Born to a Croatian family,[2][3][4] he was the first person from Croatia to take part in the Olympic Games and the first one to win a medal.

Neralić joined the army in 1893 and in 1895 took part in the Vienna newtown military fencing and gymnastics instructor course.

[5] He participated in fencing at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris and won the bronze medal in the Master's sabre.

Neralić spent most of his life in Berlin and Vienna working as fencing instructor.

His most notable student was Richard Verderber, winner of the silver (saber team) and bronze (foil) medals at the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm.