Nikola Katić
Bosnian footballer (born 1996)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Nikola Katić (pronounced [nǐkola kâtitɕ]; born 10 October 1996) is a Bosnian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Bundesliga club Schalke 04 and the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team.
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Katić playing for Rangers in 2018 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 10 October 1996 | ||
| Place of birth | Ljubuški, Bosnia and Herzegovina | ||
| Height | 1.94 m (6 ft 4 in)[1] | ||
| Position | Centre-back | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Schalke 04 | ||
| Number | 25 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2001–2013 | HNK Stolac | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2013–2014 | HNK Stolac | ||
| 2014–2015 | Neretvanac Opuzen | 29 | (2) |
| 2015–2018 | Slaven Belupo | 65 | (1) |
| 2018–2022 | Rangers | 37 | (3) |
| 2021–2022 | → Hajduk Split (loan) | 21 | (0) |
| 2022–2025 | Zürich | 74 | (7) |
| 2025 | → Plymouth Argyle (loan) | 15 | (1) |
| 2025– | Schalke 04 | 26 | (1) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2017–2019 | Croatia U21 | 8 | (0) |
| 2017 | Croatia | 1 | (0) |
| 2024– | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 20 | (2) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 17 May 2026 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 24 June 2026 | |||
Katić started his professional career at HNK Stolac, before joining Neretvanac Opuzen in 2014. Two years later he switched to Slaven Belupo. In 2018, he moved to Rangers, who loaned him to Hajduk Split in 2021. The following year, Katić signed with Zürich, who sent him on loan to Plymouth Argyle in 2025. Later that year, he was transferred to Schalke 04.
A former Croatian youth international, Katić also made his senior international debut for Croatia, before switching his allegiance to Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2024.
Club career
Early career
Katić came through the youth setup of HNK Stolac, which he joined in 2001. He made his professional debut in 2013 at the age of 16, before moving to Croatian team Neretvanac Opuzen in March 2014.[2]
In December 2015, he switched to Slaven Belupo.[3] On 7 May 2017, he scored his first professional goal in a triumph over Istra 1961.[4]
Rangers
In June 2018, Katić was transferred to Scottish side Rangers for an undisclosed fee.[5] He made his official debut for the club in a UEFA Europa League qualifier against Shkupi on 12 July.[6] On 2 August, he scored his first goal for Rangers in a UEFA Europa League qualifier against Osijek.[7] A week later, he made his league debut against Aberdeen.[8] On 20 April 2019, he scored his first league goal for the team in a defeat of Hearts.[9]
In October 2019, Katić signed a new four-year deal with the squad.[10]
In July 2020, he suffered a severe knee injury, which was diagnosed as an anterior cruciate ligament tear and was ruled out for at least six months. Over a year after the injury, on 24 July 2021, he returned to the pitch.[11]
He won his first trophy with the club on 7 March 2021, when they were crowned league champions.[12]
Loan to Hajduk Split
In August 2021, he was sent on a season-long loan to Hajduk Split.[13]
Zürich
In August 2022, Katić moved to Swiss outfit Zürich on a three-year contract.[14] He made his competitive debut for the side in a UEFA Europa League game against PSV on 6 October.[15] A week later, he made his league debut against Winterthur.[16] On 13 November 2022, he scored his first goal for Zürich in a victory over Servette.[17]
In October 2023, Katić extended his deal with the team until June 2026.[18]
Loan to Plymouth Argyle
In January 2025, he was loaned to English club Plymouth Argyle until the end of the season.[19]
On 9 February 2025, Katić played in Plymouth Argyle 1–0 win against Liverpool in the FA Cup fourth round.[20] At the time, Plymouth was bottom of the Championship while Liverpool led the Premier League.[20] Katić lost a tooth during the match.[20]
Schalke 04
In July 2025, Katić joined German side Schalke 04 on a contract until June 2028.[21][22]
He debuted officially for the squad on 1 August against Hertha BSC, managed to score a goal and get sent off.[23]
International career
After representing Croatia at the under-21 level, Katić made his senior international debut in a friendly game against Mexico on 28 May 2017. However, in April 2024, he decided that he would play for Bosnia and Herzegovina in the future.[24]
In May, his request to change sports citizenship from Croatian to Bosnian was approved by FIFA.[25] Later that month, he received his first senior call-up, for friendly games against England and Italy.[26] He debuted against the former on 3 June.[27]
In June 2026, Katić was named in Bosnia and Herzegovina's squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.[28] He made his tournament debut during the opening group fixture against Canada on 12 June.[29]
Personal life
Katić is an ethnic Croat.[30] He is a cousin of the Bosnian Croat politician Darijana Filipović.[31]
Career statistics
Club
- As of match played 17 May 2026[32]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Continental | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Neretvanac Opuzen | 2014–15 | Croatian Second League | 14 | 2 | – | – | – | 14 | 2 | |||
| 2015–16 | Croatian Second League | 15 | 0 | – | – | – | 15 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 29 | 2 | – | – | – | 29 | 2 | |||||
| Slaven Belupo | 2015–16 | Croatian Football League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2016–17 | Croatian Football League | 29 | 1 | 3 | 1 | – | – | 32 | 2 | |||
| 2017–18 | Croatian Football League | 35 | 0 | 2 | 1 | – | – | 37 | 1 | |||
| Total | 65 | 1 | 5 | 2 | – | – | 70 | 3 | ||||
| Rangers | 2018–19 | Scottish Premiership | 18 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 9[c] | 1 | 30 | 3 |
| 2019–20 | Scottish Premiership | 19 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8[c] | 1 | 29 | 3 | |
| 2020–21 | Scottish Premiership | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 37 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 17 | 2 | 59 | 6 | ||
| Hajduk Split (loan) | 2021–22 | Croatian Football League | 21 | 0 | 4 | 0 | – | – | 25 | 0 | ||
| Zürich | 2022–23 | Swiss Super League | 22 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | 4[c] | 0 | 26 | 1 | |
| 2023–24 | Swiss Super League | 34 | 4 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 35 | 4 | |||
| 2024–25 | Swiss Super League | 18 | 2 | 3 | 0 | – | 4[d] | 0 | 25 | 2 | ||
| Total | 74 | 7 | 4 | 0 | – | 8 | 0 | 86 | 7 | |||
| Plymouth Argyle (loan) | 2024–25 | Championship | 15 | 1 | 2 | 0 | – | – | 17 | 1 | ||
| Schalke 04 | 2025–26 | 2. Bundesliga | 26 | 1 | 2 | 0 | – | – | 28 | 1 | ||
| Career total | 267 | 15 | 19 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 25 | 2 | 314 | 20 | ||
- Includes Croatian Cup, Scottish Cup, Swiss Cup, FA Cup, DFB-Pokal
- Includes Scottish League Cup
- Appearances in UEFA Europa League
- Appearances in UEFA Conference League
International
- As of match played 24 June 2026[33]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Croatia | 2017 | 1 | 0 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 2024 | 6 | 0 |
| 2025 | 7 | 1 | |
| 2026 | 7 | 1 | |
| Total | 20 | 2 | |
| Career total | 21 | 2 | |
- Scores and results list Bosnia and Herzegovina's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Katić goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 October 2025 | AEK Arena – Georgios Karapatakis, Larnaca, Cyprus | 11 |  Cyprus |
1–0 | 2–2 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 2 | 6 June 2026 | Energizer Park, St. Louis, United States | 17 |  Panama |
1–0 | 1–1 | Friendly |
