Petar Musa Set for World Cup Debut in Dallas
petar musa is set to make his World Cup debut for Croatia in Dallas after forcing his way into Zlatko Dalić’s squad with a late-season surge for FC Dallas. The 28-year-old striker turned a strong club run into a roster spot and now gets his first shot on the tournament stage.
Musa’s Dallas surge
Musa arrived in 2023 as FC Dallas’ record signing from S.L. Benfica and quickly became the club’s third-top scorer in history. He has 48 goals and 13 assists in 80 games across all competitions, a run that included tying the club’s single-season goal record with 18 goals last year.
His 2026 start made the national-team decision harder to avoid. Musa opened the season with two goals, then added a hat trick three games later. Before the MLS season paused, he had 12 goals in 13 games, a pace that put him back in the middle of Croatia’s plans after a two-year absence.
Croatia’s opening-day call
The trigger for this return came before the season even began. Musa said he knew he needed to start well with FC Dallas and keep producing because Croatia has limited roster spots and a deep pool of players in strong leagues. Dalić could not ignore the form he was carrying into the tournament.
That opportunity was built on more than one stretch of scoring. In November, Musa struck the game-winning goal in Croatia’s penultimate World Cup qualifying match, and that goal secured Croatia’s place in the World Cup. He said afterward, “It was just crazy, in my mind, everything stopped,” and added, “I was waiting for that moment. When I scored the goal, it's really hard to describe that feeling. It was happiness, proud, everything at once. It’s a feeling and a memory I’ll have for life.”
Family and selection day
The move to Dallas has been central to the rest of Musa’s life, too. Two months after arriving, he and Laura became parents for the first time, and in 2025 they welcomed a second child. Musa said, “It changed everything,” and later explained, “Because now we’re building our family here in the United States, far from our two families. Sometimes that is not easy but I think that is part of life. I’m enjoying being a father and husband every day.”
Selection day brought the family story back into the spotlight. Musa said, “It was a Monday and my kids woke me up at 7 a.m.,” then described his wife coming in to hug him and say, “You're there, you made it.” He added, “It was an incredible moment for me and my family.”
For FC Dallas, the call links the club’s record signing to a World Cup debut in its own city. For Croatia, it gives Dalić a forward who produced when both the club season and the qualifying stretch demanded it, and it sends Musa into the tournament with the scoring form that pushed him over the line.
