1. Early Life and Background
Alen Halilović was born on June 18, 1996, in Dubrovnik, Croatia. Standing at 5.6 ft (1.7 m) tall and weighing around 143 lb (65 kg), he is known for his left-footed play. His father, Sejad Halilović, is a former Bosnian international footballer who also played for Dinamo Zagreb. Halilović began his youth football career within the esteemed Dinamo Zagreb youth system.
1.1. Family and Youth Career
Halilović's family has a strong connection to football, with his father Sejad being a professional player. Alen developed his skills in the youth ranks of Dinamo Zagreb, where his talent quickly became apparent. When he later signed with FC Barcelona, his entire family relocated to Spain, and his two younger brothers, Dino and Damir, also joined Barcelona's youth teams. This familial dedication to football fostered his early development. Beyond his professional affiliations, Halilović is known to be a supporter of the Bosnian club FK Sarajevo.
2. Club Career
Alen Halilović's professional club career began at Dinamo Zagreb, marking the start of a journey through several European leagues including La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A, Belgian Pro League, Eredivisie, and the EFL Championship.
2.1. Dinamo Zagreb
Halilović commenced his professional career by signing a contract with Dinamo Zagreb in June 2012. He made his professional debut for the first team on September 27, 2012, in the "Eternal derby" against Hajduk Split, which Dinamo won 3-1. He entered the match as a substitute for Sammir in the final ten minutes. This appearance made him the youngest debutant in Dinamo Zagreb's history, at the age of 16 years and 101 days.
In the subsequent league match against Slaven Belupo, Halilović once again came off the bench and scored the final goal in a 4-1 victory. This achievement made him the youngest goalscorer in the history of the Croatian First Football League (Prva HNL), breaking the record previously held by his teammate, Mateo Kovačić, at the age of 16 years and 112 days. This record stood until May 22, 2021. In November 2012, he scored his second league goal for Dinamo in a 5-0 win against NK Zadar, a long-range shot assisted by Kovačić.
Halilović also made his UEFA Champions League debut during his first professional season with Dinamo. On October 24, 2012, he appeared in the 90th minute against Paris Saint-Germain at Maksimir Stadium, substituting Kovačić. This made him the youngest Dinamo player to feature in a Champions League match and the second youngest player in the history of the UEFA Champions League.
2.2. Barcelona
On March 27, 2014, FC Barcelona reached an agreement with Dinamo Zagreb for Halilović to join the Spanish club in July 2014, at the opening of the summer transfer window. He signed a five-year contract for an initial fee of 2.20 M EUR, with provisions for it to increase if he secured a spot on the first team. Upon his arrival, he was primarily assigned to Barcelona's reserve team in Segunda División.
The transfer was temporarily cast into doubt on April 2, 2014, when FIFA imposed a ban on Barcelona from buying players until summer 2015, citing violations related to the signing of underage players. However, on April 23, 2014, Barcelona's transfer ban was suspended pending an appeal, allowing Halilović's move to proceed. He officially signed for Barcelona on May 2, 2014.
Halilović made his debut for Barcelona's senior team on January 15, 2015, in a Copa del Rey match against Elche CF. He came on as a substitute for Adama Traoré for the final 28 minutes of the match, which Barcelona won 4-0 away. Despite this senior team appearance, he spent the majority of his time with the B-team.
2.2.1. Loan to Sporting Gijón
On August 21, 2015, Halilović was loaned to fellow La Liga team Sporting de Gijón for a season-long deal. His La Liga debut came on August 29, 2015, when he appeared as a second-half substitute for Carlos Carmona in a goalless draw against Real Sociedad. He scored his first goal in the league on October 3, opening the scoring in a 2-1 away victory against RCD Espanyol. On November 1, he scored the only goal of the match in a home win against Málaga CF at El Molinón. On December 15, in the second leg of a Copa del Rey round-of-32 match, he scored twice, including a penalty kick, contributing to a 3-3 home draw against Real Betis, though Sporting Gijón was eliminated on aggregate.
2.3. Hamburger SV
On July 19, 2016, Halilović's transfer to Bundesliga club Hamburger SV was announced. The transfer fee was 5.50 M EUR, and Barcelona included a buy-back clause worth 10.00 M EUR. The move was officially confirmed two days later, with Halilović signing a four-year contract. He scored his first goal for the club on his debut on August 22, 2016, in a DFB-Pokal cup match against FSV Zwickau. This was the only goal of the game and secured Hamburg's progression to the next round. His league debut for Hamburger SV occurred on September 10, in the second league game of the season against Bayer 04 Leverkusen.
2.3.1. Loan to Las Palmas
In January 2017, Halilović joined Las Palmas on an 18-month loan deal, which included an option for Las Palmas to make the transfer permanent. In the opening game of the 2017-18 season for Las Palmas, against Valencia, Halilović received a straight red card for a tackle on José Gayà in the 33rd minute.
2.4. AC Milan
On July 3, 2018, Alen Halilović joined Serie A club AC Milan on a free transfer. He signed a contract that was set to run until June 30, 2021. However, his tenure with the Italian club was brief, with him making limited appearances before subsequent loan moves.
2.4.1. Loan to Standard Liège
On January 31, 2019, Halilović transferred to Standard Liège in Belgium on a loan deal until June 30, 2020, which included an option for the club to purchase him permanently.
2.4.2. Loan to SC Heerenveen
In September 2019, his loan spell with Standard Liège was canceled, and he moved to the Dutch team SC Heerenveen on a year-long loan. Following the abandonment of the Eredivisie season on April 24, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Halilović returned to AC Milan. On October 5, Milan announced that his contract had been terminated by mutual consent.
