Daniela Galic
{{Short description|Australian soccer player (born 2006)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2022}}
{{Use Australian English|date=October 2022}}
{{Infobox football biography
| image =
| name = Daniela Galić
| fullname =
| height = 167 cm
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|2006|6|17|df=y}}
| birth_place = Sydney, Australia
| currentclub = Twente
| clubnumber = 24
| position = Midfield
| youthyears1 = 2017–2021
| youthclubs1 = Football NSW Institute{{cite web |last1=Day |first1=Game |title=Player Profile Daniela Galic |url=https://websites.mygameday.app/team_info.cgi?action=PSTATS&pID=199423520&client=1-10179-150716-448527-25947883 |website=Football NSW Institute |access-date=11 December 2023}}
| years1 = 2022–2024
| clubs1 = Melbourne City
| caps1 = 39
| goals1 = 9
| years2 = 2024–
| clubs2 = Twente
| caps2 = 2
| goals2 = 0
| nationalyears1 = 2022–
| nationalteam1 = Australia U-20
| nationalcaps1 = 19
| nationalgoals1 = 6
| nationalyears2 = 2022–
| nationalteam2 = Australia U-23
| nationalcaps2 = 6
| nationalgoals2 = 0
| nationalyears3 = 2024–
| nationalteam3 = Australia
| nationalcaps3 = 5
| nationalgoals3 = 0
| club-update = 17 December 2024
| nationalteam-update = 22 February 2025
}}
Daniela Galić ({{IPA|hr|dǎni(j)ela ɡǎːlitɕ, dani(j)ěːla|lang}}; born 17 June 2006) is an Australian soccer player who plays as a midfielder for Twente in the Vrouwen Eredivisie and for the Australia women's national team (Matildas).{{cite web |last1=Pisani |first1=Sacha |title=Meet the future of Australian football: Already an A-Leagues star at 16 |url=https://aleagues.com.au/news/meet-the-future-of-australian-football-already-an-a-leagues-star-at-16/ |website=ALeagues |date=18 January 2023 |publisher=Keepup |access-date=11 December 2023}}
Club career
=Melbourne City=
In October 2022, Galić signed her professional contract for Melbourne City. In her first season, she made 17 appearances and scored 2 goals.{{cite web |last1=City |first1=Melbourne |title=Daniela Galic 24 Midfielder |url=https://melbournecityfc.com.au/squads/56118ivyhqcbh81thlmj97gus?slug=56118ivyhqcbh81thlmj97gus&competition=7p85tm8wjdbrab8yssm2ea9sk&teams=6l09hlipvei5y89k8eist1gh&selected=WOMEN |website=Melbourne City Official Website |publisher=Melbourne City |access-date=11 December 2023}}
In July 2024, Galić left Melbourne City to pursue an opportunity overseas.{{cite web|url=https://melbournecityfc.com.au/news/20240701-galic-departs-melbourne-city/|title=Daniela Galic departs Melbourne City for overseas opportunity|website=Melbourne City|date=1 July 2024}}
=Twente=
A few weeks after leaving Melbourne City, it was announced Galić joined Vrouwen Eredivisie club Twente, signing a two-year contract.{{cite web|url=https://fctwente.nl/nieuws/daniela-galic-maakt-overstap-naar-fc-twente-vrouwen|title=Daniela Galic maakt overstap naar FC Twente Vrouwen|trans-title=Daniela Galic switches to FC Twente Women|language=nl|website=Twente|date=23 July 2024}}
On 26 September 2024, Galić scored her first goal for Twente in a 4–0 win over Croatian side Osijek in the second round of qualifiers for the 2024–25 UEFA Women's Champions League. The 8–1 aggregate win over Osijek meant that Twente had qualified for the Champions League,https://www.matildas.com.au/news/matildas-abroad-galic-scores-fc-twente-foord-picks-assist-domestic-leagues-continue being the only Dutch team to do so after Ajax failed to qualify.
