# Dejan Joveljić

Dejan Joveljić (Serbian Cyrillic: Дејан Јовељић; born 7 August 1999) is a Serbian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Major League Soccer club Sporting Kansas City and the Serbia national team.

## Club career
### Red Star Belgrade
#### 2016–17 season

Born in Bijeljina, Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Joveljić played with the local club Sloga Junajted, before he joined Serbian top-tier club Red Star Belgrade in his early years. After almost seven years with the club, passing the whole youth categories, Joveljić signed his first professional contract on 16 March 2016, along with several teammates. Joveljić joined the first team under coach Miodrag Božović in 2016, but did not play official matches during the 2016–17 Serbian SuperLiga campaign due to mononucleosis he was diagnosed with in August 2016. In the meantime, he was listed in top 60 youth footballers by The Guardian. After he missed the rest of 2016 without training, Joveljić returned to the field in early 2017, playing with youth team until the end of a season. He was also nominated as one of the competitors for the Golden Boy award in 2017.

#### 2017–18 season

In summer 2017, Joveljić presented as one of the club's top 10 youth prospects and passed the whole pre-season training with the first squad. He became a regular member of the first team from the beginning of September 2017, after a furious period in the Serbian youth league. He was named as the third choice striker behind Richmond Boakye and Aleksandar Pešić. Later, on 19 September same year, Joveljić extended his contract with the club until 2021. He spent his first time in protocol for a senior game sitting on the bench as an unused substitution for a match against Mladost Lučani on 22 October 2017. He made his official debut for Red Star Belgrade on 10 December 2017, replacing Pešić in 70 minute of the Serbian SuperLiga match against Borac Čačak. On 5 May 2018, Joveljić got his first time in the starting lineup for a senior game, scoring a twice in 5–0 home victory over Spartak Subotica. Finally, Joveljić scored in the last match of the season against Voždovac on 19 May 2018, for the first trophy in his professional career.

#### 2018–19 season

In summer 2018, after overgrown youth selection, which previously qualified to the 2018–19 UEFA Youth League, Joveljić started new season as a fully senior. Following the complete pre-season period he passed with the first team, Joveljić was licensed for the 2018–19 UEFA Champions League qualifications. Following both of matches against Spartaks Jūrmala in the first round he missed, Joveljić started an opening match of the 2018–19 Serbian SuperLiga, scoring in 3–0 victory over Dinamo Vranje on 20 July 2018.

### Eintracht Frankfurt

On 14 June 2019, Joveljić signed a deal with German side Eintracht Frankfurt for a fee of €4 million.

#### Loan to Anderlecht

Joveljić joined Belgian club Anderlecht on loan until the end of the season on 31 January 2020.

#### Loan to Wolfsberger AC

Joveljić spent the 2020–21 season on loan at Austrian Bundesliga side Wolfsberger AC. He finished the season as the club's top scorer.

### LA Galaxy

On 5 August 2021, Joveljić signed a four-and-a-half-year deal with MLS side LA Galaxy. He signed as a U22 Initiative player. On 15 August 2024, Joveljić scored a brace in El Tráfico, securing LA Galaxy's 4–2 victory.

### Sporting Kansas City

On 1 February 2025, Joveljić signed a three year designated player contract with Sporting Kansas City for a transfer fee of $4 million. This marked the first cash-for-player trade in MLS history.

## International career

Being an ethnic Serb born and raised in the Republika Srpska entity within Bosnia and Herzegovina, Joveljić has represented Serbia since young age. After games with Serbian under-16 & under-17 national teams, Joveljić made his debut for under-18 level on 15 December 2015 in a match against Ukraine. Later he missed the whole 2016 due to injury and returned to the team scoring a goal in a match against Uzbekistan on 20 April 2017. Playing for the team, Joveljić noted 6 goals on 6 matches, including games against Czech Republic and France when he scored a twice at each. In August 2017, Joveljić was called into the Serbia U19 squad, when he made a debut at the memorial tournament "Stevan Vilotić – Ćele". Scoring a twice in 3–1 victory over Israel, Joveljić contributed to winning a trophy, after which he was elected for the most prospective player on the tournament. Joveljić got his first call in Serbian under-21 team by coach Goran Đorović in December 2017. He made his debut for the team in away friendly against Qatar on 17 December 2017. While with under-19 level, Joveljić also scored against Bulgaria and Sweden in March 2018, missing to qualify for the 2018 UEFA European Under-19 Championship with Serbia.
He made his debut for the senior national team on 7 June 2021 in a friendly against Jamaica.

## Style of play

Joveljić is a 1.80 m tall striker, who usually operates as a centre forward, being capable of playing as a winger. He has been started tracked during youth career and named as one of the most prospective players in academy, after which he joined the first team. Later he missed a period due to injury and a lack of weight, so he stayed out of the senior football since the 2016–17 campaign. In his final season with youth team, Joveljić affirmed as a poacher and top goalscorer with several hat-tricks. He was also compared with Argentine footballer Mauro Icardi and a compatriot Luka Jović. Joveljić uses both legs and he is also a good header and penalty taker. Joveljić was named as a man of the match scoring three goals as a captain of the U19 squad in the youth Eternal Derby on 16 November 2017. He collected 33 goals in 14 appearances at total, during the first half-season in Serbian youth league.

## Personal life

Joveljić attended a private school in Novi Sad. Besides football, he likes to play billiards and chess, and he is also a Rubik's Cube enthusiast. His personal best is 39 seconds. In 2023 he competed at the European Championships in Blitz Chess in Zagreb, Croatia. With six points from 13 matches he made it to position 330 among 556 participants.

## Career statistics
### Club

    As of match played 25 November 2024
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition :
| Club | Season | League | League | League | National cup | National cup | Continental | Continental | Other | Other | Total | Total |
| Club | Season | Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Red Star Belgrade | 2016–17 | Serbian SuperLiga | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 |
| Red Star Belgrade | 2017–18 | Serbian SuperLiga | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 4 | 3 |
| Red Star Belgrade | 2018–19 | Serbian SuperLiga | 17 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 24 | 11 |
| Red Star Belgrade | Total | Total | 21 | 11 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 14 |
| Eintracht Frankfurt | 2019–20 | Bundesliga | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | — | — | 10 | 1 |
| Anderlecht (loan) | 2019–20 | Belgian First Division A | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 5 | 0 |
| Wolfsberger AC (loan) | 2020–21 | Austrian Bundesliga | 34 | 18 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 2 | — | — | 46 | 20 |
| LA Galaxy | 2021 | MLS | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 14 | 2 |
| LA Galaxy | 2022 | MLS | 34 | 12 | 4 | 3 | — | — | 2 | 1 | 40 | 16 |
| LA Galaxy | 2023 | MLS | 32 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 37 | 6 |
| LA Galaxy | 2024 | MLS | 31 | 19 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 31 | 19 |
| LA Galaxy | Total | Total | 111 | 39 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 122 | 43 |
| Career total | Career total | Career total | 154 | 63 | 17 | 6 | 17 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 199 | 73 |
* ↑ Includes Serbian Cup, DFB-Pokal, Austrian Cup, U.S. Open Cup
* ↑ Appearances in UEFA Champions League
* ↑ Appearances in UEFA Europa League
* ↑ Appearances in MLS Cup Playoffs

### International

    As of 20 June 2023
Appearances and goals by national team and year :
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
| Serbia | 2021 | 2 | 0 |
| Serbia | 2022 | 0 | 0 |
| Serbia | 2023 | 4 | 2 |
| Total | Total | 6 | 2 |
    Scores and results list Serbia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Joveljić goal.
List of international goals scored by Dejan Joveljić :
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
| 1 | 16 June 2023 | Franz Horr Stadium, Vienna, Austria | Jordan | 2–2 | 3–2 | Friendly |
| 2 | 16 June 2023 | Franz Horr Stadium, Vienna, Austria | Jordan | 3–2 | 3–2 | Friendly |

## Honours

Red Star Belgrade
* Serbian SuperLiga: 2017–18, 2018–19
LA Galaxy
* MLS Cup: 2024
* Western Conference (MLS): 2024