FC Dallas forward Petar Musa scored his first international goal for Croatia to help the nation defeat the Faroe Islands 3-1 Friday afternoon, a win that officially qualified Croatia for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
In his first national team call-up since 2023, Musa started up top for Croatia (the 11th-ranked nation in the world) in the first match of Round 9 of UEFA World Cup qualification. With the victory and just one match remaining, Croatia confirmed top spot of Group L thanks to a 6-1-0 undefeated record, qualifying the nation for its fourth-consecutive World Cup appearance. Musa and Croatia will close out their World Cup qualification schedule next week against Montenegro on Monday, Nov. 17.
Musa earned his first Croatia call in two years after a 19-goal season with FC Dallas and carried his club form into the international arena. The 27-year-old was named starter for Friday's game against the Faroe Islands and, with the score tied at 1-1, Musa found the back of the net in the 57th minute. His goal turned out to be the winner in a 3-1 victory at Stadion HNK Rijeka, in Rijeka, Croatia. It was Musa's first goal for his country in his seventh appearance.
With Croatia qualified for the 2026 World Cup to be held in the U.S., Mexico and Canada, Musa will look to maintain his rich goal-scoring form over the next few months to make Croatia's final World Cup squad. If so, he could become just the second active FC Dallas player to feature in a World Cup match after Jesús Ferreira (U.S.) in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The World Cup group stage draw, which determines group opponents, will be held next month at the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. on Dec. 5, 2025.
