Ivanovic joins Benfica!

Franjo Ivanovic, a 21-year-old forward, is the latest addition to Sport Lisboa e Benfica's professional football team. He signed a contract with the club valid until 2030, transferring from Union Saint-Gilloise to Estádio da Luz.

The terms of the deal were detailed to the Portuguese Securities Market Commission (CMVM): "Sport Lisboa e Benfica – Futebol, SAD (“Benfica SAD”) announces that it has reached an agreement with Real Union Saint Gilloise (“RUSG”) for the acquisition of all rights to the player Franjo Ivanovic, for a total amount of €22,800,000 (twenty-two million eight hundred thousand euros), plus an additional €5,000,000 (five million euros) payable based on predefined objectives.  The above amounts include the solidarity mechanism amounts, which Benfica SAD will retain for subsequent distribution to the clubs that participated in the player's training, and the intermediation services related to the transfer of the player's rights amounted to €1,000,000 (one million euros). It is further noted that RUSG will also be entitled to receive 20% of the capital gains obtained in a future transfer of the player. In addition, a sports employment contract was signed with the aforementioned player, valid until June 30, 2030, which includes a termination clause in the amount of €100,000,000 (one hundred million euros), which becomes €60,000,000 (sixty million euros) as of July 1, 2029."

"Benfica is a very big club. And I think Benfica can help me a lot, and I can help them. So, for me, it was an easy choice," Ivanovic said in an interview with BTV.

CAREER

He took his first steps in football in Austria. Born on October 1, 2003, in Schwaz, Tyrol, Franjo Ivanovic began his sports career at the age of five at SVg Mayrhofen, where he played between 2008 and 2015. This was followed by a brief spell in 2015/2016 with German side JFG Lohwald. This marked the starting point for a journey on German soil that led him to the youth ranks of FC Augsburg.

He played for the Bavarian club from February 2016, progressing through the U17s (17 games and 15 goals), U19s (26 games and 12 goals) and FC Augsburg II (42 games and 18 goals). In 2022/23, after scoring 18 goals for the German second team, he continued his career in Croatia, whose nationality he assumed from a young age, when he began his journey in various national teams.

Wearing the colors of Rijeka, in just over a season—between 2023/24 and early 2023/24—Franjo Ivanovic played in 51 games and scored 16 goals, statistics that caught the attention of Belgian club Union Saint-Gilloise.

In 2024/25, he played 46 games and scored 20 goals for the Brussels-based team. In the current season, 2025/26, he scored another goal in the Super Cup against Club Brugge.

At the same time, Franjo Ivanovic played for Croatia's national teams, making four appearances and scoring two goals for the senior team. He made his debut on March 20, 2025, against France in a Nations League match.

Previously, he had 35 international appearances and 11 goals for Croatia's youth teams, from the Under-14s to the Under-21s.