Branko Pavić

Branko Pavić
Personal information
Date of birth (2006-11-07) 7 November 2006
Place of birth Zagreb, Croatia
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)[1]
Position Defensive midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Rijeka
Number 6
Youth career
Tekstilac Ravnice
Dubrava
2019–2024 Dinamo Zagreb
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2024–2026 Dinamo Zagreb 9 (0)
2025–2026 → Dubrava (loan) 13 (0)
2026– Rijeka 10 (0)
International career‡
2022 Croatia U16 3 (0)
2022–2023 Croatia U17 7 (0)
2024 Croatia U18 3 (0)
2023–2025 Croatia U19 8 (1)
2024– Croatia U21 2 (0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 2 August 2026
‡ National team caps and goals as of 18 November 2025

Branko Pavić (born 7 November 2006) is a Croatian professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Croatian Football League club Rijeka, where he wears number 6.[2][3]

Club career

Dinamo Zagreb

Born in Zagreb, Pavić began playing football with Tekstilac Ravnice and later joined Dubrava. He moved to the Dinamo Zagreb academy in 2019, aged 13, and subsequently captained the club's junior team.[4][5]

Pavić made his senior debut for Dinamo on 18 May 2024, appearing as a substitute in a 3–2 league win away to Slaven Belupo.[6] On 27 November 2024, at the age of 18, he made his UEFA Champions League debut when he started Dinamo's 3–0 home defeat by Borussia Dortmund. Dinamo coach Nenad Bjelica subsequently praised Pavić's composure, tactical discipline and defensive positioning in the match.[5] He made 12 first-team appearances for Dinamo in all competitions before a knee injury in February 2025 kept him out for more than six months.[5]

Loan to Dubrava

In August 2025, Pavić returned to his former club Dubrava on loan to gain regular playing time following his injury.[7] He made 13 appearances in the Croatian second tier during the first half of the 2025–26 season.[2] In January 2026, Sportske novosti described him as having become a prominent member of the Dubrava team after recovering from injury.[8]

Rijeka

On 19 January 2026, Pavić transferred permanently to Rijeka and signed a contract running until 2029.[4][9] He made nine league appearances for Rijeka during the remainder of the 2025–26 season and started the opening match of the 2026–27 league campaign.[2] By August 2026, he was receiving regular first-team playing time under manager Matjaž Kek.[10]

International career

Pavić has represented Croatia at under-16, under-17, under-18, under-19 and under-21 levels.[11] He played in all three of Croatia's matches at the 2023 UEFA European Under-17 Championship.[11]

He made his Croatia under-21 debut on 15 October 2024, coming on as a substitute in a 3–2 win against Greece in qualification for the 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.[11]

References

  1. ↑ "Branko Pavić". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 11 August 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 "Branko Pavić". Croatian Football Federation. Retrieved 11 August 2026.
  3. ↑ "Branko Pavić: UEFA Conference League 2026/27". UEFA. Retrieved 11 August 2026.
  4. 1 2 "Branko Pavić novi igrač HNK Rijeka" [Branko Pavić is a new HNK Rijeka player] (in Croatian). HNK Rijeka. 19 January 2026. Retrieved 11 August 2026.
  5. 1 2 3 Polić, Andro (23 November 2025). "Prije godinu dana startao je protiv Borussije, a sad u dječačkom klubu nakon ozljede lovi povratak: 'Dinamo je san'" [A year ago he started against Borussia; now, after injury, he is pursuing a comeback at his boyhood club: 'Dinamo is the dream']. Sportske novosti (in Croatian). Retrieved 11 August 2026.
  6. ↑ "Slaven Belupo – Dinamo 2–3". GNK Dinamo Zagreb. 18 May 2024. Retrieved 11 August 2026.
  7. ↑ "Veliki projekt Marića i Zajeca zaustavila ozljeda. Otišao je na posudbu u drugu ligu" [Injury halted Marić and Zajec's major project; he went on loan to the second tier]. Index.hr (in Croatian). 19 August 2025. Retrieved 11 August 2026.
  8. ↑ Polić, Andro (5 January 2026). "Treba li Dinamo obratiti veću pozornost na trojicu svojih talenata? U drugim klubovima su nezamjenjivi" [Should Dinamo pay more attention to three of its talents? They are indispensable at other clubs]. Sportske novosti (in Croatian). Retrieved 11 August 2026.
  9. ↑ "Rijeka predstavila novog igrača, javili se i Dinamovi navijači" [Rijeka presented its new player; Dinamo supporters also responded]. tportal.hr (in Croatian). 19 January 2026. Retrieved 11 August 2026.
  10. ↑ Juranović, Tomislav (8 August 2026). "Kako je Dinamova 'pogreška' postala Rijekin jackpot: Cifre koje su izašle su krive. Ovo je prava istina!" [How Dinamo's 'mistake' became Rijeka's jackpot: The reported figures were wrong; this is the truth]. Sportske novosti (in Croatian). Retrieved 11 August 2026.
  11. 1 2 3 "Branko Pavić" (in Croatian). Croatian Football Federation. Retrieved 11 August 2026.
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