Photo: Светлана Бекетова / CC BY-SA 3.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Milan Badelj is the kind of footballer I instinctively root for: the unglamorous defensive midfielder who holds everything together while the spotlight lands elsewhere. Born near Zagreb in 1989, he was a fixture of Croatia's golden generation, part of the squad that finished runners-up at the 2018 World Cup and present at three straight European Championships from 2012 to 2020. Lasting that long at international level is itself proof of relentless, thankless work in midfield. Players like Badelj, who win the ball back and recycle it without fuss, are the ones who quietly decide matches, and I think that craft deserves far more praise.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Milan Badelj
- Name (Japanese)
- ミラン・バデリ
- Reading
- みらん・ばでり
- Born
- February 25, 1989 (age 37)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Pisces / Snake
- Origin
- Gajnice, Croatia
- Height
- 186 cm
- Occupation
- association football player
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Milan Badelj born?
Born February 25, 1989 (age 37).
Where is Milan Badelj from?
Milan Badelj is from Gajnice, Croatia.
What does Milan Badelj do?
Milan Badelj works as association football player.
How tall is Milan Badelj?
Milan Badelj is 186 cm.
Association football player — see all → · More people from Croatia →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.