Luka Modrić: From A Flop Signing to Ballon d’Or Winner

Luka Modrić is one of the best midfielders of his generation and arguably of all time. There are very few players in his position who can create the magic that he does on the pitch. He had one of the most decorated club careers with a Ballon d’Or to his name. The Croatian is also the record title holder of the UEFA Champions League with six Champions League titles to his name more than any other player other than Dani Carvajal. These feats tell you that he is a player that fans will remember forever. He has proved that he is among the best midfielders in the world.

Today, we will discuss the career of the Magician named Luka Modrić. From the start at Dynamo Zagreb to getting his talent recognized by the big clubs at a young age and becoming a legend at one of the greatest clubs, Modrić has come a long way in his career. Here are the talking points of the brilliant midfielder from Croatia.

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Having to Flee Home at the Age of 6

When Modrić was only 6 years old, he and his family had to flee their house due to the Croatian War of Independence. They fled to a hotel in Zadar and lived there. At this time, Modrić started to grow his love for Football playing at the hotel’s parking lot. Football was a way for him to escape the reality of war. Soon he started playing for NK Zadar where he was first recognized by the coach Domagoj Bašić. The coach had seen what player Modrić could turn out to be in the future. He was given a place at Dinamo Zagreb where he would be sent on loan to several clubs. In 2005, Dinamo Zagreb gave Modrić a ten-year-long contract. Over the season he was in Dinamo Zagreb, he made a name for himself as one of the promising talents and attracted interest from overseas.

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Premier League and New Horizons

In 2008, interest in clubs like Chelsea, Manchester City, and Barcelona was already piling up, It was certain that Modrić would move to a different club. But to everyone’s surprise, it was Tottenham Hotspur who signed the 22-year-old. He signed a 6-year-long contract for a transfer fee of 16 million pounds. Modrić wasn’t firing from all cylinders at Tottenham from the start.

He took time to adjust to the Premier League but once he started to take his footing, he made his mark on the team gaining praise from his manager and other managers as well. Throughout his stench at Tottenham, Modrić showed his creative playmaking and ability to take on players squeezing through tight spaces. He was an up-and-coming midfielder with a lot of potential. Modrić scored 17 goals and assisted 24 times in his time at Tottenham.

Eventually, clubs started coming for Luka Modrić and he wanted to make the next move in his career. Modrić wanted to move and he let the club know his intentions, Chelsea was the club that seemed the most interested in Modrić trying to get the deal done going up to 40 million bid but Tottenham rejected the offer. But they wouldn’t be able to keep Modrić for long as in 2012 Real Madrid would come for Modrić and would be the turning point of his career.

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Becoming a Legend at Real Madrid and Winning the Ballon d’Or

In 2012, Real Madrid announced the signing of Luka Modrić for a reported transfer fee of 30 million pounds. When he first joined Real, he struggled to get playing time because of not being in the squad for the pre-season games. It was also because star midfielders like Xabi Alonso, Mesut Özil, and Sami Khedira were already on the squad limiting his minutes even more. But things changed with time as new manager Carlo Ancelloti integrated Modrić into the team eventually making him one of the most crucial parts of the team. With new arrivals Kroos and Casemiro, Modrić would become an irremovable part of one of the most iconic midfield trios of all time.

Modrić has been an invaluable player for Real Madrid ever since, proving to be the crucial player in some of the most important matches including the La Decima. By 2018, Modrić was contending for the Ballon d’Or. With a Golden Ball award in the World Cup reaching the final and with the third consecutive UCL title at his feet, he leaped over both Messi and Ronaldo to win the Ballon d’Or. This was remarkable considering this was the first time since 2007 that someone other than Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo has won the award. No midfielder has won the award since 2018.

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Winning the Ballon d’Or in the Messi-Ronaldo era isn’t something every player can brag about. This tells you the Brilliance of Luka Modrić. Even at the age of 37, he was a crucial player for Real Madrid in their Champions League campaign in the 2021/22 season. The longevity Modrić has shown us is incredible considering he is playing in the top club competition in Europe. It is obvious that he is now starting to limit his performance on the pitch as he is 39 years old now, but the role Modrić plays in the Real Madrid Squad is invaluable, to say the least. Because of this reason, he was given a one-year contract by the Spanish club which is rare considering Real Madrid doesn’t keep many players till the end of their career.

Modrić has played 549 matches for Real Madrid scoring 39 goals and assisting 89. On 19 October 2024, he became the oldest player in Real Madrid history to play in a competitive game a record formerly held by the legend Ferenc Puskas. By all means, Modrić has proved his worth to be one of the greatest players to play for Real Madrid, one of the greatest clubs of all time.

This article is just a brief summary of the amazing players we have witnessed before our eyes. throughout his career, he gave us moments of brilliance in his play, and have been in talks of the best midfielder for many years. Luka Modrić will forever be one of the best midfielders in Football History.