Alex Popović
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Alexandar John Popović | ||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 7 September 2002 | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Adelaide, South Australia, Australia | ||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||||||||||||||||
| Position | Centre-back | ||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||
Current team | Sydney FC | ||||||||||||||||
| Number | 41 | ||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||
| Adelaide Comets | |||||||||||||||||
| SA NTC | |||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2022 | Adelaide United | ||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||
| 2020–2022 | Adelaide United NPL | 15 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
| 2022–2024 | Adelaide United | 40 | (2) | ||||||||||||||
| 2024–2025 | Gwangju FC | 10 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2024–2025 | → Sydney FC (loan) | 11 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2025– | Sydney FC | 24 | (3) | ||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||
| 2024– | Australia U23 | 4 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 2 May 2026 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 2 March 2025 | |||||||||||||||||
Alexandar Popović (Serbian Cyrillic: Александар Поповић, Serbian: [aleksǎndar pǒpovitɕ];[1] born 7 September 2002) is an Australian professional soccer player who plays as a centre-back for A-League Men club Sydney FC and Australia under-23 national team.
Club career
[edit]Adelaide United
[edit]Popović began his professional career at Adelaide United. He signed a scholarship contract prior to the 2021–22 season.[2] Popović's highlights at the club mostly come against Western Sydney; his A-League Men debut on 16 March 2022, his first start only four days later on the 20th, and his first professional goal on 18 February 2023.[citation needed] Popović was selected in an A-League All Stars squad which would face Barcelona in an exhibition match in 2022.[3] He was substituted on for Rhyan Grant in the 85th minute of play.
Gwangju FC
[edit]During the January transfer window of 2024, Adelaide United announced the sale of Popović to K League 1 club Gwangju.[4]
Sydney FC
[edit]On 18 September 2024, Popović joined Sydney FC ahead of the 2024–25 A-League season on a loan deal until January.[5] His debut for the club came the next day in a 5–0 win over Hong Kong Premier League side Eastern in the AFC Champions League Two. After impressing during his loan spell, he joined the Sky Blues on a permanent basis, signing a three-and-a-half-year contract, after Sydney agreed to terms with Gwangju.[6]
On 17 February 2026, Popović scored his first goal for the club in a 1–1 draw with Auckland FC.[7]
International career
[edit]Popović was named in Tony Vidmar's Olyroos squad for a pair of friendly matches against Qatar and Saudi Arabia in November 2023.[8]
Career statistics
[edit]- As of 2 May 2026
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Adelaide United | 2021–22 | A-League Men | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 10 | 0 | |
| 2022–23 | A-League Men | 18 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | 21 | 1 | ||
| 2023–24 | A-League Men | 12 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 14 | 1 | ||
| Total | 40 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 45 | 2 | ||
| Gwangju | 2024 | K League 1 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 12 | 0 | |
| Sydney FC (loan) | 2024–25 | A-League Men | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| Sydney FC | 2024–25 | A-League Men | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| 2025–26 | A-League Men | 19 | 3 | 3 | 0 | — | 22 | 3 | ||
| Total | 35 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 45 | 3 | ||
| Career total | 85 | 5 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 102 | 5 | ||
Honours
[edit]Australia U23
- WAFF U-23 Championship: runner-up 2024[9]
Individual
References
[edit]- ↑ A-Leagues [@aleagues]; (30 September 2025). "Come for @sydneyfootballclub's name pronunciations, stay for Joe Lolley absolutely losing it 🤣👆". Retrieved 30 October 2025 – via Instagram.
- ↑ "Adelaide United scholarship update". Adelaide United. 28 June 2021.
- ↑ "Reds trio feature against Barcelona". Adelaide United. 26 May 2022.
- ↑ Dodd, James (31 January 2024). "Popović bound for Korea after agreement reached". Adelaide United.
- ↑ "Sydney FC Sign Defender Alexandar Popovic". Sydney FC. 18 September 2024.
- ↑ "Sydney FC Complete Popovic Signing". Sydney FC. 4 February 2025.
- ↑ "Sydney FC Dealt Agonising Late Draw". Sydney FC. 17 February 2026. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
- ↑ "Hall and Popović named in Olyroos Squad". Adelaide United. 6 November 2023.
- ↑ "Subway Olyroos' Head Coach, Tony Vidmar has named an extended 26-man squad for the fifth edition of the West Asian Football Federation (WAFF) U-23 Championship – Saudi Arabia 2024". Football Federation Australia. Retrieved 6 April 2025.
- ↑ Thomas, Joshua (25 May 2022). "A-Leagues All Stars: Every player picked for Barcelona match, past squads, coach and previous results". Sporting News. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
External links
[edit]- Alex Popović at Soccerway
- 2002 births
- Living people
- Australian men's soccer players
- Soccer players from Adelaide
- Men's association football defenders
- Adelaide United FC players
- Gwangju FC players
- Sydney FC players
- National Premier Leagues Men's players
- A-League Men players
- A-League Men All-Stars
- K League 1 players
- Australian people of Serbian descent
- 21st-century Australian sportsmen