Dani Olmo: The story of a Spanish talent born on Croatian pitches

Spain midfielder Dani Olmo is preparing for the most important experience of his sporting career as he faces Argentina in the 2026 World Cup final next Sunday, seeking to lead the Matador to its second title in history, on a unique journey that began with a surprising and bold decision he made as a child when he left Barcelona's famous La Masia academy in 2014 at the age of 16 to join Croatian side Dinamo Zagreb.

Regarding this exceptional start, Nenad Bjelica, who later coached Olmo at Dinamo Zagreb's first team, said: 'I was surprised by his decision to come here.'

This decision was not random, but came according to a well-thought-out strategy revealed by the club's then sports director, Marko Vukelic, who said: 'At that time, Barcelona had a different strategy, where young players began their careers at age 22 or 23, while we needed to sell players annually and generate profits with continuous European participation, so it was natural for our talented players to start at 17 or 18.'

This unusual path was not without difficulties, challenges of adaptation, and the shock of cultural differences, as Vukelic stressed: 'He was a child, and it wasn't easy for him, especially when he wasn't playing much, but he had the character and talent to overcome all those obstacles.'

For his part, Bjelica, who speaks Spanish which made Olmo's task easier, explained: 'Arriving at a young age and with a language completely different from Spanish or English made communication difficult, but our relationship was very open as friends and as player and coach.'

Regarding Olmo's special talent, Bjelica recalls his memories of his first match after recovering from injury against Hajduk Split in the Croatian Cup final, saying: 'With Dani on the pitch, we won 1-0 and took the title. Dani is the best player I have ever coached. I have overseen big stars like Marek Hamsik, Leonardo Bonucci, and Josko Gvardiol, but Dani remains the best, absolutely, and I have only good words for him and his family.'

FIFA's official website quoted Bjelica as saying about Olmo: 'He is the best in the world at positioning between the lines, receiving the ball, and linking with teammates. He has excellent vision and great ball control, and he creates and scores goals. He is a complete player.'

Olmo's connection with Croatia was so strong that the local press previously called for him to represent the Croatian national team alongside Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic. Bjelica commented on that, saying: 'The possibility was there, indeed, but Dani was always clear that he would choose Spain once he was called up, which actually happened as soon as he played for the under-21 team.'

Dinamo Zagreb officials agree that Olmo's humility and simplicity are the secret to his rise to the pinnacle of glory, explaining: 'He is a very humble and simple boy, and he does not treat advice as criticism. If you tell him one day that he didn't train well, you'll find him the next day at peak readiness to give his all on the pitch.'