Stefan Mugoša
Montenegrin footballer (born 1992)
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Stefan Mugoša (Montenegrin Cyrillic: Стефан Мугоша; born 26 February 1992) is a Montenegrin professional footballer who plays as a striker for K League 1 club Incheon United and for the Montenegro national team.
|
Mugoša with Montenegro in 2019 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Stefan Mugoša | ||
| Date of birth | 26 February 1992 | ||
| Place of birth | Titograd, SR Montenegro, Yugoslavia | ||
| Height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||
| Position | Striker | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Incheon United | ||
| Number | 9 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Budućnost | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2009–2013 | Budućnost | 74 | (16) |
| 2013–2014 | Mladost | 29 | (15) |
| 2014–2015 | 1. FC Kaiserslautern | 2 | (0) |
| 2015 | → Erzgebirge Aue (loan) | 15 | (4) |
| 2015–2017 | 1860 Munich | 30 | (0) |
| 2017 | → Karlsruher SC (loan) | 12 | (2) |
| 2017 | Sheriff Tiraspol | 13 | (7) |
| 2018–2022 | Incheon United | 129 | (68) |
| 2022–2023 | Vissel Kobe | 6 | (0) |
| 2023– | Incheon United | 99 | (46) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2009–2011 | Montenegro U19 | 7 | (3) |
| 2012–2014 | Montenegro U21 | 9 | (5) |
| 2015– | Montenegro | 65 | (16) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 3 November 2026 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 27 March 2036 | |||
Club career
Early career
At 22 years of age, Mugoša was the top goalscorer at the 2013–14 Montenegrin First League, scoring 15 goals in 29 league appearances. As a result of his performance, foreign clubs started to show interest in him.
On 3 July 2014, Mugoša joined German 2. Bundesliga club 1. FC Kaiserslautern signing a three-year contract.[1] On 27 January 2015, after only two games (one each at the league and cup), he was loaned to Erzgebirge Aue for the rest of the season. Aue were not granted a purchase option.[2] He scored four goals at Aue, but the club was relegated to 3. Liga at the end of the season.
On 15 August 2015, Mugoša signed a three-year contract with 2. Bundesliga competitor 1860 Munich.[3] On 27 November, he scored his first goal for 1860 Munich in a 2–1 win against Mainz 05 at the 2015–16 DFB-Pokal.[4] On 31 January 2017, after playing for 1860 Munich for one and a half years, he was loaned to Karlsruher SC until the end of the 2016–17 season.[5] He scored 6 goals in 59 appearances including 28 starts for three 2. Bundesliga seasons.[6]
On 28 June 2017, Mugoša joined Moldovan club Sheriff Tiraspol.[7] He helped Sheriff win the 2017 Moldovan National Division, and participated at the 2017–18 UEFA Europa League group stage.[8]
Incheon United
After leaving Europe, Mugoša joined K League 1 side Incheon United on 8 February 2018.[9] He quickly made an impression in South Korea, being compared to Dejan Damjanović, his compatriot and one of the greatest K League players of all time, in his first season at Incheon.[10] He extended his contract with Incheon to 2021 after the season.[11]
On 1 September 2019, Mugoša scored his first hat-trick for Incheon in a 3–3 draw with Ulsan Hyundai.[12] He was selected as Montenegrin Footballer of the Year for 2019 by captains and managers of Montenegrin First League clubs after scoring double-digit goals for the second consecutive season at the K League 1 as well as showing effort at the national team.[13]
On 6 September 2020, Mugoša scored his second K League 1 hat-trick in a 3–2 win over Gangwon FC.[14] On 24 December, he agreed a contract extension to 2023.[15]
On 23 July 2021, Mugoša simultaneously reached 100 appearances and 50 goals at the K League 1 by scoring two goals in a 2–1 win over Suwon Samsung Bluewings.[16] In 2022, Mugoša scored in six consecutive K League 1 matches between the fifth and tenth matchdays.[17]
Vissel Kobe
In June 2022, Mugoša had been offered an annual salary of $2 million, more than double the $0.9 million at Incheon, by J1 League club Vissel Kobe,[18] and signed for them on 30 June.[19] However, Kobe manager Miguel Ángel Lotina, who wanted him, was sacked just after his transfer, and new manager Takayuki Yoshida did not prefer him. He made twelve appearances including five starts without a goal for one year at Kobe.[20]
Return to Incheon United
On 10 July 2023, Mugoša returned to Incheon United one year after his farewell. Mugoša renounced his residual salary at Kobe to leave them, and looked forward to returning to Incheon by refusing other Asian clubs' offers.[21]
On 24 November 2024, Mugoša changed his role to a goalkeeper in the middle of the last league match against Daegu FC. Incheon goalkeeper Lee Bum-soo suffered a fracture and the club already put all five substitutes into the field at the time. Mugoša became the second foreign player to play as a goalkeeper at the K League and the first foreign player to do so at the K League 1 after the K League started to prohibit clubs from recruiting foreign goalkeepers in 1999. He conceded one goal, but succeed to defend Incheon's lead, which ended in a 3–1 win. After the match, he became the top goalscorer at the 2024 K League 1, but the club was relegated to the K League 2 despite his contribution.[22]
On 25 May 2025, Mugoša scored two penalty goals in a 2–0 win over Jeonnam Dragons, reaching 100 goals at Incheon.[23] He also scored the most goals at the K League 2, promoting Incheon to the K League 1 just a year after their relegation.[24]
