Vlasic lights up the 2026 World Cup: Dalic praises him, the big clubs scrutinize him, Cairo protects him
By OnzeActu · · 2 min read
In this 2026 World Cup, Nikola Vlasic was the main architect of Croatia's qualification for the knockout stages thanks to his victorious goal against Ghana. Hailed by his coach and praised by his club, the Torino attacking midfielder saw his popularity skyrocket, attracting the interest of several major European clubs while being firmly protected by Urbano Cairo.
Nikola Vlasic established himself as one of the unexpected heroes of the 2026 World Cup. His goal in the final minutes of Croatia-Ghana gave his selection a place in the round of 16, securing second position in the group. The next meeting promises to be an incredible shock between Luka Modric and Cristiano Ronaldo, two football legends, during the Croatia-Portugual on July 3.
The Torino player attracted all the attention, notably that of Zlatko Dalic, Croatian coach, who was full of praise for him. “Nikola has had his ups and downs with the team, but he has had a remarkable season with Torino. His rigor in training and his state of mind convinced me to start him. He was very active between the lines, shooting, scoring, and even hitting the post. He came here very prepared and was rewarded for it. He never slows down, never gives up, perseveres every day. We have done a great job together,” Dalic said.
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For its part, Torino praised the performance of its player via its social networks with a simple message: “Bravo, Niksi”. New coach Ignazio Abate is also following Vlasic's exploits in order to define the best way to promote him within his team.
President Urbano Cairo had already warned the competition before the World Cup: Vlasic is worth much more than 30 million euros. Today, as it shines on the world stage, its price could rise further. Never has a Torino player been labeled as “untransferable”, but Vlasic is on the verge of joining this very closed circle.
All of Europe is watching closely, including AS Roma, Atalanta and Borussia Dortmund. But the numerical proposals remain lower than the requirements of the Piedmontese club, which is banking on the Croatian as the centerpiece of its workforce, at the heart of the project led by Abate.