One of the star players during Croatia’s journey to the World Cup 2018 final, Domagoj Vida, is a Croatian professional soccer player who currently plays as a center-back for AEK Athens.
Domagoj Vida was born on April 29, 1989, in Nasice, SR Croatia, but he grew up in Donji Miholjac. He spent his entire youth career in Croatia at Osijek youth academy.
Despite his long career, he only came into the limelight after his exceptional performance at the World Cup.
Aside from Luka Modric, Vida was the best player for Croatia en route to their second-place finish at the World Cup 2018. In fact, Domagoj was probably the best defender in the tournament.
He is included in the 26-man squad of the Croatian National Team for the Qatar World Cup 2022. After his performance in the last world cup, more eyes will be focused on speculating how he will outdo his previous defending records on the big stage.
Besides, Vida has endured it all in his glorious career, from being dropped due to altercations to being the best defender at the World Cup.
Here you will find out about Domagoj’s early life to his present days with AEK Athens and all that happened in between. So without further ado, let’s get started.
Domagoj Vida | Quick Facts
| Full Name | Domagoj Vida |
| Birth Date | 29 April 1989 |
| Birth Place | Nasice, SR Croatia, Yugoslavia |
| Nick Name | Not available |
| Religion | Christian |
| Nationality | Croatian |
| Ethnicity | Not Available |
| Education | Not Available |
| Horoscope | Taurus |
| Father’s Name | Rudika Vida |
| Mother’s Name | Zeljka Vida |
| Siblings | Hrvoje Vida |
| Age | 34 Years Old |
| Height | 6’0″/1.84 m/184 cm |
| Weight | 82 kg/ 181 lb. |
| Shoe Size | Not available |
| Hair Color | Blonde |
| Eye Color | Blue |
| Body Measurement | Not available |
| Build | Muscular |
| Married | Yes |
| Girlfriend | None |
| Spouse | Ivana Gugic Vida |
| Position | Center Back, Right Back |
| Profession | Football Player |
| Net Worth | $5-8 million |
| Clubs | Besiktas (Current); Osijek, Bayer Leverkusen, Dinamo Zagreb, Dynamo Kyiv (Former) |
| Jersey Number | 21 |
| Social Media | |
| Merch | Jersey |
| Last Update | March, 2024 |
Domagoj Vida | Early Life And Family
Domagoj was born on 29 April 1989 in Nasice, which lies in the eastern part of Croatia. His mother, Zeljka Vida, was a typical housewife, while his father, Rudika Vida, was a professional footballer.
Therefore, young Vida loved playing football with his brother, Hrvoje Vida, whenever they were not busy with their studies. In fact, even during school, the Croatian would think of nothing else than football.
As a result, Domagoj joined the youth academy of his local club, NK Osi. After that, young Vida stayed with the club for a few years before Osijek came in and swooped over the young prodigy.
It is at Osijek where the Croatian eventually made his professional debut.
Domagoj Vida | Professional Career & Achievements
NK Osijek
Soon after joining Osijek, Domagoj made his professional debut in 2006 at the tender age of 17.
Subsequently, the Croatian made only 12 appearances in his rookie season as he needed time to develop and adapt. Nevertheless, Vida had impressed his manager enough to warrant a starting place the next season.
And that is precisely what happened as the talented center-back cemented his spot in the starting 11. To illustrate, Vida appeared in 22 games for the club that season, starting in almost all of those matches.
After that, Domagoj stayed with the club for two years before switching to Bundesliga giants Bayer Leverkusen.
At the time of his transfer, the Croatian international had appeared in 90 games for Osijek, in which he scored six times and assisted four times.
Bayer Leverkusen
It was 1 July 2010 when Domagoj signed for the Bundesliga club, Bayer Leverkusen, in a $2.49 million contract from Osijek. Subsequently, it seemed like the Croatian center-back had made it into the big league, but it was not meant to be.
As Vida managed to make nine appearances for the whole season. The Croatian national appeared only once in the Bundesliga, and that too as a substitute.
Having joined the club in the hopes of becoming a mega-star, Domagoj’s time with Leverkusen turned out to be a disaster instead.
Dinamo Aagreb
After just one season with the club, Vida decided to move to find another club that would allow him more playing time.
