When Petar Musa’s phone buzzed on a Monday morning, his wife slipped into the bedroom, hugged him and said, “You're there, you made it.” Musa had been told he would go to the World Cup — a private, soft moment after a very public run of goals that forced Croatia’s hand.
Musa’s place in the squad is the headline: the 28-year-old striker will make his World Cup debut after a season-opening tear with FC Dallas that left Croatia’s selectors with little choice. He began the campaign with two goals in the opener, followed three games later by a hat trick, and had 12 goals in 13 games when the MLS season paused — a scoring rate that matched the most urgent need for a national team short on spare striker slots.
The weight of that form is clearer in club totals. Since joining FC Dallas as the club’s record signing from S.L. Benfica in 2023, Musa has 48 goals and 13 assists in 80 games across all competitions. He tied Dallas’ single-season goal record with 18 goals last year, a figure that underlined how quickly he became the club’s attacking fulcrum. FC Dallas sporting director André Zanotta put it plainly: “We've secured a world-class attacker in the prime of his career…Petar's signing marks a historic moment for us.”
That turnaround is personal as well as professional. Musa arrived in Dallas in 2023 and became a father for the first time two months later; he and his wife, Laura, welcomed a second child in 2026. He has spoken about building a life in the United States while remaining connected to two families back home. Musa said being a parent changed how he viewed his career and his priorities, and he embraces the daily routine of family life alongside the pressure of scoring.
The context that makes this selection notable comes after a two-year absence from the national team and a decisive moment in qualifying. Musa returned to Croatia’s squad, and in November he scored the game-winner in Croatia’s penultimate World Cup qualifying match — the goal that confirmed the team’s participation. He described that instant as overwhelming: in his mind “everything stopped,” and he said he had been waiting for that moment.
Still, the narrative is not seamless. Musa himself insisted that a goal in qualifying would not automatically buy a roster spot. He acknowledged the depth of Croatia’s options and that many teammates play in Europe’s top leagues, meaning national selection would be decided on form and fit. He said he knew he had to keep producing at club level, and that he would “work hard” and keep faith to make the final squad — the very course his Dallas scoring streak appears to have provided.
The tension now is obvious: Musa’s scoring burst forced his recall and clinched a debut slot, but how he fits into Croatia’s game plan at the World Cup remains unresolved. Coaches will have to decide whether to use him as a starter, an impact substitute, or a specialist in certain match situations. That decision — not the fact of his selection — is the next consequential moment for Musa.
What happens next is simple and sharp. Musa will travel with the squad to the World Cup and tee up his first appearance for Croatia at the tournament; the opponent and the exact match in which he will step onto the pitch have not been specified. For now, his club form has rewritten his international prospects. The central question heading into the tournament is no longer whether Musa belongs in Zagreb’s plans — it is how and when the coach will turn his Dallas goals into World Cup minutes.
