Veldin Hodža

Veldin Hodža
Personal information
Date of birth (2002-10-15) 15 October 2002
Place of birth Rijeka, Croatia
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position Defensive midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Rubin Kazan
Number 22
Youth career
2008–2021 Rijeka
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2020–2021 Rijeka 0 (0)
2021 → Orijent 1919 (loan) 30 (1)
2022 Hrvatski Dragovoljac 16 (0)
2022–2024 Rijeka 70 (8)
2024– Rubin Kazan 40 (5)
International career‡
2018 Croatia U17 6 (0)
2019 Croatia U18 2 (0)
2021 Croatia U19 1 (0)
2022–2024 Croatia U21 21 (3)
2025– Kosovo 4 (0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 6 December 2025
‡ National team caps and goals as of 21:10, 18 November 2025 (UTC)

Veldin Hodža (Albanian: Veldin Hoxha; born 15 October 2002) is a Kosovan professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Russian Premier League club Rubin Kazan. Born in Croatia, he represented that nation at youth international levels but in 2025 switched to play for Kosovo national team at senior level.[1]

Club career

On 7 October 2020, Hodža made his senior competitive debut against Dilj in Croatian Football Cup first round. He scored a goal in the 69th minute and Rijeka won 6-0.[2] On 26 November 2020, Hodža made his first appearance in a UEFA competition, coming in as a substitute in the 87th minute for Gnezda Čerin in their Europa League group stage match against Napoli.[3] He then joined Orijent on loan in the winter transfer window.[4] He was taken off loan to Orijent and moved back to Rijeka, where his contract was formally terminated, and he joined the newly promoted club Hrvatski Dragovoljac to help with their relegation battle.[5][6]

On 20 June 2022, Hodža rejoined his former club Rijeka, signing a contract until summer 2024.[7]

On 12 September 2024, Hodža signed a four-year contract with Rubin Kazan in Russia.[8]

International career

From 2018, until 2024, Hodža has been part of Croatia at youth international level, respectively has been part of the U17, U18, U19 and U21 teams and he with these teams played thirty matches and scored three goals.[9] On 15 June 2023, Hodža was included in Croatia U21's 23-man squad for the UEFA Euro 2023 held in Georgia and Romania,[10] where he played in two of the three group stage matches, one as a substitute,[11] and one as a starter as Croatia finished third in their group and did not advance to the knockout stage.[12]

In October 2023, Hodža's agent confirmed that the Kosovo national team had shown interest in him,[13] following a meeting between Football Federation of Kosovo president Agim Ademi and the player three months earlier after his 2023–24 UEFA Europa Conference League second qualifying round match with Rijeka against Dukagjini.[14]

On 12 June 2025, the Football Federation of Kosovo announced that Hodža had decided to represent their national team.[1] On 29 August 2025, he accepted Kosovo's call-up for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification matches against Switzerland and Sweden.[15] On 2 September 2025, Hodža's request to switch international allegiance to Kosovo was approved by FIFA.[16] His debut with Kosovo came six days later in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification match against Sweden after coming on as a substitute at last minutes in place of Florent Muslija.[17]

Personal life

Born in Rijeka, Hodža is of Gorani origin from Restelicë.[18]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 6 December 2025[19]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup Europe Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Rijeka 2019–20 Croatian First League 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2020–21 Croatian First League 0 0 1 0 1[a] 0 2 0
Total 0 0 1 0 1 0 2 0
Orijent 1919 (loan) 2020–21 Croatian Second League 16 0 0 0 — 16 0
2021–22 Croatian Second League 14 1 1 0 — 15 1
Total 30 1 1 0 — 33 1
Hrvatski Dragovoljac 2021–22 Croatian First League 16 1 0 0 — 16 1
Rijeka 2022–23 Croatian League 33 1 2 0 2[b] 0 37 1
2023–24 Croatian League 32 5 6 1 6[b] 0 44 6
2024–25 Croatian League 5 2 1 0 5[c] 0 11 2
Total 70 8 9 1 13 0 92 9
Rubin Kazan 2024–25 Russian Premier League 22 2 4 0 — 26 2
2025–26 Russian Premier League 18 3 6 0 — 24 3
Total 40 5 10 0 0 0 50 5
Career total 156 15 21 1 14 0 191 16
  1. ^ Appearances in UEFA Europa League
  2. ^ a b Appearances in UEFA Conference League
  3. ^ Three appearances in UEFA Europa League, two appearances in UEFA Conference League

