from the squad due tomononucleosis and was replaced byMile Škorić.[30][31] He was called up once again on 4 November for same-month fixtures againstTurkey,Sweden and Portugal.[32] He made his debut on 11 November in a friendly 3–3 draw with Turkey, having been named in the starting lineup.[33][34]
On 17 May 2021, Pongračić was named in the preliminary 34-man squad for theUEFA Euro 2020,[35] but did not make thefinal 26.[36] On 31 October 2022, he was named in the preliminary 34-man squad for the2022 FIFA World Cup,[37] but did not make thefinal 26 again.[38]
Pongračić was born inLandshut, Germany. His parents Stribor and Anđelka fled fromSlavonski Brod, Croatia to Germany during theCroatian War of Independence.[28][39]
Pongračić namedKalidou Koulibaly andVirgil van Dijk his football idols.[39] He is also a fan ofDinamo Zagreb.[40]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| 1860 Munich II | 2016–17 | Regionalliga Bayern | 17 | 1 | — | — | — | 17 | 1 | |||
| 1860 Munich | 2016–17 | 2. Bundesliga | 6 | 0 | — | — | 1[b] | 0 | 7 | 0 | ||
| Red Bull Salzburg | 2017–18 | Austrian Bundesliga | 16 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4[c] | 0 | — | 23 | 0 | |
| 2018–19 | 14 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 10[d] | 0 | — | 26 | 0 | |||
| 2019–20 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1[e] | 0 | — | 7 | 0 | |||
| Total | 35 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 15 | 0 | — | 56 | 0 | |||
| VfL Wolfsburg | 2019–20 | Bundesliga | 11 | 2 | — | 1[c] | 0 | — | 12 | 2 | ||
| 2020–21 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 11 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 21 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 23 | 2 | |||
| Borussia Dortmund (loan) | 2021–22 | Bundesliga | 17 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5[e] | 0 | — | 23 | 0 | |
| Lecce (loan) | 2022–23 | Serie A | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 9 | 0 | ||
| Lecce | 2023–24 | Serie A | 36 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 38 | 0 | ||
| Lecce total | 45 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 47 | 0 | ||||
| Fiorentina | 2024–25 | Serie A | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8[f] | 0 | — | 28 | 0 | |
| 2025–26 | Serie A | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4[f] | 0 | — | 14 | 0 | ||
| Total | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | — | 42 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 171 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 33 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 215 | 3 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Croatia | 2020 | 2 | 0 |
| 2022 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2025 | 5 | 0 | |
| Total | 16 | 0 | |
Red Bull Salzburg[41]
Mȁrīn
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