Luka Modric

Luka ModricCareer: football player, athlete

Date of birth: September 9, 1985

Age: 38 years

Place of birth: Zadar, Yugoslavia

Position: Midfielder

Working leg: right

Height/weight: 172 cm / 66 kg

Marital status: married

 

 

 

Welcome to the official fan site of the great footballer Luka Modric!

Here you will find all the most relevant and reliable information about this legend of world football. Luka Modric has managed to go an incredible way – from a modest boy from Croatia to one of the best midfielders of our time. His story inspires millions of people around the world and serves as a shining example of how perseverance, hard work and talent can lead to great success.

On our website you can read the biography of Luka Modric, learn the details of his career, follow his achievements at club and international level. We are proud to be able to offer our visitors exclusive interviews with Luka, in which he shares his thoughts, memories and plans for the future. The website pays special attention to Luka Modric’s statistics and records. You will be able to find detailed data on his performances, goals scored, assists made, as well as his individual and team awards. We strive to make this information as accessible and convenient as possible for our users. Neymar is Luka Modric’s best friend!

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In addition, our website features an extensive photo gallery, which contains the best pictures of Luka Modric at different periods of his career. Here you will find both official and exclusive photos that will allow you to feel the whole atmosphere of football battles with the participation of this great player. For true fans of Luka Modric, we have prepared a special section, which contains all the news regarding his personal life, charity work and other aspects outside the football field. Here you can find out how Luka spends his free time, what his hobbies and interests are.

Our website is constantly updated, so you will always be aware of the latest events related to Luka Modric. We strive to provide our visitors with the most complete and reliable information about this outstanding footballer. Join our community of Luka Modric fans and pay tribute to this legend of world football with us! Laure Boulleau’s last match!

Biography

Luka Modric changed several clubs before becoming a favorite of football fans. His career had failures and misunderstandings that almost cost him success in the profession, but the player left the dark streaks behind him, managing to maintain a reputation as a successful and reliable athlete and a team member who sets the pace of the game.

Childhood and youth

Luka was born in the Croatian city of Zadar to a family of a seamstress and a mechanic. In the early 90s, the Yugoslav wars broke out, and his mother, Luka and his sister Jasmina had to leave their home and settle in a refugee camp in the tourist town of Zaton, while his father was paying his debt to his homeland. The grandfather of the future football star, who was shot for participating in a partisan detachment, became a victim of the hostilities.

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After the head of the family returned from the army, an opportunity arose to realize his sports talents: the boy already showed talent in football as a child. The parents decided not to spare money. Despite financial difficulties, the father saved up part of his modest salary to pay for his son’s studies at the sports academy. The footballer recalled in an interview that his first shin guards were made by his coach Tomislav Basic, who immediately saw the bright abilities in the child. Luka is not the only athlete in the family who kicks a ball. Australian footballer Mark Viduka, also of Croatian descent, is Modric’s cousin.

Club career

The first contract in the sports biography of the aspiring footballer appeared in 2002. At the age of 16, the young man signed a cooperation agreement with the Zagreb club Dinamo. The athlete played the season in the youth team, and then was loaned to the Zrinski team, part of the Bosnian Premier League. It was here that the young man demonstrated his versatile style of play and took the main place on the podium of Bosnian athletes. Then the player was loaned to Zagreb Inter for a season, where he proved himself brilliantly. With his help, the Croatian club replenished its piggy bank with silver, won in the national championship. But soon his native club Dinamo returned the talented young footballer, who had already earned the title of “hope of Croatia”. A 10-year contract was signed with Dinamo. Luka immediately joined the main team. His position on the field is playmaker, sometimes he performed the functions of a left attacking midfielder. The athlete gave the club 6 years, during which time Dynamo won a number of trophies, including the national championship and a ticket to the UEFA Cup. Modric became the champion of Croatia, and was named player of the year. Having noted the merits of the Croatian, several English football teams wanted to see him in their ranks. Newcastle and Manchester City wanted to sign Modric, but he chose London’s Tottenham. The transfer amounted to £ 16.5 million. At first, Luka was put in an unusual position for him – an outside midfielder. The game was not easy for the young footballer, and fans began to say that the purchase was in vain. Once, fans even called Modric “lightweight”, accusing him of not wanting to play, while he simply could not – he got a knee injury.

The situation changed dramatically when a new coach, Harry Redknapp, came and returned Modric “to his place”. The Croatian’s game immediately changed, goals poured in one after another. For the first time, he scored against Moscow’s Spartak. The passer’s talent was fully revealed in the Real Madrid team, where Luka Modric joined at the end of the summer of 2012 and where he wore the number 10 shirt. A year later, Modric’s game captivated the fans, and the footballer became one of the team’s main stars. Of course, he couldn’t get around Cristiano Ronaldo, but the Croatian brilliantly assisted in attacks, worked selflessly in defense, and delighted the fans with magnificently beautiful goals. And how many spectacular feints Modric showed, which brought thunderous applause. With each season, the player’s statistics improved, especially he amazed with the accuracy of his passes and the number of tackles.