2.5. Birmingham City
On November 23, 2020, Halilović joined EFL Championship club Birmingham City as a free agent, signing a contract until the end of the season. After a delay in receiving international clearance, he made his Birmingham debut on December 5, 2020, as a second-half substitute in a 1-0 away victory against Bristol City. He scored his first and only goal for Birmingham on February 27, 2021, a superb left-footed curler from 20 yd that completed a 2-1 win over Queens Park Rangers. In celebration, he removed his shirt to reveal a caricature honoring Serbian musician Đorđe Balašević, who had passed away eight days earlier. Halilović made 17 league appearances for the club, and while he was offered new terms for the following season, he did not sign, and his contract expired.
2.6. Reading
Halilović signed a one-year deal with another Championship club, Reading, on August 27, 2021. On May 20, 2022, Reading confirmed that he would depart the club at the end of his contract.
2.7. Rijeka
On July 6, 2022, Halilović returned to the Croatian league, signing for SuperSport HNL club Rijeka on a free transfer. However, his time at Rijeka was short-lived, as the club and Halilović mutually terminated his contract in January 2023.
2.8. Fortuna Sittard
On July 18, 2023, Halilović returned to the Netherlands and signed a contract with Fortuna Sittard for one year, with an option for an additional two years. He scored his first goal for the club and registered his first assist on September 16, 2023, in an Eredivisie match at home against FC Volendam.
3. International Career
Alen Halilović was eligible to play for either Croatia or Bosnia and Herzegovina at the international level. He chose to represent Croatia and featured extensively at various youth levels.
3.1. Youth National Teams
Halilović was a regular member of Croatia's youth national teams. He made 2 appearances and scored 1 goal for the U14 team, 6 appearances and 3 goals for the U15 team, and 4 appearances and 1 goal for the U16 team. For the Croatia U17 team, he played 13 matches and scored 3 goals, notably helping them qualify for the 2013 UEFA European Under-17 Championship in Slovakia in March 2013. He later represented the Croatia U21 team, making 17 appearances and scoring 4 goals. He captained the Croatia U21 team at the Under-21 Euro 2019. After a significant 4-1 loss to Romania, he was left on the bench for the subsequent matches against France and England, as Croatia failed to advance from the group stage.
3.2. Senior National Team
Halilović made his debut for the Croatian senior national team on June 10, 2013, in a friendly match against Portugal. He entered the game as a 50th-minute substitute for Ivan Strinić, making him the youngest debutant in the history of the Croatia national team at the age of 16 years and 11 months.
In 2016, ahead of UEFA Euro 2016, Halilović was excluded from the 23-man squad for the tournament, a decision he reportedly took personally. He did not make another appearance for the national team until June 2019, when he played 30 minutes in a friendly match against Tunisia. Overall, he has made 10 appearances for the senior national team, without scoring a goal.
4. Personal Life
Alen Halilović's father, Sejad Halilović, is a former Bosnian international footballer who also played for Dinamo Zagreb, marking a strong family lineage in professional football. When Alen signed with FC Barcelona, his entire family, including his two younger brothers, Dino and Damir, moved to Spain, and both brothers also became part of Barcelona's youth setup. Halilović is an acknowledged supporter of the Bosnian football club FK Sarajevo.
5. Honours
Alen Halilović has achieved several significant titles with his clubs throughout his professional career.
Dinamo Zagreb
- Prva HNL: 2012-13, 2013-14
- Croatian Supercup: 2013
Barcelona
- Copa del Rey: 2014-15
6. Career Statistics
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Dinamo Zagreb | 2012-13 | Prva HNL | 18 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | - | 21 | 2 | |
| 2013-14 | Prva HNL | 26 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 41 | 6 | |
| Total | 44 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 62 | 8 | ||
| Barcelona B | 2014-15 | Segunda División | 30 | 4 | - | - | - | 30 | 4 | |||
| Barcelona | 2014-15 | La Liga | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 1 | 0 | |
| Sporting Gijón (loan) | 2015-16 | La Liga | 36 | 3 | 1 | 2 | - | - | 37 | 5 | ||
| Hamburger SV | 2016-17 | Bundesliga | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | - | - | 7 | 1 | ||
| Las Palmas (loan) | 2016-17 | La Liga | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 18 | 0 | ||
| 2017-18 | La Liga | 20 | 2 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 21 | 2 | |||
| Total | 38 | 2 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 39 | 2 | ||||
| AC Milan | 2018-19 | Serie A | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | - | 3 | 0 | |
| Standard Liège (loan) | 2018-19 | Belgian First Division A | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 14 | 0 | ||
| Heerenveen (loan) | 2019-20 | Eredivisie | 17 | 1 | 3 | 0 | - | - | 20 | 1 | ||
| Birmingham City | 2020-21 | EFL Championship | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 17 | 1 | ||
| Reading | 2021-22 | EFL Championship | 11 | 1 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 12 | 1 | ||
| Rijeka | 2022-23 | Prva HNL | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | 11 | 1 | |
| Fortuna Sittard | 2023-24 | Eredivisie | 31 | 4 | 3 | 1 | - | - | 34 | 5 | ||
| 2024-25 | Eredivisie | 15 | 2 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 16 | 2 | |||
| Total | 46 | 6 | 4 | 1 | - | - | 50 | 7 | ||||
| Career total | 267 | 25 | 19 | 5 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 303 | 31 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Croatia | 2013 | 3 | 0 |
| 2014 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2016 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2017 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2019 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 10 | 0 | |