Mateo Kovacic is quietly establishing himself as another fan favourite at Manchester City, an underrated player whom dedicated supporters appreciate more than casual viewers.
Manchester City moved to sign Mateo Kovacic in the wake of Ilkay Gundogan’s departure in 2023 but he remains a valuable member of the team even with Gundogan looking likely to return.
The all-action midfielder might not get the most goals and assists but he brings quality in possession, a great passing radar and a sublime ability to slalom by challenges and glide up the field to Pep Guardiola’s side.
Not to mention a wealth of trophy-winning experience.
Here is everything you need to know about City’s No.8 as we answer your most frequently asked questions.
How old is Mateo Kovacic?
Mateo Kovacic was born on May 6, 1994, in Linz, Austria, to Bosnian Croat parents, Stipo and Ruzica, who had moved from Zabrede ahead of the Yugoslav Wars. Kovacic began his career at LASK before his family decided to return to Croatia when he was 13 and he joined Dinamo Zagreb’s academy.
As of August 2024, he is 30 years old.
Kovacic height and weight
Kovacic is 5’9″ (178cm) tall and weighs in at 78kg, according to TNT Sports. Despite his small stature, Kovacic possesses a strong upper body and low centre of gravity that helps him be a keen midfielder battler as well as an elegant dribbler.
Twitter/X and Instagram accounts
Kovacic has a massive presence on Instagram with 5.5m followers on his account @mateokovacic8. He often shares pictures of him in action for club and country and occasionally ones from his holidays.
He also has an official X, formerly Twitter, account with nearly 500k followers @mateokovacic8.
Who is Mateo Kovacic’s wife?
Kovacic is married to childhood sweetheart Izabel, who he first met as a teenager at St Anthony’s Church, according to Sportskeeda.
Izabel is a Swiss-born entrepreneur who is the founder of high-end fashion brand IZAKOVA as well eco-friendly baby product brand Lunilou.
The pair tied the knot in 2017 in the same church they met and had their first child, a boy named Ivan, in 2020. Fellow Croatian midfielder Luka Modric is the godfather.
How much does Mateo Kovacic earn?
Kovacic earns a massive £150,000 a week at City and has done since joining the club in 2023.
That equates to a yearly salary of £7.8m before tax.
Mateo Kovacic stats
Man City stats
| Season | Appearances | Goals | Assists | Yellow cards | Red cards |
| 2023/24 | 46 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| 2024/25 | 33 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 0 |
| Total | 79 | 8 | 2 | 11 | 0 |
Pre-Man City stats
| Club | Appearances | Goals | Assists | Yellow cards | Red cards |
| Dinamo Zagreb | 63 | 7 | 11 | 2 | 0 |
| Inter | 97 | 8 | 11 | 9 | 1 |
| Real Madrid | 109 | 3 | 8 | 14 | 1 |
| Chelsea | 221 | 6 | 15 | 39 | 1 |
International stats for Croatia
| Caps | Goals | Assists | Yellow cards | Red cards |
| 108 | 5 | 9 | 16 | 0 |
Trophies and honours
Kovacic is a highly decorated player having won silverware for four clubs and in three different countries.
Man City trophies
- x1 Premier League – 2023/24
- x1 Club World Cup – 2024
- x1 UEFA Super Cup – 2024
- x1 Community Shield – 2024
Chelsea trophies
- x1 Champions League – 2020/21
- x1 Club World Cup – 2021
- x1 UFEFA Super Cup – 2021
- x1 Europa League – 2018/19
Real Madrid trophies
- x3 Champions League – 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18
- x1 La Liga – 2016/17
- x2 Club World Cup – 2017, 2018
- x2 UEFA Super Cup – 2017, 2018
- x1 – Copa del Rey – 2017/18
Dinamo Zagreb trophies
- x3 Croatian Champion – 2010/11, 2011/12, 2012/13
- x2 Croatian Cup – 2010/11, 2011/12
International honours
- World Cup runner-up – 2018
- World Cup third-place – 2022
- UEFA Nations League runner-up – 2022–23
Individual honours
- Croatian Football Hope of the Year – 2011
- Chelsea Player of the Year – 2019–20
- Chelsea Goal of the Year – 2021–22
- Premier League Goal of the Month – January 2022