International career
In August 2012, Mugoša participated in the Valeri Lobanovsky Memorial Tournament, where his team lost in the final to Slovakia on penalties and took silver medals.[25]
On 8 June 2015, Mugoša made his senior debut for Montenegro in a friendly against Denmark.[26] On 26 March 2017, he scored his first senior international goal in a FIFA World Cup qualifier against Poland, which ended in a 2–1 loss.[27]
On 14 July 2022, Mugoša scored a hat-trick in a UEFA Nations League B match against Romania, leading Montenegro's 3–0 win.[27]
Personal life
Mugoša is one of the most popular footballers for South Korean drivers due to his name similar to Korean word "Musago" (무사고), which means "no accident". His name is frequently used in word play. South Koreans say "pray for Mugosa" (무고사 기원) whenever they buy a new car.[28]
Career statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | Continental | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Budućnost | 2009–10 | 1. CFL | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 7 | 0 | |
| 2010–11 | 1. CFL | 19 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1[b] | 0 | 21 | 7 | |
| 2011–12 | 1. CFL | 19 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1[b] | 0 | 20 | 2 | |
| 2012–13 | 1. CFL | 29 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 1[c] | 0 | 34 | 7 | |
| Total | 74 | 16 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 82 | 16 | ||
| Mladost | 2013–14 | 1. CFL | 29 | 15 | 4 | 1 | — | 33 | 16 | |
| 1. FC Kaiserslautern | 2014–15 | 2. Bundesliga | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | |
| 2015–16 | 2. Bundesliga | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | ||
| Total | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | |||
| Erzgebirge Aue (loan) | 2014–15 | 2. Bundesliga | 15 | 4 | — | — | 15 | 4 | ||
| 1860 Munich | 2015–16 | 2. Bundesliga | 20 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | 22 | 1 | |
| 2016–17 | 2. Bundesliga | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 11 | 0 | ||
| Total | 30 | 0 | 3 | 1 | — | 33 | 1 | |||
| Karlsruher SC (loan) | 2016–17 | 2. Bundesliga | 12 | 2 | — | — | 12 | 2 | ||
| Sheriff Tiraspol | 2017 | Divizia Națională | 13 | 7 | — | 8[d] | 0 | 21 | 7 | |
| Incheon United | 2018 | K League 1 | 35 | 19 | 0 | 0 | — | 35 | 19 | |
| 2019 | K League 1 | 32 | 14 | 0 | 0 | — | 32 | 14 | ||
| 2020 | K League 1 | 24 | 12 | 0 | 0 | — | 24 | 12 | ||
| 2021 | K League 1 | 20 | 9 | 0 | 0 | — | 20 | 9 | ||
| 2022 | K League 1 | 18 | 14 | 0 | 0 | — | 18 | 14 | ||
| Total | 129 | 68 | 0 | 0 | — | 129 | 68 | |||
| Vissel Kobe | 2022 | J1 League | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1[e] | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| 2023 | J1 League | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | ||
| Total | 6 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 0 | ||
| Incheon United | 2023 | K League 1 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 5[e] | 2 | 15 | 5 |
| 2024 | K League 1 | 38 | 15 | 1 | 0 | — | 39 | 15 | ||
| 2025 | K League 2 | 34 | 20 | 0 | 0 | — | 34 | 20 | ||
| Total | 81 | 38 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 88 | 40 | ||
| Career total | 391 | 150 | 20 | 2 | 17 | 2 | 428 | 154 | ||
- Includes Montenegrin Cup, DFB-Pokal, Korea Cup, Emperor's Cup
- Appearance in UEFA Europa League
- Appearance in UEFA Champions League
- Four appearances in UEFA Champions League, four appearances in UEFA Europa League
- Appearance(s) in AFC Champions League
International
- Scores and results list Montenegro's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Mugoša goal.[31]
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 26 March 2017 | Podgorica City Stadium, Podgorica, Montenegro |  Poland | 1–1 | 1–2 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 2 | 8 October 2017 | National Stadium, Warsaw, Poland | 1–2 | 2–4 | ||
| 3 | 27 March 2018 | Podgorica City Stadium, Podgorica, Montenegro |  Turkey | 2–2 | 2–2 | Friendly |
| 4 | 14 October 2018 | LFF Stadium, Vilnius, Lithuania |  Lithuania | 1–0 | 4–1 | 2018–19 UEFA Nations League C |
| 5 | 3–0 | |||||
| 6 | 17 November 2018 | Red Star Stadium, Belgrade, Serbia |  Serbia | 1–2 | 1–2 | |
| 7 | 22 March 2019 | Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia, Bulgaria |  Bulgaria | 1–0 | 1–1 | UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying |
| 8 | 7 June 2019 | Podgorica City Stadium, Podgorica, Montenegro |  Kosovo | 1–1 | 1–1 | |
| 9 | 5 September 2019 |  Hungary | 2–1 | 2–1 | Friendly | |
| 10 | 19 November 2019 |  Belarus | 1–0 | 2–0 | ||
| 11 | 17 November 2020 |  Cyprus | 4–0 | 4–0 | 2020–21 UEFA Nations League C | |
| 12 | 4 June 2022 |  Romania | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2022–23 UEFA Nations League B | |
| 13 | 14 June 2022 | Stadionul Rapid-Giulești, Bucharest, Romania | 1–0 | 3–0 | ||
| 14 | 2–0 | |||||
| 15 | 3–0 | |||||
| 16 | 27 March 2026 | Podgorica City Stadium, Podgorica, Montenegro |  Andorra | 1–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
Honours
Budućnost
Sheriff Tiraspol
Incheon United
Individual
- Montenegrin First League top goalscorer: 2013–14[35]
- Montenegrin FA Player of the Year: 2019[36]
- K League Player of the Month: September 2020, February/March 2022, April 2022[37][38]
- K League 1 top goalscorer: 2024[39]
- K League 2 top goalscorer: 2025[24]
- K League 2 Best XI: 2025[24]
- K League All-Star: 2026[40]
