MIAMI – Djordje Mihailovic had spent just two and a half months at AZ Alkmaar when a phone call in 2023 changed everything.
It was his father, Aleksandar. His mother, Zivka, had been diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer. At first, Mihailovic admitted he didn’t know how to react. He was numb from what he learned and tried to compartmentalize it.
“I tried my best to focus on playing,” Mihailovic told GOAL. “I just came to Europe finally, because it was a big goal of mine. I tried to kind of force it away for a little bit.”
Despite his best efforts, the raw emotion of knowing his mother was dealing with a life-threatening disease understandably affected him.
“When the summer came… that was in my head, every day, every training, every game, and it came to a point where I’m trying my best in training might not be enough,” he told GOAL at the MLS Media Day.
When Mihailovic went to play with the U.S. national team in the 2023 Gold Cup, his parents and family attended every match. It felt familiar. It felt like home. And most importantly, it was more fulfilling for him to be there for Zivka than anything happening on the pitch. That summer, Mihailovic was conflicted: Is this dream worth fighting for?
“That feeling, it kind of changed a lot, like coming back to the U.S. watching, or having my family watch me in person,” he said. “And I told myself, like, if I go into the new season and nothing really changes, because, well, their coach’s decision, I’m not playing or whatever, this is something. I think it’s time for me to just go.”
That summer changed everything for Mihailovic and ultimately paved the way for him to return to MLS as the leading catalyst for a resurgent Colorado Rapids side. Building on an impressive 2024 could be his ticket to even bigger things in 2025, including adding to his 11 caps with the U.S. national team. Mauricio Pochettino has expressed the desire to add more No. 10s to his squad, and Mihailovic had a record-breaking season for the Rapids in that role. He could be part of the solution for the Argentine.
Yet, his path to this resurgence wasn’t without challenges.