Dani Olmo... the story of a Spanish talent born on Croatia's pitches

The Spanish national team midfielder, Dani Olmo, is preparing to face the most important experience of his sporting career, as he takes on Argentina in the 2026 World Cup final next Sunday, seeking to lead the Matador to their second title in history, in a unique journey that began with a surprising and courageous decision he made as a child when he left the famous La Masia academy of Barcelona in 2014 at the age of 16, joining Croatian club 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; rather, it came according to a studied strategy revealed by the club's sporting director at the time, Marko Vukelic, who said: 'At that time, Barcelona had a different strategy, where young players begin their careers at age 22 or 23, while we needed to sell players annually and make profits with continuous European participation, so it was normal for our talents to start at age 17 or 18.'

This unfamiliar path was not without difficulties, challenges of adaptation, and the shock of cultural difference, as Vukelic affirmed: 'He was a child, and it was not easy for him, especially during times when he did not play much, but he had the personality and talent to overcome all those obstacles.'

For his part, Bjelica, who is fluent in Spanish which facilitated Olmo's task, 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 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 claimed the title. Dani is the best player I have ever coached. I have managed big stars like Marek Hamšík, Leonardo Bonucci, and Joško Gvardiol, but Dani remains the best, by far. I have only good words for him and his family.'

The official website of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) quoted Bjelica as saying about Olmo: 'He is the best in the world at positioning between the lines, receiving the ball, and linking up with teammates. He has excellent vision and superb ball control, and he creates and scores goals. He is a completely complete player.'

Olmo's connection to Croatia was so strong that the local press previously called for him to represent the Croatian national team alongside Luka Modrić and Ivan Rakitić. Bjelica commented on that, saying: 'The possibility was indeed there, but Dani was always clear that he would choose Spain once he was called up. That is exactly what 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 reaching the pinnacle of glory, explaining: 'He is a very humble and simple boy. He does not treat advice as criticism. If you tell him one day that he did not train well, you will find him the next day at the peak of readiness to give his all on the pitch.'