Domagoj’s wish to get more playing time came true when the biggest club in Croatia, Dinamo Zagreb, reportedly signed him for a contract worth $1.35 million.
After that, the Croatian center-back became a stalwart in the Dinamo backline playing in 47 games while leading the club to the league title.
However, the season was not without controversy, as during a Champions League tie against Lyon; tv footage showed Vida winking just after Lyon had scored their fifth goal.
As a result, there were widespread rumors that the match was fixed, and Vida was a prime suspect. But, UEFA did not take any action against the club or the player in light of no proper evidence.
The following season with Dinamo turned out to be possibly the worst season of his career. For instance, Domagoj was involved in many altercations throughout the season, limiting his appearances to just 28 games.
On 24 September 2012, Vida was thrown out of the bus for opening a beer en route to a cup match.
Also, the Croatian international had many disagreements with his coach that got him benched for several games.
As a result, Dinamo Zagreb decided to sell Domagoj. Subsequently, many clubs showed interest in the talented defender, but in the end, Ukrainian powerhouse Dynamo Kyiv secured Vida’s services.
Dynamo Kyiv
Dynamo reportedly paid a transfer fee of $5.18 million to Zagreb for the Croatian center-back. After that, Domagoj spent five years with the capital-based club, where he had some wonderful moments.
For instance, Vida scored the winning goal against Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk to clinch the 2014-15 Ukrainian Premier League title for the first time in six years.
The following season, Dynamo Kyiv won the league title again as Domagoj again proved to be one of the more important players in the title-winning squad.
After that, the Croatian international remained with Dynamo for another two years before embarking on a new journey.
By the time Vida finished his time with Dynamo Kyiv, he had played a total of 161 games in which he had scored 13 goals and provided eight assists.
Besides, the Croatian soccer player won two Ukrainian Premier Leagues with the club. All in all, Vida’s time with Dynamo was full of highs and some lows.
Besiktas JK
Nevertheless, the Croatian defender decided that a new environment was needed to take his game to the next level. Likewise, that is precisely what Domagoj did as he moved to Turkish giants Besiktas as a free transfer in the winter of 2018.
Nonetheless, it did not affect Vida one bit as he continued his impressive form. As a matter of fact, the Besiktas center-back’s form was so outstanding that the club decided to make Domagoj their highest-paid player.
Unfortunately, even though Vida was earning a massive salary at Besiktas, he could not win any trophies in his two seasons with the club.
For the Besiktas JK, he made a total of 165 appearances finding the back of the net 16 times while making 2 assists.
AEK Athens
On July 31, 2022, the defender was signed by AEK Athens as a free transfer. He is reported to bag around $20k per week.
He has made 11 appearances for the club, so far.
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National Team
Vida’s international career started on 23 May 2010 against Wales in a 2-0 win. Subsequently, after performing exceptionally well for the national team, Domagoj was included in the UEFA Euro 2012 squad.
However, he was featured once in the whole competition.
Domagoj’s first goal for the national team was in a friendly match against South Korea on 20 September 2013.
Likewise, Vida’s first appearance at the World Cup came in the 2014 World Cup. But, he was benched THROUGHOUT the tournament.
Nevertheless, the defender gained valuable experience that helped him in the future. After that, Vida upped his game as he vowed to make himself a starting player by Euro 2016.
And that was exactly what Domagoj did as he played in three matches at the UEFA Euro 2016. Sadly, Croatia got eliminated at the hands of the eventual winner, Portugal.
Nonetheless, the Croatian national team had showcased enough ability to be considered one of the dark horses for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Subsequently, in the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Croatia reached the final with Vida’s outstanding defending and Luca Modric’s brilliant performance. In fact, Domagaj was the best player for Croatia after the Ballon d’Or winner in 2018, Luka Modric.
To illustrate, he scored a header against the host nation, Russia, in the quarter-final to give his side a 2-1 lead in extra time. Also, Vida assisted Ivan Perisic’s goal against France, giving Croatia the lead.
Eventually, France won the World Cup by beating Croatia 4-2. Nevertheless, the Croatian national team had exceeded all expectations, as no one thought they would reach the World Cup final.
Also, Domagoj’s reputation skyrocketed after his extraordinary performances at the tournament.