International career
In August 2022, Galić joined Australia U-20 (Young Matildas) squad for the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup held in Costa Rica. She participated in all three group stage games, against Costa Rica U20, Brazil U20 and Spain U20, and providing one assist.{{cite web |last1=Comito |first1=Matt |title=The Future of Australian Football: 16 year old lauded for stellar U20 World Cup Outing |url=https://keepup.com.au/news/the-future-of-australian-football-16-year-old-compared-to-matildas-star-after-stellar-u20-world-cup-outing/ |website=Keepup |publisher=Matt Comito |access-date=11 December 2023}} For the Costa Rica match she was awarded Player of the Match. The Young Matildas finished third in their group and were eliminated.{{Cite web |url=https://www.fifa.com/en/match-centre/competition/108?date=2022-08-11&tab=competitionStandings |title=FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup™ |website=FIFA |date=11 August 2022 |access-date=13 July 2025 }}
In October 2024, Galić received her first senior call up to the Australian national team's squad.{{cite web|url=https://www.matildas.com.au/news/commbank-matildas-squad-confirmed-october-internationals|title= CommBank Matildas squad confirmed for October Internationals|publisher=Football Australia|website=Matildas|date=11 October 2024}} She made her debut in a 1-1 draw against Switzerland on 25 October, coming on as a substitute in the 78th minute.{{cite web|url=https://www.matildas.com.au/news/galic-commbank-matildas-debut-a-dream-come-true|title=Galic: CommBank Matildas debut a "dream come true"|publisher=Football Australia|website=Matildas|date=28 October 2024}}{{cite web | url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-02/eight-new-matildas-womens-football-soccer-debut/104850520 |title=Eight new Matildas debuted in 2024 — here's what they bring to Australia's national women's football team |website=ABC News |author=Singhal, Isha |date=2 February 2025 |via=National Library of Australia |archive-url=https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20250201230403/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-02/eight-new-matildas-womens-football-soccer-debut/104850520 |archive-date=2 February 2025 |access-date=13 July 2025 }} Described as "renowned for her clever footwork and creative vision on the field" by ABC News{{'}} Isha Singhal. The midfielder was praised for her "attacking flair and versatility" by former Matilda, Grace Gill. In February 2025 she represented Australia at the invitational SheBelieves Cup in the United States. The midfielder was substituted on during their 4–0 loss against Japan in Houston.{{Cite web |url=https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2025/02/japan-vs-australia-match-report-score-goals-highlights-2025-shebelieves-cup |title=Japan Downs Australia 4-0 to Open 2025 SheBelieves Cup, Presented by Visa, in Chilly Houston as Mina Tanaka Bags a Brace |website=ussoccer.com |date=21 February 2025 |access-date=13 July 2025 }}
Personal life
Galić was born in 2006 in Sydney,{{Cite web |url=https://au.soccerway.com/players/daniela-galic/829676/ |title=Summary - Daniela Galic - Results, fixtures, squad, statistics, photos, videos |website=Soccerway |access-date=13 July 2025 }} and is of Croatian descent.{{cite web |last1=Soccer Show |first1=Oz Cro |title=S2, Ep 13 |url=https://www.audacy.com/podcast/community-sports-media-services-2d183/episodes/oz-cro-soccer-show-s2-ep13-ep43-wednesday-june-28-2023-581a3 |website=Oz Cro Soccer Show |access-date=12 December 2023}} She acknowledges her parents as inspirations to take up soccer: both had played for Lidcombe Waratahs, "her mother as a defensive midfielder, and her father as a striker".{{Cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240401124428/https://www.matildas.com.au/news/galic-way-you-play-way-you-are |url=https://www.matildas.com.au/news/galic-way-you-play-way-you-are |title=Galic: The way you play, is the way you are |website=Matildas |first=Taryn |last=Heddo |date=6 March 2024 |access-date=13 July 2025 |archive-date=1 April 2024 }} Galić began playing soccer at Lidcombe as a seven-year-old. At 17 her ambitions were "to play professionally in a team overseas. To play in a World Cup. Win trophies. Play in the Champions League, and win trophies."
Honours
Individual
- A-League Women: Young Footballer of the Year: (2023-2024).
- 2022 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup: Costa Rica U20 (hosts) vs Australia U20: Player of the Match.{{Cite web |url=https://impetusfootball.org/2024/01/23/daniela-galic-the-rising-star-born-into-football/ |title=Daniela Galic: the rising star born into football |first=Kieran |last=Yap |work= |website=impetusfootball.org |date=24 January 2024 |access-date=13 July 2025 |quote=Galic used her array of skills and tricks to torment the home side in front of over 30,000 fans and win player of the match. }}
References
{{reflist}}
{{FC Twente (women) squad}}
{{A-League Women Young Footballer of the Year}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Galic, Daniela}}
Category:Women's association football defenders
Category:Australian women's soccer players
Category:21st-century Australian sportswomen
Category:Melbourne City FC (women) players
Category:FC Twente (women) players
Category:Australian people of Croatian descent
Category:Soccer players from Sydney
Category:Expatriate sportspeople in the Netherlands
{{Australia-footy-bio-stub}}