1. Early Life and Youth Career
Domagoj Vida was born in Našice, in the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, and grew up in Donji Miholjac. His father, Rudika Vida, was also a professional footballer. Vida spent his entire youth career in Croatia, initially playing for Jedinstvo Donji Miholjac from 1996 to 2003 before joining the youth system of NK Osijek in 2003. He progressed through the ranks at Osijek, eventually being called up to the senior team.
2. Club Career
Domagoj Vida's professional club career has seen him play for various clubs across Europe, achieving significant domestic successes in Croatia, Ukraine, Turkey, and Greece.
2.1. NK Osijek
Vida made his senior team debut with NK Osijek during the 2006-07 season at the age of 17, making 12 appearances. In the following 2007-08 season, he solidified his place, featuring more regularly and contributing to Osijek's third-place finish in the Prva HNL. During his time at Osijek until the 2009-10 season, he made a total of 90 appearances and scored 6 goals. His consistent performances drew attention from larger Croatian clubs, including Dinamo Zagreb.
2.2. Bayer Leverkusen
On 29 April 2010, Vida signed with German Bundesliga side Bayer 04 Leverkusen. He spent just one season with the club, making his Bundesliga debut on 5 March 2011 as a 14th-minute substitute for the injured Manuel Friedrich in a 3-0 home win against VfL Wolfsburg. This turned out to be his only league appearance for the club. Despite limited league play, he made 8 appearances in the 2010-11 UEFA Europa League, contributing to Leverkusen's second-place finish in the Bundesliga and their progression to the Round of 16 in the Europa League.
2.3. Dinamo Zagreb
On 14 June 2011, Vida returned to Croatian football, joining GNK Dinamo Zagreb for an undisclosed fee. During his tenure, Dinamo Zagreb faced a controversial 7-1 loss against Lyon in the 2011-12 UEFA Champions League group stage, a result that allowed the French club to advance at the expense of Ajax. Media coverage, including clips of Vida winking after Lyon's fifth goal, led to allegations of match-fixing, though UEFA ultimately decided not to take action.
On 25 July 2012, Vida scored a crucial 98th-minute goal against Bulgarian side Ludogorets Razgrad in a UEFA Champions League match, securing a 3-2 home win that allowed Dinamo to progress. However, his time at Dinamo was not without disciplinary issues. On 24 September 2012, he was removed from the first team and the team bus after opening a beer while on the way to a cup match, an incident preceded by several altercations with head coach Ante Čačić. The following day, he was fined a record 100.00 K EUR. Despite these incidents, Vida contributed to Dinamo Zagreb winning the Prva HNL title and the Croatian Cup in 2011-12. He made 75 appearances and scored 8 goals for the club until mid-2012-13.
2.4. Dynamo Kyiv
On 2 January 2013, Vida signed a five-year deal with Ukrainian club Dynamo Kyiv for a reported transfer fee of 6.00 M EUR. He made his debut on 14 February in a Europa League match against Bordeaux, which ended in a 1-1 draw. Though Dynamo Kyiv was eliminated in the second leg, coach Oleh Blokhin initially deployed Vida as a right-back in these matches.
Vida made his Ukrainian Premier League debut on 3 March against Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih. From his second league match on 10 March against Volyn Lutsk, Blokhin began using Vida as a central defender alongside Yevhen Khacheridi, a position he consistently held for the remainder of the season. On 17 March, he scored his first goal for Dynamo Kyiv early in the game against Vorskla Poltava with a header from an Andriy Yarmolenko corner kick, securing a 1-0 win. On 17 May 2015, Vida scored the winning goal against Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, clinching Dynamo Kyiv's first Ukrainian Premier League title in six years. He continued to be a key player, contributing to another league title in 2015-16, two Ukrainian Cups (2013-14, 2014-15), and the Ukrainian Super Cup in 2016. He made 161 appearances and scored 13 goals for the club across all competitions.
2.5. Beşiktaş
On 3 January 2018, Vida transferred to Turkish club Beşiktaş, signing a four-and-a-half-year contract. He made his debut on 21 January 2018 in a 2-1 away Süper Lig win over Antalyaspor, and scored his first goal against Fenerbahçe on 25 February. In the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 match against Bayern Munich, Vida was sent off just 16 minutes into the game for fouling Robert Lewandowski, with Beşiktaş ultimately losing 5-0. Despite this early disciplinary setback, Vida became an integral part of the team. He notably contributed to Beşiktaş winning the Süper Lig title and the Turkish Cup in 2020-21, and the Turkish Super Cup in 2021. He also helped the club achieve third-place finishes in the league in 2018-19 and 2019-20.
2.6. AEK Athens
On 31 July 2022, Vida signed a two-year contract with Greek club AEK Athens. He made his debut on 20 August 2022 in a 3-0 away win over Lamia. His first goal for the club came on 22 January in a 2-1 victory against Ionikos.