The defender captained his national team for the first time on 15 October 2018. Furthermore, the Croatian defender marked the special occasion by scoring in the 2-1 win over Jordan.
At the time of this writing, Vida has made 100 appearances for the national team while scoring four goals.
After his top-notch performance at the last World Cup, he is expected to exhibit exceptional performance on the big stage. He will undoubtedly be in the starting 11 for the Croatian National Team Qatar World Cup.
This might be his last World Cup, so he might be willing to give his 100 percent or even more if needed. Every player representing their respective country wishes to take the cup to their home, and so does Domagoj.
Highlights And Achievements
- Prva HNL in 2011–12
- Croatian Cup in 2011–12
- Ukrainian Premier League in 2014–15 and 2015–16 season
- Ukrainian Cup in 2013–14 and 2014–15 season
- 2016 Ukrainian Super Cup
- Süper Lig in 2020–21 season
- Türkiye Kupası in 2020–21 season
- 2018 FIFA World Cup runner-up
- Order of Duke Branimir with Ribbon in the year 2018
Domagoj Vida | Age, Height & Body Measurements
Having been born in 1989 makes Vida’s age 34 years old at the moment. However, the Croatian center-back has shown no signs of slowing down.
Instead, the Croatian defender has grown in experience, which has helped him become a better defender.
Likewise, Domagoj stands at 6 feet/1.84 meters and weighs 181 pounds, an acceptable height and weight for a central defender.
To illustrate, center-backs constantly need to battle the opposing forwards for airballs and one-on-one during the counter-attacks by opponents.
Therefore, a central defender needs to be as good on the aerial dual as they should be on the ground, as most goals are scored from set-pieces or by punting the ball straight from the goal line.
Likewise, Vida ticks all those boxes, which is why the Croatian international is one of the best center-backs in the world.
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Domagoj Vida | Net Worth, Wage, And Salary
As of 2022, Vida has a respectable net worth of $5-8 million, mainly through his football career. Additionally, this is Vida’s 16th year as a professional, so his net worth should come as no surprise.
Furthermore, Vida currently earns $41k per week or $2.1 million per year with his club AEK Athens. Domagoj is the highest earner at his club, even though he is a defender.
As of November 2022, the TransferMarkt website values the Croatian international at $2.07 million. Also, Vida’s total transfer fee is estimated to be $9.02 million throughout his career.
Quotes
- I respect the Russian nation. This was just a joke for my Ukrainian friends. Football is outside politics. I didn’t mean anything bad.
- I regret that some media representatives have interpreted our communication in such a manner. It was definitely no political message, but a simple thank you for all the support from Ukraine, where Vukojevic and I spent a number of years.
Domagoj Vida | Wife & Kids
Although Vida is a defender on the soccer pitch, the Croatian international managed to score big time off the pitch. To explain, Domagoj is happily married to his wife, Ivana Gugic Vida.
Similarly, Ivana was an economics student back in her high school days and Miss Croatia in 2014. And it was in 2014 that the couple started dating each other.
Following three long years of dating, the pair tied the knot in June 2017 in the presence of more than 400 guests.
Amazingly, the couple’s son, David Vida, was also present at the ceremony. Interestingly, David was born in 2015, just a year after the couple started dating.
David was dressed in a little black tuxedo at the ceremony that stole the show on his parent’s special occasion.
Since then, the two lovebirds have remained controversy-free. Instead, the couple is head over heels in love with each other.
Domagoj Vida | Social Media Presence
The footballer is not very active on social media platforms. However, he only had an Instagram account under the handle @domagojvida with around 318K followers.
But his account is currently unavailable; we suppose he deactivated his account and chose to stay away from social media.
Domagoj Vida | Popularity
Even though his club career is not at its best, his 2018 World Cup performance has kept his popularity, and he is expected to perform well in Qatar World Cup.
The above image shows the popularity of Domagoj Vida’s popularity all over the world.
Domagoj Vida | FAQs
Does Domagoj Vida have a tattoo?
Yes, the soccer player has a tattoo on his left sleeve.
Is Domagoj Vida transferring to Liverpool?
Although Liverpool is keen on signing the Croatian defender, there is no definite news about his transfer to the club. Moreover, Liverpool was interested in signing Vida in 2018 as well.
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