Luka Modrić
Central Midfielder · AC Milan · Croatia
About Luka Modrić
Luka Modrić is Croatia's greatest ever footballer and the 2018 Ballon d'Or winner — the first player other than Messi or Ronaldo to win the award since 2007. Born during the Croatian War of Independence, he grew up a refugee before becoming the most elegant midfielder of his era. He has won six Champions Leagues with Real Madrid and captained Croatia to two World Cup semi-finals (2018 and 2022). He left Real Madrid for AC Milan in 2025 and made his fifth World Cup at the 2026 finals, becoming only the fourth men's player in history to reach 200 international caps.
Luka Modrić's story
A Refugee's Rise
Modrić was born in Zadar in 1985. When he was six, the Croatian War of Independence reached his village of Modrići — his grandfather was killed, and his family fled. He spent years as a refugee in a Zadar hotel. He joined Dinamo Zagreb (CRO)'s academy at 16, and the path from hotel refugee to Champions League winner is one of sport's most extraordinary biographical arcs.
The 2018 Ballon d'Or
In 2018, Modrić ended Messi and Ronaldo's 10-year monopoly on the Ballon d'Or — winning the award after captaining Croatia to the World Cup final and winning the Champions League with Real Madrid. His combination of stamina (he covered more ground per game than any midfielder in the 2018 World Cup), technique, and composure made the award impossible to deny.
Real Madrid's Engine
At Real Madrid, Modrić formed one of football's great midfield trios alongside Toni Kroos and Casemiro — a combination of precision, power, and intelligence that helped Real Madrid win four of their six Champions Leagues with Modrić in the side between 2014 and 2018. He made his final appearance for the club in 2025, aged 39, before moving to AC Milan.
A Sporting Father
Rejected by Hajduk Split as a teenager for being too small, Modrić found his believer in Tomislav Bašić, head of the youth academy at NK Zadar. Bašić hired a personal trainer to build up his frame, rebuilt his confidence, and later brokered his move to Dinamo Zagreb. Modrić has called him his 'sporting father.'
A Late Chapter, Still Writing
Modrić joined AC Milan on a one-year deal in July 2025, choosing Serie A over retirement at 39. He quickly formed a strong working relationship with manager Massimiliano Allegri and remained a first-choice starter for both club and country into his 41st year.
Did you know?
- 🥇 He completed a rare individual sweep in 2018 — the Champions League, the World Cup Golden Ball, FIFA's Best Men's Player and UEFA's Men's Player of the Year awards all landing in the same year.
- 🏠 He is an ambassador for Split's Race for the Cure, an annual run supporting women fighting breast cancer, recording video messages each year urging the city to take part.
- 👨👩👧👦 Married Vanja Bosnić in 2010; they have three children — Ivano, Ema and Sofia. The family called Madrid home through his Ballon d'Or-winning years, relocating to Milan when he joined AC Milan in 2025.
- 📊 Before kick-off, he kisses a shin pad bearing photographs of his family and an image of Christ — a ritual that travelled with him from Real Madrid to his Milan debut.
- 🌟 Zinedine Zidane said: "Luka Modrić is the most complete midfielder I have ever managed. He does everything — he defends, attacks, creates, scores. And he never stops. He is extraordinary."
- ⚽ He scored one of the great World Cup goals — a curling 30-yard shot against Argentina at Russia 2018 — that exemplifies his range and precision from distance.
- 💪 He has captained Croatia to two World Cup podium finishes — runners-up in 2018, third place in 2022 — a record without parallel for a nation of under four million people.
- 🤝 He wore the number 10 shirt for Real Madrid and Croatia for more than a decade, but chose 14 at AC Milan instead, a tribute to Carlo Ancelotti, who wore that number during his own playing days at the club before later managing Modrić to four Champions League titles at Real Madrid.
- 🎂 He is the second-oldest player to win the Champions League and the fourth-oldest to appear in a final — 38 years and 266 days old when Real Madrid beat Borussia Dortmund in the 2024 final, his sixth European Cup as a player.
Honours
- UEFA Champions League x6: Real Madrid (2014,2016,2017,2018,2022,2024)
- La Liga x4: Real Madrid (2017,2020,2022,2024)
- Copa del Rey x2: Real Madrid
- FIFA Club World Cup x3: Real Madrid
- Ballon d'Or: 2018 — first non-Messi/Ronaldo winner since 2007
- FIFA Best Player: 2018
- World Cup Best Player: 2018 Golden Ball — player of tournament
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