STWF Sports | FRISCO, Texas | May 18, 2026 — FC Dallas forward Petar Musa has officially earned a spot on the Croatia men’s national team roster for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, adding another milestone to what has already become a historic season for both player and club.
Musa’s selection marks the first time in franchise history that FC Dallas will have two active players represented at the FIFA World Cup simultaneously, following the recent call-up of winger Don Deedson Louicius to represent Haiti this summer.
The achievement reflects both the rising international profile of FC Dallas and Musa’s emergence as one of Major League Soccer’s premier attacking talents.
Petar Musa’s Impact on FC Dallas
Croatia, one of the world’s most respected international programs over the last decade, was drawn into Group L for the tournament and will open World Cup play against England on June 17 at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The Vatreni will then face Panama on June 23 in Toronto before closing group-stage play against Ghana on June 27 in Philadelphia.
For Musa, the opportunity carries extra significance given the tournament’s North American setting and the chance to play World Cup matches in front of FC Dallas supporters in Texas.
The call-up comes during the best stretch of Musa’s professional career.
The Croatian striker has been sensational throughout the 2026 MLS campaign, scoring 12 goals already this season while continuing to climb the FC Dallas record books.
His latest goal came during Dallas’ dramatic 3-2 road victory over the San Jose Earthquakes over the weekend, a result that helped FC Dallas close the first half of the season with momentum entering the World Cup break.
That goal also carried historic importance.
Musa is now tied with former FC Dallas striker Kenny Cooper for third place on the club’s all-time scoring list with 46 career goals. He currently trails only club legend Jason Kreis and former Homegrown standout Jesús Ferreira on the franchise scoring leaderboard.
Across MLS, Musa has firmly entered the league’s elite scoring conversation.
The 27-year-old is currently tied with Lionel Messi for second place in the MLS Golden Boot race and has already produced three multi-goal matches during the 2026 season.
Earlier this year, Musa delivered another unforgettable performance when he recorded his second career hat trick for FC Dallas in a March victory over San Diego FC.
The achievement made him the first player in club history to record multiple hat tricks for Dallas and further cemented his growing legacy within the organization.
Musa’s dominance has not been limited to league play.
During the 2025 season, he scored 19 goals across all competitions, tying Kreis for the most goals ever scored by an FC Dallas player in a single season.
Since arriving in Texas during the 2024 offseason in the largest transfer acquisition in franchise history, Musa has completely transformed Dallas’ attack with his combination of size, movement and finishing ability.
Before joining MLS, Musa built an accomplished European résumé across multiple leagues.
He spent two seasons with Portuguese giant S.L. Benfica, where he scored 17 goals and helped the club capture the 2022-23 Liga Portugal title and Portuguese Super Cup.
Musa also enjoyed productive loan spells with Boavista FC and Germany’s Union Berlin before earlier stops in the Czech Republic with Slavia Prague, Slovan Liberec and Viktoria Žižkov.
Internationally, Musa has steadily become an important figure for Croatia’s senior national team.
The Zagreb native has earned 10 senior caps and made his debut during UEFA European Qualifying play against Wales in March 2023.
He also scored his first senior international goal during Croatia’s November 2025 victory over the Faroe Islands before adding an assist against Montenegro days later.
Now, Musa prepares for the biggest stage in world soccer.
And as FC Dallas continues building one of the strongest international player pipelines in MLS, the club will officially enter the 2026 FIFA World Cup with two active stars representing their nations on the global stage — another milestone in a rapidly evolving era for soccer in North Texas.
