Luka Modric: Croatia captain and 2018 Ballon d’Or winner

Luka Modrić is a Croatian midfielder who led his country to its first World Cup final in 2018. He won the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player, and the Ballon d’Or the same year⁶¹⁴. In 13 seasons at Real Madrid, he won 28 trophies⁴. As of 20 October 2026, aged 41, he plays for both AC Milan and Croatia¹⁹¹¹.

Early life and beginnings

Modrić was born on 9 September 1985 in the Croatian coastal city of Zadar. As a teenager he joined Dinamo Zagreb. He also played on loan at Zrinjski Mostar in Bosnia and Inter Zaprešić in Croatia. With Dinamo he won six trophies, including three league titles in a row¹.

His Croatia debut came in March 2006 in a friendly against Argentina, which Croatia won 3-2. Five months later he scored his first international goal in a 2-0 win over Italy in Livorno¹².

Club career

In 2008 English club Tottenham Hotspur signed him from Dinamo. In four seasons in London he scored 17 goals in 160 matches. He played a key part in taking Tottenham to the Champions League¹. On 27 August 2012 Real Madrid and Tottenham announced his transfer, and he signed a five-year contract⁵.

According to Real Madrid, he scored 43 goals in 597 matches³. He won 28 trophies, including six Champions League titles and four Spanish league titles. At the time, that was the most by any player in the club’s history¹. His last match for Real was the Club World Cup semi-final in the United States in July 2025, which Paris Saint-Germain won 4-0⁴.

In July 2025 he moved to AC Milan. In his first season he played 37 matches in all competitions and scored 2 goals¹. In July 2026 Milan extended his contract by one year, and he remains with Milan as of 20 October 2026⁸⁹.

International career

Modrić has played for Croatia at five World Cups (2006, 2014, 2018, 2022, 2026) and five European Championships (2008 to 2024)¹. He has been Croatia’s captain since the qualifying campaign for the 2018 World Cup¹¹. The 2018 World Cup in Russia was his greatest tournament. In the group match against Argentina, he curled a shot into the goal from nearly 20 yards in the 81st minute, and Croatia won 3-0¹⁵. Croatia then beat Denmark and Russia on penalties, and England 2-1 after extra time in the semi-final. France won the final in Moscow 4-2¹⁶. Modrić was named the tournament’s best player and received the Golden Ball⁶. In London that year he received The Best FIFA Men’s Player award, and then the Ballon d’Or⁷¹⁴.

At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Croatia finished third, and in 2023 they played the Nations League final. The match against Panama at the 2026 World Cup was his 200th for Croatia¹². In the round of 32, Portugal beat Croatia 2-1¹⁰. After the World Cup, at the start of September 2026, he had 202 caps and 29 goals. On 26 September he scored his 30th international goal in a 2-1 Nations League win over Czechia¹³. He is Croatia’s most capped player¹¹.

Style of play

Modrić is a small midfielder with exceptional ball control, who keeps the ball under pressure and sets the tempo of the game. His first season’s figures at Milan confirm this role. According to beIN Sports, he created 51 chances in the league, the second most in the team⁹. His ability to shoot from distance is also a trademark, as the goal against Argentina in 2018 showed¹⁵.

Statistics

The Tottenham figures are from tportal and AC Milan, the Real Madrid figures from the club’s website, the Milan figures from Milan’s official biography, and the Croatia figures from a report of 5 September 2026, all accessed on 20 October 2026. Croatia’s Nations League matches of September and October 2026 and Milan’s 2026–27 season are not included in this table. The full figures for Dinamo Zagreb and the loan clubs are not listed because they could not be verified¹³⁵¹¹.

Honours

• Ballon d’Or: 2018 [14]
• FIFA World Cup Golden Ball: 2018 [6]
• The Best FIFA Men’s Player: 2018 [7]
• FIFA World Cup: runner-up 2018, third place 2022 [11][16]
• UEFA Champions League: 6 times [1][4]
• Spanish league: 4 times [1]
• FIFA Club World Cup: 5 times [1]
• Croatian league with Dinamo Zagreb: 3 times [1]

Legacy

Modrić is regarded as the most successful player in Croatia’s history: the most international appearances, one World Cup final, one third place and one Ballon d’Or¹¹¹. In the Ballon d’Or voting, his fifth place in 2017 and first place in 2018 also showed that a midfielder who shares the ball can be chosen the world’s best player¹⁴.