Josip Šutalo (born 28 February 2000) is a Croatian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Serie A club Lazio, on loan from Eredivisie club Ajax, and the Croatia national team.
Early life
Šutalo was born in Čapljina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and started playing youth football with NK Neretva in neighbouring Metković, Croatia. In July 2014, he joined the youth academy of Dinamo Zagreb, where he advanced through the junior squads and featured in Dinamo's UEFA Youth League runs, reaching the quarter-finals twice, as well as the final of the 2018–19 Premier League International Cup.
Club career
Dinamo Zagreb
After progressing through the academy, Šutalo made his senior debut for the reserve squad, Dinamo Zagreb II, on 1 September 2018 in a 3–1 win against Bijelo Brdo. On 30 October 2019, he debuted for the first team in a 3–0 victory over Opatija in the Croatian Cup. He made his Prva HNL debut on 1 July 2020 in a 1–0 win over Inter Zaprešić.
On 18 January 2021, Šutalo moved on a six-month loan to fellow Prva HNL club Istra 1961 for the remainder of the 2020–21 season. He made his debut the following day in a 1–1 league draw against Gorica. On 19 May 2021, he started in the Croatian Cup final, scoring an own goal as Istra were defeated 6–3 by his parent club Dinamo.
Šutalo returned to Dinamo for the 2021–22 season and established himself as a starting centre-back. On 23 July 2021, he registered his first goal and assist for Dinamo in a 4–0 league victory over Hrvatski Dragovoljac. He made his UEFA Europa League debut on 16 September 2021 in a 2–0 group stage defeat to West Ham United, scoring his first European goal on 4 November in a 3–1 home win over Rapid Wien. On 6 September 2022, he made his UEFA Champions League debut in a 1–0 group stage victory over Chelsea.
Ajax
On 21 August 2023, Šutalo signed a five-year contract with Eredivisie club Ajax for an initial transfer fee of €20.5 million. He made his debut on 3 September 2023 against Fortuna Sittard in a 0–0 draw, captaining the team on his first appearance for the club. In his debut season, he made 32 appearances across all competitions, scoring one league goal and making eight appearances across the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Europa Conference League.
During the 2024–25 season, Šutalo became a core component of the defensive line under new head coach Francesco Farioli, forming a regular central defensive partnership with Youri Baas. Under Farioli's structured tactical system, which provided clearer defensive instructions and emphasized collective coverage, Šutalo's form saw marked improvement compared to his debut year. He finished the campaign with 45 appearances and three goals across all competitions, and his performances earned him inclusions in the official Eredivisie Team of the Month for September 2024 and April 2025.
Šutalo continued as a starting centre-back during the 2025–26 season, recording 24 appearances in the Eredivisie and six in the UEFA Champions League, concluding his third season with Ajax on 108 total appearances and four goals.
Lazio
On 22 August 2026, Italian club Lazio announced the signing of Šutalo on a season-long loan with an option to make the transfer permanent.
International career
Šutalo represented Croatia across various youth international levels, including under-15, under-16, under-17, under-18, under-19, under-20, and under-21 teams. He received his first senior call-up and debuted for the Croatia national team on 10 June 2022, starting and playing the full 90 minutes in a 1–0 away victory against Denmark in the UEFA Nations League.
In November 2022, Šutalo was named in Croatia's 26-man squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. On 17 December 2022, he made his tournament debut, starting and playing the full match in a 2–1 victory against Morocco in the third place play-off to win the bronze medal.
On 5 June 2023, he was selected in Croatia's final squad for the 2023 UEFA Nations League Finals. He started and played the full match in both the 4–2 semi-final victory over the Netherlands and the final against Spain, which Croatia lost on penalties after a 0–0 draw.
Šutalo was selected in Croatia's squads for UEFA Euro 2024 and the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Style of play
Šutalo is a right-footed centre-back known for his composure in possession, distribution from the back line, and ability to break opposition lines with progressive passing. During his time at Ajax, he frequently functioned as a primary ball progressor during build-up play, utilizing ball-carrying into open spaces and precise passing under pressure. Defensively, analysts have highlighted his positioning, proactive anticipation to execute interceptions and blocks, and tactical effectiveness when operating in a structured defensive collective.
Career statistics
Club
- As of match played 10 May 2026
| Club | Season | League | National cup | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Dinamo Zagreb II | 2018–19 | Druga HNL | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | 5 | 0 | |||
| 2019–20 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 4 | 0 | |||||
| 2020–21 | 6 | 0 | — | — | — | 6 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 | ||
| Dinamo Zagreb | 2019–20 | Prva HNL | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 5 | 0 | |
| 2020–21 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | |||
| 2021–22 | 28 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 1 | — | 36 | 3 | |||
| 2022–23 | HNL | 27 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 3 | |
| 2023–24 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 1 | ||
| Total | 65 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 18 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 89 | 7 | ||
| Istra 1961 (loan) | 2020–21 | Prva HNL | 22 | 0 | 4 | 1 | — | — | 26 | 1 | ||
| Ajax | 2023–24 | Eredivisie | 23 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | — | 32 | 1 | |
| 2024–25 | 29 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 1 | — | 45 | 3 | |||
| 2025–26 | 24 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 0 | ||
| Total | 76 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 30 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 108 | 4 | ||
| Lazio (loan) | 2026–27 | Serie A | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |
| Career total | 178 | 7 | 11 | 2 | 48 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 238 | 12 | ||
International
- As of match played 3 October 2026
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Croatia | 2022 | 4 | 0 |
| 2023 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2025 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2026 | 9 | 0 | |
| Total | 39 | 0 | |
Honours
Dinamo Zagreb
Croatia
- FIFA World Cup third place: 2022
- UEFA Nations League runner-up: 2022–23
Individual
- Croatian First Football League Team of the Year: 2021–22, 2022–23
- Eredivisie Team of the Month: September 2024, April 2025