A notable moment in his AEK Athens career occurred when he scored a last-minute header against his former club, Dinamo Zagreb, and Croatian national teammate Dominik Livaković, in a UEFA Champions League play-off match. This goal led to a 2-2 draw, securing a 4-3 aggregate win for AEK and qualifying them for the UEFA Europa League Group Stage, where Vida played in 5 of the 6 games. On 5 October 2023, he scored a powerful header in a 1-1 draw against Ajax. Later that same week, he scored another header against Panetolikos. On 4 December 2023, Vida scored his fourth goal of the season against Aris with a header assisted by Petros Mantalos, contributing to a 1-0 victory. He helped AEK Athens secure the Super League Greece title and the Greek Cup in the 2022-23 season.
3. International Career
Domagoj Vida has had an extensive and impactful international career representing Croatia at various levels, from youth teams to the senior national squad.
3.1. Youth National Teams
Vida was an active member of Croatia's youth national teams. He made 4 appearances for the Croatia U-19 team without scoring, 10 appearances for the Croatia U-20 team, scoring 1 goal, and 19 appearances for the Croatia U-21 team, where he scored 2 goals. His progression through these youth ranks paved the way for his senior international career.
3.2. Senior National Team
Vida made his full international debut for the Croatian senior national team on 23 May 2010, entering as a substitute for Darijo Srna in the 80th minute of a 2-0 victory against Wales in Osijek. Three days later, he played the full 90 minutes in a goalless draw with Estonia.
3.2.1. Major Tournaments
In 2011, Vida featured in four UEFA Euro 2012 qualifiers, including both play-off matches against Turkey, which secured Croatia's place in the finals. His only appearance at the UEFA Euro 2012 finals came in Croatia's final group match, a 1-0 defeat to Spain, after which they were eliminated.
On 10 September 2013, Vida scored his first goal for the national side in the 65th minute of a friendly match against South Korea, played at the Jeonju World Cup Stadium in Jeonju, contributing to a 2-1 victory. He was part of the Croatian squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil but remained an unused substitute as the team was eliminated in the group stage. He regained his regular place during the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying, making nine appearances, and also appeared in three matches at the UEFA Euro 2016 finals, where Croatia was eliminated by Portugal in the Round of 16.
3.2.2. 2018 FIFA World Cup
On 3 September 2017, Vida scored the only goal in a 1-0 victory over Kosovo in the World Cup qualification. In June 2018, he was named in Croatia's final 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. Vida played a pivotal role in Croatia's remarkable journey to the final. In the quarter-final against hosts Russia, he scored a crucial header in extra time, giving his side a 2-1 lead. The match finished 2-2, and Vida converted his spot kick in the subsequent penalty shootout to help his side advance to the semi-finals. In the final against France, he set up Ivan Perišić for Croatia's first goal of the match from a free kick taken by Luka Modrić. Despite his efforts, Croatia ultimately lost 4-2, finishing as runners-up and earning a silver medal.
3.2.3. Later Career and International Retirement
On 15 October 2018, Vida captained the national team for the first time and scored in a 2-1 friendly win over Jordan. On 11 November 2020, he captained the national team again in a friendly 3-3 draw with Turkey, where he was unfortunately at fault for Turkey's first two goals. Later that night, he tested positive for COVID-19 and was left to self-isolate in Istanbul.
On 16 November 2022, Vida played his 100th match for Croatia in a friendly game against Saudi Arabia. He was included in the squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, where Croatia finished third, but he remained an unused substitute throughout the tournament. He also did not play any minutes at UEFA Euro 2024, where Croatia exited in the group stage. Following Euro 2024, Vida announced his retirement from international football, with his last cap coming in a pre-tournament friendly match against North Macedonia.
3.3. Controversies
During the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Domagoj Vida, along with former Croatian international and assistant coach Ognjen Vukojević, became involved in a controversy following Croatia's victory over Russia. They celebrated by shouting "Glory to Ukraine!" - a common slogan in Ukraine. FIFA's disciplinary code prohibits political, nationalist, and racist slogans in any form. Vida later described the act as "just a joke" and stated, "I like Russian people."
Another incident emerged after the quarter-final win, when Vida was recorded celebrating with assistant coach Ivica Olić, saying "Belgrade is burning!" in Croatian. It was later clarified that "Belgrade" referred to a tavern in Kyiv where they used to socialize. Aleksandar Holiga, editor of Croatian website Telesport, largely downplayed the incidents, suggesting Vida might not have fully understood the political implications, and that the chants were simply actions familiar to fans who supported Dynamo Kyiv. He also noted that Croatia's political relationship with Russia is not perfect, a sentiment shared by many European nations. The BBC reported that Ukrainians accused FIFA of bias towards Russia and flooded the football body's Facebook page with declarations of "Glory to Ukraine!" On 11 July, in an interview with Russia 24, Vida apologized to the Russian people, acknowledging his mistake.
