Dejan Ljubičić
Squad number 19 · Schalke 04
Their 2026 World Cup
Dejan Ljubičić travelled to the 2026 World Cup with Austria, wearing number 19, without ever getting on the pitch. His side played 4 matches (1 win, 1 draw and 2 defeats) and bowed out in the round of 32, beaten by Spain 3-0.
Midfield went to K. Laimer (4 matches, 360′) and M. Sabitzer (4 matches, 360′).
Another 5 players in the Austria squad ended up the same way, without a single minute. The full run is on the Austria team page.
Biography
Dejan Ljubičić (born 8 October 1997) is an Austrian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Bundesliga club Schalke 04 and the Austria national team.
Club career Ljubičić joined the youth academy of Rapid Wien in 2006 after starting at Favoritner AC. He progressed through the club's youth ranks and made his debut for Rapid's reserve team in 2015. In 2017, he signed his first professional contract with Rapid and spent time on loan at Wiener Neustadt, where he made his professional debut. A proposed move to MLS club Chicago Fire collapsed during the 2019–20 winter transfer window after he was diagnosed with an anterior cruciate ligament injury. He later established himself in Rapid's first team, making 103 league appearances, scoring six goals, and captaining the club during the 2020–21 season. In 2021, Ljubičić moved to Bundesliga club 1. FC Köln. His club suffered relegation in 2024, but helped the club secure immediate promotion back to the top flight in 2024–25 before departing upon the expiry of his contract.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0) · text adapted from the article.
See all the tournament stats on the World Cup data hub.
Photo: Steindy (talk) 09:35, 19 May 2018 (UTC) · Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)