Croatian footballer Igor Matanović proposes to girlfriend Jelena

Croatian national football player Igor Matanović, a forward for Germany's Freiburg, has celebrated a personal milestone off the field, proposing to his longtime girlfriend, Jelena. The 23-year-old shared the happy news with his followers on Instagram, posting a series of romantic photos from the beach proposal. The images captured the moment on a specially decorated beach at sunset, complete with candles and fairy lights, as Matanović knelt to present the engagement ring.

"I didn't win the World Cup... but I got something better. She said yes!" Matanović captioned the post, humorously referencing Croatia's recent performance at the 2026 World Cup. The photos show Jelena displaying the ring, followed by embraces and celebration. Congratulations from friends, colleagues, and fans quickly flooded the comments section.

While Matanović and Jelena have been together for a considerable time, they have largely kept their relationship away from the public eye. Matanović occasionally shared photos of their travels and private moments on social media. Details about Jelena are scarce in public records, though their relationship gained more media attention after Matanović scored the winning goal against Colombia in March of this year.

This proposal marks one of the few major private moments Matanović has chosen to share publicly. The personal joy comes after a significant period in his career, having participated in his first major senior national team competition, the 2026 World Cup, which he described as a dream come true. Matanović has played 12 matches for the senior national team, scoring two goals, and made his debut on September 5, 2024.

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I didn't win the World Cup... but I got something better. She said yes!