Date of birth: March 10, 1988
Instagram: @ivanrakitic
Club(s): Basel, Schalke, Sevilla, Barcelona
Country: Croatia
Signing fee: £16million
Landed his move to Barcelona after captaining Sevilla to Europa League glory in 2014. The Croatia midfielder won the treble in his first season at the Nou Camp and scored the opening goal as Barca beat Juventus to win the Champions League. Rakitic has been a mainstay of the Croatia national team and has accumulated more than 100 caps for his country, scoring two shootout-winning penalties as they reached the 2018 World Cup final.
Latest about Ivan Rakitic
Ranked! The 100 best players of the 21st Century
RANKED! The 100 best players of the 21st Century: the greatest Ballon d'Or hoggers, serial winners and cult heroes since the turn of the millennium
Ivan Rakitic admits the motivation to succeed in his first seven months at Sevilla had nothing to do with football
Ivan Rakitic has enjoyed two successful spells playing for Sevilla - but his personal life has benefitted greatly while being at the club, too
In the mag: Declan Rice, exclusive interview! Three decades of FIFA and EA Sports! PLUS Sarina Wiegman! Celtic undercover! Faroe Islands and MORE
IN THE MAG Get your hands on the latest issue of FourFourTwo magazine – available in print or on iPad and iPhone – from Thursday 21 September
'Aston Villa have one of the best coaches in the world': Unai Emery's former captain heaps high praise on Spaniard
Aston Villa are back in Europe after Emery spent less than a full season in charge, and one of his ex-players believes they've hired an exceptional manager
‘He may be one of the best goalkeepers in history’: Ivan Rakitic on his ‘big friend’ Manuel Neuer
The legendary ex-Croatia midfielder played alongside the iconic German early in his career, forming a strong bond
‘England were a little bit surprised’: The secret to Croatia’s 2018 World Cup semi-final victory
England seemed destined for the 2018 World Cup final after going ahead after five minutes, but Croatia fought back with superior quality on the night
What is it like to play with Lionel Messi? Former Barcelona team-mate explains why it's 'impossible' to pick just one moment
Lionel Messi is still going strong in MLS with Inter Miami at 36 - and it's no wonder, considering the impact he's had on his team-mates during his career
Chelsea tried to sign World Cup finalist who admits he came 'very close' to joining - but believes he was right not to
Chelsea are famed for their signing of young players at the moment, but they could've had one of the best in the world years ago