4. Personal Life
Domagoj Vida was born in Našice, Croatia, and spent his formative years in Donji Miholjac. His father, Rudika Vida, was a former professional footballer. In 2015, Vida and his fiancée, Ivana Gugić, welcomed their first child, a son named David. The couple married in Umag, Croatia, in June 2017.
5. Achievements and Honours
Domagoj Vida has accumulated numerous team and individual accolades throughout his professional career in various leagues and with the Croatian national team.
5.1. Club Honours
- Dinamo Zagreb
- Prva HNL: 2011-12, 2012-13
- Croatian Cup: 2011-12
- Dynamo Kyiv
- Ukrainian Premier League: 2014-15, 2015-16
- Ukrainian Cup: 2013-14, 2014-15
- Ukrainian Super Cup: 2016
- Beşiktaş
- Süper Lig: 2020-21
- Turkish Cup: 2020-21
- Turkish Super Cup: 2021
- AEK Athens
- Super League Greece: 2022-23
- Greek Cup: 2022-23
5.2. International Honours
- Croatia
- FIFA World Cup runner-up: 2018
- FIFA World Cup third place: 2022
5.3. Individual Honours
- Ukrainian Premier League Centre-back of the Year: 2016-17
- Süper Lig Team of the Season: 2018-19, 2020-21
- Super League Greece Team of the Season: 2023-24
5.4. Orders
- Order of Duke Branimir: 2018
6. Career Statistics
6.1. Club Statistics
| Club | Season | League | National cup | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Osijek | 2006-07 | Prva HNL | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 12 | 0 | ||
| 2007-08 | 21 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 22 | 0 | ||||
| 2008-09 | 30 | 2 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 31 | 2 | ||||
| 2009-10 | 27 | 4 | 3 | 0 | - | - | 30 | 4 | ||||
| Total | 90 | 6 | 5 | 0 | - | - | 95 | 6 | ||||
| Bayer Leverkusen | 2010-11 | Bundesliga | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | - | 9 | 0 | |
| Dinamo Zagreb | 2011-12 | Prva HNL | 29 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 12 | 0 | - | 47 | 2 | |
| 2012-13 | 15 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 2 | - | 28 | 6 | |||
| Total | 44 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 24 | 2 | - | 75 | 8 | |||
| Dynamo Kyiv | 2012-13 | Ukrainian Premier League | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | 14 | 1 | |
| 2013-14 | 17 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 0 | - | 26 | 1 | |||
| 2014-15 | 20 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 37 | 3 | ||
| 2015-16 | 18 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 27 | 2 | ||
| 2016-17 | 28 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 39 | 4 | ||
| 2017-18 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 2 | ||
| Total | 104 | 10 | 17 | 1 | 36 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 161 | 13 | ||
| Beşiktaş | 2017-18 | Süper Lig | 13 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 1 |
| 2018-19 | 31 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | - | 38 | 3 | |||
| 2019-20 | 31 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | - | 38 | 5 | |||
| 2020-21 | 34 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | - | 39 | 6 | |||
| 2021-22 | 28 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 32 | 1 | ||
| Total | 137 | 15 | 11 | 1 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 165 | 16 | ||
| AEK Athens | 2022-23 | Super League Greece | 31 | 1 | 2 | 0 | - | - | 33 | 1 | ||
| 2023-24 | 29 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 2 | - | 39 | 8 | |||
| 2024-25 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | - | 7 | 0 | |||
| Total | 64 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 12 | 2 | - | 79 | 9 | |||
| Career total | 440 | 44 | 43 | 2 | 96 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 585 | 52 | ||
6.2. International Statistics
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Croatia | 2010 | 2 | 0 |
| 2011 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2012 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 6 | 1 | |
| 2014 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2016 | 12 | 0 | |
| 2017 | 9 | 1 | |
| 2018 | 16 | 2 | |
| 2019 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2020 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 11 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 105 | 4 | |
6.2.1. International Goals
:Scores and results list Croatia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Vida goal.
| No | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 September 2013 | Jeonju World Cup Stadium, Jeonju, South Korea | 19 | South Korea | 1-0 | 2-1 | Friendly |
| 2 | 3 September 2017 | Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb, Croatia | 50 | Kosovo | 1-0 | 1-0 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 3 | 7 July 2018 | Fisht Olympic Stadium, Sochi, Russia | 63 | Russia | 2-1 | 2-2 | 2018 FIFA World Cup |
| 4 | 15 October 2018 | Stadion Rujevica, Rijeka, Croatia | 69 | Jordan | 1-0 | 2-1 | Friendly |