Top 10 Amazing Facts about Football Star Luka Modric

Luka Modric playing for Real Madrid in a Champions League match by Football.ua – Wikimedia Commons

Top 10 Amazing Facts about Football Star Luka Modric

Luka Modric is a Croatian professional footballer playing at Real Madrid in Spain. Luka has represented his country in several World Cups and is set to captain the side once again in the Qatar 2022 World Cup.

Playing as either a central midfielder or an attacking midfielder, he has cemented his name as one of the greats. While playing at this level almost guarantees a celebrity lifestyle, Modric has managed to conceal his private life effectively.

At 37 years of age, Luka Modric is showing no signs of slowing down as he is bossing matches at top-flight levels week in and week out. It is this high level of consistency in performances that Modric is highly rated by many across the world.

Let us look at some interesting facts about Luka’s professional and personal life.

1. His Birth Village is Called ‘Modrici’

On 9th September 1985, Luka Modric was born in a village known as Modrici. Modrici is found in Zadar in Croatia on the southern slopes of Mountain Velebit. He is the oldest child of Stipe Modrić and Radojka Dopuđ.

2. Caught Up in the Croatian War of Independence

Croatian City during the war of independence by Bracodbk – Wikipedia 

The Croatian war of independence was fought between 1991 and 1995. The war was between government loyalists and the Serb-controlled Yugoslav People’s Army.

At the time, Luka Modric was too young (6 years old) to play any role in the war. However, like many other innocent Croats, he was victimized by the war. His village was captured by local Croatian Serb rebels and his grandfather was murdered in cold blood.

A horrific experience and environment that would take a toll on any six-year-old’s life. This led to his family fleeing their home and taking up refuge in a hotel in Zadar. Experiences like these gave the former Spurs man the confidence and steel mentality to become a world-beater and excel.

3. Named in Several FARE’s ‘Refugee XI’ Squads

Xhaka (right) playing for Switzerland in 2012 by Fanny Schertzer – Wikipedia

Modric overcame and flourished amidst adversity to become a football great. However, he is not the only footballer to do so. The list is so long that whole lineups can be made purely on this criterion.

One such lineup is Refugee XI made following major international tournaments like the EURO and the World Cup finals. he Refugee XI celebrates the presence and contribution of refugees in world football. It also highlights the role football plays in breaking down barriers by highlighting achievement.

Modric has been named in the Euro 2016 and World Cup 2018 Refugee XIs. Some other players include Granit Xhaka (Switzerland), Steven Mandanda (France), and Ivan Rakitic (Croatia).

4. Idolised Ronaldo

Ronaldo Nazário (R9) by Web Summit – Wikipedia

No, not Cristiano Ronaldo who Modric would play with at Real Madrid, it’s his Brazilian namesake the original Ronaldo. Ronaldo Nazário, nicknamed R9 and ‘The Phenomenon’ is considered the greatest of all time (the GOAT if you will).

Luka Modric admits to idolizing this footballing great. While he does not play striker like him, his attacking prowess is sharp too.

Modric claims that his first pair of shin pads had a picture of Ronaldo on them. Much like his idol, Modric ended up playing and finding great success at Los Blancos.

5. 5 Time Champions League Winner

Real Madrid players (Modric, 2nd from right) offer the Champions League and the League trophies to the Virgin of Almudena  Fotografías by Archimadrid.es – Wikimedia Commons

The most coveted trophy in club football is the champions league. Many great players sadly end their careers having never won it. Such players include Cesc Fabregas, Francesco Totti, Fabio Cannavaro, Eric Cantona, and Patric Vieira to name a few.

Modric on the other hand has won it a whooping 5 (FIVE!!) times. No player has won the title more than him although he is tied at five with some of his teammates in Madrid. They include Dani Carvajal, Marcelo, Karim Benzema, and Cristiano Ronaldo all with 5.

6. His Physique Was an Issue for Potential Club Suitors

Football is a contact sport that demands a high level of physicality. A fully grown Modric grew to 5’9’’ which is a quite small frame for a midfielder in the game.

At NK Zadar where he started his career, the chairman said that he was skinny and really small for his age. However, you could see right away that he had something special in him.

Modric’s small frame ended up being an advantage. It increased his agility and his low center of gravity allowing him to avoid challenges and opponents. Modric alongside players like Lionel Messi, and Lorenzo Insigne are proof that there is more to football than physique.

7. Forced Move from Tottenham Hotspur

Luka Modric playing for Tottenham against Real Madrid in 2011 by Jan S0L0 – Flickr – Wikimedia Commons

Modric agreed to move to White Hart Lane in April 2008 and signed a six-year contract. His life at Tottenham began slowly but when Harry Redknapp came in as coach he clicked. He helped Tottenham reach their first involvement in the UEFA Champions League in 2011.

However, the end of Modric’s stint at Tottenham came in the summer of 2012 and it was thorny, to say the least. He had made his desire to move to Madrid clear but understandably Tottenham were hesitant to part ways with him.

Modric had to skip training and get fined by Tottenham to force a move. Eventually, Tottenham and Real Madrid reached an agreement and he got his move to Los Blancos.

8. Voted 2012’s Worst Signing

At the moment, this take is up there with the worst football takes of all time, and rightfully so. However, if you go back to 2012, you’ll get context and can understand or at least sympathize with the take. So let’s do just that.

The Croatian had a slow start to life in the Spanish capital in 2012. He struggled to get playing time under then-manager Jose Mourinho. This could be attributed to a lack of pre-season training while trying to move to Madrid.

Another reason was the presence of the reliable midfield trio of Xabi Alonso, Sami Khedira, and Mesut Ozil. The three kept Modric out of the starting lineup.

Considering the high fee paid for the Croatian, he was voted the worst signing of 2012. He however did silence these critics with time.

9. Ballon d’Or Winner

Luís Figo’s Ballon d’Or 2000 by Jaime de la Fuente – Wikipedia

The Ballon d’Or award is presented annually to the player deemed to have performed best over the previous year. In 2018, Modric emphatically won the award after a scintillating season at both club and international levels.

At the club level, Modric won the 2017 FIFA Club World Cup and a third UCL trophy with Real Madrid. He was included in the UEFA Team of the Year (2017) and received the UEFA Club Football Award for Best Midfielder.

At the international level, Modric and Croatia had an amazing run at the World Cup reaching the final. They however lost the final to France but Croatia’s efforts did not go unnoticed. Modric received the World Cup Golden Ball following the World Cup finals.

After this impressive season, Modric bagged the Ballon d’Or award in 2018. It was the first time anyone other than Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo had won it since 2007.

10. Could’ve Joined Real Madrid Rivals Barcelona

Modric has more than guaranteed his reputation as a Real Madrid legend. However, in 2008 he could have joined Barcelona from Zagreb and admitted to wanting to play for them back then. Something I’m sure he wouldn’t dream of today.

The thought of Modric in Barcelona colors is a disgusting one for Madrid fans. However, most football fans can admit that a Messi and Modric combination would have been magical. However, it wasn’t meant to be.