Ivanovic in Mourinho's hands, decision could change everything at Benfica | OneFootball

Franjo Ivanovic is living through decisive days at Benfica, at a time when his immediate future could depend directly on José Mourinho’s choices in the final three league matches. The Croatian striker once again caught the eye in the win over Moreirense (4-1), coming on in the 75th minute and scoring twice. This run of form could be crucial for him to be called up to represent Croatia at the 2026 World Cup.

Even so, there is one key condition: Ivanovic has to be a starter. His limited playing time has been an obstacle, something Zlatko Dalic himself had already acknowledged earlier when he explained the player’s absence from the most recent call-ups due to his lack of minutes at Benfica.

After the match, Mourinho did not hide his desire to see the striker on the big international stage. "With all due respect to Dalic, the decision is his, but I would really like him to be called up", also highlighting the player’s development: "He had to learn things and adapt, but from a physical point of view he is spectacular," he said.

With the squad announcement scheduled for May 18, the Croatian striker is now in a race against time. With strong competition in Croatia’s attack, with names such as Ante Budimir, Petar Musa, Igor Matanovic and Dion Beljo, the Eagles’ centre-forward knows there is no room for mistakes, despite being in a good spell recently, with four goal contributions in the last seven matches.

So far this season for Benfica, Franjo Ivanovic - valued at €18 million - has already made 41 official appearances: 23 in Liga Portugal Betclic, 11 in the Champions League, four in the Portuguese Cup and two in the League Cup. In the 1,291 minutes he has been on the pitch, the Croatian has scored eight goals and provided two assists.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.