Duje Ćaleta-Car is a Croatian professional footballer born on 17 September 1996 in Šibenik, Croatia.
He plays as a centre-back and is known for his physical presence, aerial ability, and composure on the ball.
He has represented the Croatia national team, including as a squad member during the country’s run to the final of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Ćaleta-Car grew up in the Bilice area near Šibenik and comes from a supportive family background.
His father Damir worked as an electrician and served in the military during the Croatian War of Independence, while his mother Nevenka has worked in a care home.
Siblings
Duje has two siblings: an older brother named Jure and a sister named Ana.
Jure Ćaleta-Car, born in 1989, has been involved in football at an amateur and veterans’ level in the Šibenik region, including appearances for local sides.
Ana Ćaleta-Car has been publicly mentioned in Croatian media, including a 2018 profile that highlighted her perspective on her brother’s rapid rise in professional football.
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Career
Ćaleta-Car began his youth career at local club HNK Šibenik before making senior appearances there.
He moved to Austria, initially with Pasching, and then joined the Red Bull Salzburg system, featuring for the feeder club Liefering on loan.
He broke into the Salzburg first team and established himself as a regular, contributing to multiple domestic title successes.
In 2018 he transferred to Olympique de Marseille in Ligue 1 for a significant fee, spending several seasons there and gaining experience in European competitions.
A move to Southampton in the Premier League followed in 2022.
He later joined Olympique Lyonnais, first on loan and then permanently, and spent the 2025–26 season on loan at Real Sociedad in La Liga, where he featured regularly.
As of mid-2026 he returned to Lyon.
At international level he has earned caps for Croatia across youth and senior teams, featuring in major tournaments including the 2018 World Cup and remaining in contention for subsequent campaigns.
Accolades
With Red Bull Salzburg, Ćaleta-Car won the Austrian Bundesliga four times (2014–15 through 2017–18) and the Austrian Cup three times (2014–15, 2015–16, and 2016–17).
He was named in the Austrian Bundesliga Team of the Year for 2017–18.
On the international stage he was part of the Croatia squad that finished as runners-up at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, for which the team received the Order of Duke Branimir.
During his time at Lyon he reached the Coupe de France final in 2023–24.
With Real Sociedad he won the Copa del Rey (Spanish Cup) in the 2025–26 season.
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