 He made his debut on 12 October 2012 as a 65th-minute substitute for Nikica Jelavić in the match against Macedonia, a 2–1 win.He was selected for Croatia's squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in his native Brazil, as one of two Brazilian-born players in the squad alongside Eduardo da Silva.Neither played in the opening match against the hosts, but Sammir started the second match, a 4–0 win over Cameroon.