Davor Suker

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Šuker began his footballing career in his hometown for local first division team NK Osijek at 16-year-old, later departing as the league's top goal scorer. He moved to Dinamo Zagreb in 1989 but the Croatian War of Independence eventually redirected Šuker to Spanish club Sevilla in 1991. In La Liga, Šuker was consecutively amongst the division's top goal scorers. He signed with Real Madrid five years later, again amongst the league's top scorers. While at the Santiago Bernabéu, he helped Madrid claim the Liga and UEFA Champions League titles. A move to Arsenal saw him support their run to the UEFA Cup final of 2000. He then had a spell with West Ham United, then closed his career playing for German side 1860 Munich. Following his debut for the Croatia national football team in 1990, he led the team to third-place at the 1998 FIFA World Cup, securing the nation's first bronze medal. He won the Golden Boot by scoring six goals in seven matches. He won the Silver Ball as the second-best player of the tournament, behind Ronaldo. Šuker was later named as Croatia's Golden Player at the UEFA Jubilee Awards in 2003 and finished third in the 1998 FIFA World Player of the Year award as well as second for the 1998 Ballon d'Or. He is the only Croatian included on the FIFA 100 list created by Pelé in 2004. He won Croatian Footballer of the Year a then-record six times in 1992 and from 1994 to 1998.

In Their Own Story

The lights of the Stade de France hummed as Šuker stood over the penalty spot, the weight of his nation's history on his shoulders. The crowd held its breath, waiting for the strike that would define a generation. With a calm touch to the far corner, he sent the ball past the keeper, sealing another chapter in Croatia's fairy tale and etching his name permanently into World Cup folklore.

Reader's Guide

Šuker was born in Osijek to a Bosnian Croat family from Livno. He began playing football in his home town with the club NK Osijek in 1984. In 1989, he moved to Dinamo Zagreb, where during the following two seasons he scored 34 goals in 60 Yugoslav First League matches. He made his Primera División debut for Sevilla on 17 November 1991. He finished his first season at the club with 6 goals in 22 appearances. In the 1993–94 season, Šuker was the second-highest scorer in the league with 24 goals to Barcelona's Romário. He moved to Real Madrid prior to the start of the 1996–97 season, scoring 24 goals in 38 appearances. With Real Madrid, he won the 1997–98 UEFA Champions League. He joined Arsenal for the 1999–2000 season, scoring 8 league goals in 22 Premiership appearances. At West Ham United, he made 11 Premiership appearances, scoring twice. At 1860 Munich, he scored 5 goals in 25 Bundesliga appearances. For Croatia, he scored six goals at the 1998 World Cup, winning the Golden Boot and the Silver Ball.

Did You Know?

• Šuker scored a hat-trick in Sevilla's 4–3 victory at Albacete in the 1992–93 season.
• He was nicknamed 'Sukerman' by the British press during his time at Arsenal.
• Šuker scored an unforgettable looping shot over Danish goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel at Euro 1996.
• He finished as the second highest scorer at the 1987 World Youth Championships with six goals.