Josip Šutalo

Josip Šutalo (born February 28, 2000) is a professional footballer who plays as a central defender for the Dutch club AFC Ajax. He was born in Bosnia and Herzegovina and represents the Croatian national football team.

Club Career

Dinamo Zagreb

In July 2014, Šutalo moved from Neretva to the youth academy of GNK Dinamo Zagreb.
He made his debut for Dinamo II on September 1, 2018, in a 3:1 victory against Bijelo Brdo. He made his first team debut on October 30, 2019, in the Croatian Cup against Opatija (3:0), while he made his first appearance in the Prva HNL on July 1, 2020, against Inter Zaprešić (1:0).

In January 2021, he went on loan to NK Istra 1961 until the end of the season. He debuted the day after against Gorica (1:1). In the Cup final on May 19, he scored an own goal in a 6:3 defeat to his parent club Dinamo.

In the 2021/22 season, he returned to Dinamo and on July 23, 2021, he recorded his first goal and assist in a 4:0 victory against Hrvatski dragovoljac. He made his debut in the Europa League on September 16, 2021, against West Ham United F.C., and scored his first goal in that competition on November 4 against SK Rapid Wien (3:1).
He made his Champions League debut on September 6, 2022, in a 1:0 victory over Chelsea F.C..

Ajax

On August 21, 2023, Šutalo signed for Ajax for a fee of around €20.5 million, signing a five-year contract. He made his debut on September 3, 2023, immediately receiving the captain's armband in a match against Fortuna Sittard (0:0).

In his first season, he made 23 appearances and scored one goal in the Eredivisie, along with eight appearances in UEFA competitions (Europa League and Conference League).

In the 2024/25 season, he confirmed his status as a key player in defense. By March 2025, he had played 21 league matches and scored two goals, and appeared 16 times in the Europa League (including qualifiers). He is known for his secure ball play and high percentage of accurate passes (around 93%), as well as a large number of intercepted balls.

International Career

He made his debut for the Croatian national team on June 10, 2022, in a 1:0 victory against Denmark in the Nations League.
At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, he debuted on December 17 in the third-place match against Morocco (2:1).

He was part of the team at the 2023 Nations League finals, where Croatia won a silver medal after losing to Spain in the final.

As of November 2025, he has made 30 appearances for the national team.

Career Statistics (as of February 14, 2026)

• Total club appearances: 229
• Total goals: 12
• Ajax: 98 appearances, 4 goals
• Dinamo Zagreb: 89 appearances, 7 goals
• Istra 1961: 26 appearances, 1 goal

Trophies

Dinamo Zagreb

• Champion of Croatia (2019/20, 2021/22, 2022/23)
• Winner of the Croatian Supercup (2023)

Croatian National Team

• Third place at the 2022 World Cup
• Silver in the Nations League 2022/23

Individual Awards

• Best XI of the HNL (2021/22, 2022/23)
• Eredivisie Player of the Month (September 2024, April 2025)

Josip Šutalo is now considered one of the most promising Croatian defenders of his generation and an important pillar for both the club and the national team.