International

As of match played 18 November 2025[20]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Kosovo
2025 4 0
Total 4 0

References

  1. ^ a b "Veldin Hoxha i bashkohet Kombëtares së Kosovës" [Veldin Hoxha joins the Kosovo national team] (in Albanian). Football Federation of Kosovo. 12 June 2025.
  2. ^ "DILJ – RIJEKA 0:6 Završila je utakmica u Vinkovcima, Rijeka rutinski izborila osminu finala Kupa". novilist.hr (in Croatian). 7 October 2020. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  3. ^ "Napoli-Rijeka".
  4. ^ "Veldin Hodža i Matija Frigan stigli u Orijent 1919 na posudbu iz Rijeke, u srijedu prva test utakmica". novilist.hr (in Croatian). 12 July 2021. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  5. ^ "Rijeka povukla Veldina Hodžu s posudbe iz Orijenta 1919 i preusmjerila u redove Hrvatskog dragovoljca" (in Croatian). 24 January 2022. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  6. ^ "Filip Braut raskinuo ugovor s Rijekom i potpisao za Hrvatski dragovoljac" (in Croatian). Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  7. ^ Glasnik 26/22 - HNS-a, HNS, 8 July 2022
  8. ^ "Ходжа – в "Рубине"" (in Russian). FC Rubin Kazan. 12 September 2024.
  9. ^ Veldin Hodža at the Croatian Football Federation
  10. ^ "Izbornik Skočić objavio završni popis za U-21 Europsko prvenstvo" [Coach Skočić announces final list for U-21 European Championship] (in Croatian). Croatian Football Federation. 15 June 2023.
  11. ^ "Hrvatska U-21 u prvom ogledu poražena od Ukrajine" [Croatia U-21 defeated by Ukraine in the first match] (in Croatian). Croatian Football Federation. 21 June 2023.
  12. ^ "Hrvatska U-21 remizirala s Rumunjima na oproštaju od EP-a" [Croatia U-21 drew with the Romanians on their farewell to the European Championship] (in Croatian). Croatian Football Federation. 27 June 2023.
  13. ^ "Germanijak doznaje: Kosovo želi Hrvatskoj 'preoteti' U21 reprezentativca!" [Germanijak finds out: Kosovo wants to 'take away' Croatia's U21 national team player!]. Germanijak.hr (in Albanian). 21 October 2023.
  14. ^ Agim Ademi [@agimademi_official]; (27 July 2023). "Me Veldin Hoxhën, futbollistin me prejardhje nga Kosova, i cili luan në skuadrën kroate, Rijeka" [With Veldin Hoxha, the footballer of Kosovo origin, who plays for the Croatian team, Rijeka] (in Albanian) – via Instagram.
  15. ^ "Përzgjedhësi Foda publikon listën e futbollistëve për ndeshjet e shtatorit" [Head coach Foda publishes the list of footballers for the September matches] (in Albanian). Football Federation of Kosovo. 29 August 2025.
  16. ^ "FIFA Change of Association Platform". knowledge.fifa.com. FIFA. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  17. ^ "Fitore historike e Kosovës ndaj Suedisë" [Kosovo's historic victory over Sweden]. TopSporti (in Albanian). 8 September 2025.
  18. ^ "Veldin Hodža pozvan u reprezentaciju Hrvatske do 17 godina" [Veldin Hodža invited to the Croatian U17 national team]. GoraPress (in Serbian). 19 September 2018. Archived from the original on 29 September 2022. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  19. ^ Veldin Hodža at Soccerway
  20. ^ "Veldin Hoxha". eu-football.info. 13 October 2025.
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