The Croatian striker scored a stunning goal to secure a 2:1 victory for Dallas in the Texas derby, prompting the commentator to exclaim: "A World Cup star and a world-class goal!"
Petar Musa (28), forward for FC Dallas and the Croatian national team, continued his impressive scoring form. In the 20th round of MLS action, against Austin from Texas, he netted a remarkable goal that secured his team's 2:1 victory.
Musa received the ball with his right foot at the edge of the penalty area and, despite being surrounded by opponents, struck it precisely with his left. The ball ricocheted off the post and into the net, drawing rave reviews from American commentators.
"A World Cup star and a world-class goal!" the commentator exclaimed during the broadcast, and Dallas used that line in their social media post alongside the goal clip. Musa's move was also highlighted by the MLS, emphasizing that the goal made him the league's leading scorer. "His goal to become the league's top scorer is massive," the league wrote alongside the video of Musa's strike.
Since the American season kicks off in February, the competition is currently around its midpoint. Over the first 20 matches, the Croatian forward has netted 15 goals and added three assists, cementing his place at the top of the league's scoring standings.
Two months earlier, he briefly left the club to represent Croatia at the World Cup. In the tournament's opening match, he scored against England, and upon returning to Dallas, he continued to find the back of the net.
Musa was born on March 4, 1998, in Zagreb. His football journey began at the age of four, and he honed his skills in the youth setups of Hrvatski dragovoljac and Zagreb. At 19, he decided to move to the Czech Republic, joining Slavia Prague after stints with Viktoria Žižkov and Slovan Liberec.
In the 2019/20 season, he scored 14 league goals and, at just 21, became the youngest top scorer in Czech league history. After a loan spell at Union Berlin, where he made 14 appearances, he moved to Portugal. At Boavista, he scored 11 league goals, and Benfica brought him in in 2022. For the Lisbon club, he played 66 matches and scored 17 goals, winning the Portuguese championship in the 2022/23 season.
In February 2024, he embraced a new challenge and moved to the United States. FC Dallas signed him for a club-record fee of €9 million, and Musa inked a deal through the end of 2027. In his debut season, he led Dallas with 16 goals and set a club record for most goals in a debut campaign. Last year, with 19 goals across all competitions, he equaled Dallas's single-season record and was named to the 2026 MLS All-Star team, becoming the first Dallas player to record two hat-tricks.
He made his debut for the Croatian senior national team on March 25, 2023, in a qualifier against Wales at Poljud. His first international goal came in November 2025 against the Faroe Islands, when Croatia won 3:1 to secure their spot at the 2026 World Cup. At the tournament itself, he also scored against England, becoming the first Dallas player to score at a World Cup.
According to HNS data, as of August 2026, he has earned 13 caps and scored two goals for the senior side. Standing at around 190 centimeters, Musa is a typical center forward who relies on physical strength, box presence, and clinical finishing with minimal touches.
This was his 14th goal of the MLS season, putting him atop the scoring charts. With this win, Dallas snapped a winless streak in MLS that had stretched back to May 23, when they beat Colorado 2:1 in their last match before the World Cup break. In addition to Musa, Lalas Abubakar scored in first-half stoppage time, marking just his second appearance of the season. Thanks to this victory, Dallas climbed to fifth place in the Western Conference standings, ahead of St. Louis and Salt Lake. Ervin Torres scored his first MLS goal for Austin early in the second half, in the 57th minute. This was Musa's second goal in as many starts across all competitions, reclaiming sole possession of the league's scoring lead ahead of Nicolas Fernandez of New York City and Hugo Cuypers, who left Chicago to join Monterrey in Mexico.
