Dávid Hancko


Dávid Hancko is a Slovak professional footballer who plays as a centre-back or left-back for La Liga club Atlético Madrid and the Slovakia national team.
IG davidhancko

Club career

MŠK Žilina

Hancko made his Slovak Super Liga debut for Žilina against ŽP Šport Podbrezová on 12 March 2016, playing 11 minutes of a 2–0 defeat. His first start would come in the next season, playing the full match in a 2–2 draw against DAC Dunajska Streda. Hancko scored his first goal in the Žilina jersey in a 7–1 league win against FK Senica. He was included by UEFA on its list of most promising talents for 2018.

Fiorentina

On 14 June 2018, Hancko had signed a five-year contract with Fiorentina. He played in multiple friendly pre-season fixtures, but made his competitive debut on 22 September 2018, after being benched for four matches, during a 3–0 home victory over SPAL, coming as a substitute for Cristiano Biraghi at half time. His performance was generally well-received, receiving an average mark of 7.0/10 by the Sofascore internet portal.
During January 2019 transfer window, it was reported that Zenit Saint Peterburg were looking to sign Hancko on a half-season loan, for €500,000, with an option to buy for €20 million. At this point, Hancko had only started as a substitute in two Serie A games, but was important for the national team in October and November fixtures of UEFA Nations League. Nonetheless, Fiorentina did not agree to the terms of the deal.

Sparta Prague

After failing to make a significant impact in Fiorentina, Hancko was out on loan to AC Sparta Prague. The loan was made permanent on 6 June 2021. On 31 July 2022, in a 2–1 home loss against Slovan Liberec, Hancko made his 100th appearance for Sparta Prague.

Feyenoord

On 22 August 2022, Hancko joined Feyenoord for € 6 million, signing a four-year contract. He debuted five days later against FC Emmen, and provided the assist which enabled Quinten Timber to score the first goal in a 4–0 win for Feyenoord. He made his European club football debut for Feyenoord on 8 September 2022, during a 4–2 defeat to Lazio in the UEFA Europa League group stage. Hancko scored his first Feyenoord goal a week later, in the same competition, contributing to a 6–0 win against Sturm Graz. His first Eredivisie goal followed during a 2–0 win against FC Twente on 9 October 2022. Hancko went on to play in all games that season since his arrival, with Feyenoord winning the 2022–23 Eredivisie.
On 4 August 2023, Hancko played the full game as Feyenoord lost the Johan Cruyff Shield 0–1 to PSV Eindhoven. He made his UEFA Champions League debut on 19 September 2023, during a 2–0 win against Celtic. On 4 October 2023, he scored his first UEFA Champions League goal in a 3–2 away defeat against Atlético Madrid. On 8 December 2023, Feyenoord and Hancko reached an agreement to extend his contract with two years, to mid-2028. The contract was signed on 8 February 2024. Hancko missed his penalty in the penalty shoot-out as Feyenoord were knocked out by AS Roma in the UEFA Europa League knockout round play-offs on 22 February 2024. He played in every game of the 2023–24 season, including the KNVB Cup final, in which Feyenoord beat NEC 1–0 on 21 April 2024.
In the summer of 2024, Hancko was included in the Top 100 stars of the transfer window by TransferFeed. On 4 August 2024, he played the full game and scored his penalty in the penalty shoot-out as Feyenoord beat PSV Eindhoven to win the Johan Cruyff Shield. He was given rest by head coach Brian Priske for the KNVB Cup game against Rijnsburgse Boys, starting on the bench for the first time in 2.5 years since his arrival at Feyenoord. On 18 February 2025, he was named Player of the Match in a 1–1 away draw against AC Milan in the second leg of the Champions League knockout play-offs, captaining his team to the Round of 16 by winning 2–1 on aggregate.

Atlético Madrid

On 23 July 2025, La Liga club Atlético Madrid announced an agreement with Feyenoord for the transfer of Hancko. One day prior to the announcement, he had an agreement with Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr belatedly called off after presenting himself to begin training with the team. He signed a five-year contract with the Spanish side.

International career

On 2 October 2018, shortly after his debut in Serie A, Hancko was called Slovakia's senior national team by coach Ján Kozák for matches against the Czech Republic and a friendly match against Sweden. Hancko debuted in the former match, coming as a substitute to left-back Tomáš Hubočan in the 80th minute.
After the international retirement of Tomáš Hubočan in February 2019, Hancko was nominated as the preferred choice as a left-back, playing the entirety of a qualifying match against Hungary on 21 March. As in previous matches, Hancko presented himself with a quite offensive football, at times playing in the line with attacking midfielders. On 11 June, Hancko scored his first international goal in a UEFA Euro 2020 qualification against Azerbaijan, ending in a 5–1 victory.

Personal life

From 2019 to 2020, Hancko was in a relationship with model Laura Longauerová. Afterwards, he began a relationship with Czech tennis player Kristýna Plíšková. They got married in July 2021 and welcomed a son one year later.

Career statistics

International

No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
111 June 2019Bakcell Arena, Baku, Azerbaijan5–15–1UEFA Euro 2020 qualification
217 November 2022City Stadium, Podgorica, Montenegro1–02–2Friendly
311 September 2023Tehelné pole, Bratislava, Slovakia1–03–0UEFA Euro 2024 qualification
413 October 2023Estádio do Dragão, Porto, Portugal1–22–3UEFA Euro 2024 qualification
516 November 2024Strawberry Arena, Solna, Sweden1–11–22024–25 UEFA Nations League C
67 June 2025Pankritio Stadium, Heraklion, Greece1–11–4Friendly
74 September 2025Tehelné pole, Bratislava, Slovakia1–02–02026 FIFA World Cup qualification

Honours

Sparta Prague
Feyenoord
Individual