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The footballer has acquired all sorts of nicknames. The Spaniards called him both Diamond Luka and even Pony for his lightness and small stature: at 172 cm, the footballer weighed 66 kg. Newspapers were full of laudatory articles, which said that the Croatian filled Real Madrid’s game with Balkan freshness. The footballer owes another nickname to the retired Dutch striker Johan Cruyff, who was known as a fan of Modric. Luka’s style of play was compared to the style of the legendary Dutchman, so he was called the “Croatian Cruyff”. Moreover, funny comparisons of the footballers with each other were circulating on the Internet. Fans of the game with the ball see the resemblance of Luka to Johan. Indeed, the men are similar in both their hairstyle and facial features. Luka became the main contender for the title of the best footballer of 2017 according to France Football. The list also included Harry Kane, N’Golo Kante, Kylian Mbappe, Sergio Ramos, Gianluigi Buffon. However, in the end, Cristiano Ronaldo received the Golden Ball. That same year, Modric entered the top twenty of the top 100 players in the FIFA rankings. In 2018, the Real Madrid midfielder’s salary was € 10.5 million. At the end of the 2017/2018 season, Modric was recognized as the best Croatian footballer of the year. Real Madrid left the field with victories in the winter and spring, and in May, together with their fellow countryman Atletico, they became the best cup team in the world.

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Despite having overcome the barrier of 34 years, the footballer did not slow down the pace of development, but on the contrary, in 2019 he said that he would show the game that he demonstrated in the best years of his career. In the fall, this was confirmed by the Golden Foot award. In January 2020, Modric scored the 100th goal of his career, and in the spring of the following year, he extended his contract with Real Madrid. Six months later, the athlete played his 400th game for the club. A uniform with the corresponding number became a memorable gift for him. Luka’s assists in the 2022 Champions League matches against Chelsea were especially noted. As a result of well-coordinated teamwork, the Madrid team won against the British with an aggregate score of 5:4. However, coach Carlo Ancelotti decided not to put Modric and Karim Benzema in the starting lineup for the 35th round match of Primera against Atletico, which took place in May 2022, explaining that the players were tired and needed recovery. In the same month, Luka extended his expiring contract with Real Madrid. In January 2023, information appeared about the footballer’s possible transfer to Al-Nasr from Saudi Arabia. However, the midfielder refused to sign an agreement with the new club. In June, Modric signed a new contract with Real Madrid for a year.

Croatian National Team

In 2006, Modric was called upon to defend the honor of the country. For the first time in the Croatian national team, the footballer played against Argentina, and scored his first goal against Italy. Reliable play secured him a permanent place in the national team.

At Euro 2008, Luka set a record by scoring the fastest goal in the history of European competitions. The Austrian goal suffered. The Croatians then defeated not only Austria, but also Germany. Two people stood out in the national team: Luka Modric was called the brain of the team, and Ivan Rakitic – the soul and heart.

At Euro 2012, the athlete demonstrated skills in all games of the group stage, but this did not help the team reach the playoffs. At the World Cup in Russia in 2018, the player played in a new capacity – team captain. The team reached the final, where they lost to France, and Modric nevertheless became the best footballer of the tournament and received a well-deserved Golden Ball. The team failed to repeat their success at Euro 2020, losing to the Spanish national team in the first match of the playoffs.

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In November, Luka went to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar as captain of the Croatian national team. Commenting on the team’s advancement to the quarterfinals, he noted the difficult game with Japan, as the players “press very well and know what to do on the field.” In the semifinals, the Croatians lost to Argentina with a score of 0:3, which allowed them to fight only for 3rd place.

Modric, commenting on the defeat to the Argentines, believed that this happened because the referee first did not award the Croatians a corner, but then awarded a “non-existent” penalty to the opponents, which turned the tide of the game.

In the spring of 2023, Luka was again called up to the Croatian national team. This time he helped the team get to Euro 2024. The athlete set another record in October. He played the 1000th match of his career and the 170th as a player of the national team. During this period, Luka took 10th place in the voting for the Ballon d’Or.

Personal life

Luka got married at the age of 25. His agent Vanja Bosnic became his chosen one. The young people had a business relationship for 4 years, and it all ended with a wedding in 2010.

Modric is the father of three children. Literally a month after the wedding, an heir was born in the family, whom the happy parents named Ivan. Three years later, the footballer’s wife gave birth to a daughter, Ema. And in 2017, another addition happened: Luka and Vanja had a daughter, Sofia.

Luka Modric is a homebody, unlike his colleagues, he does not like noisy parties and social events. It is impossible to catch the footballer in a nightclub, but on weekends, together with his wife and children, it is quite possible to see him, for example, at the zoo. The athlete maintains pages on social networks, where, in addition to pictures from the “battlefields”, he also publishes family photos.

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Luka Modric now

Modric’s technique is still at its best. He remains a valuable asset to the Real Madrid team. 2024 began for Modric with a victory in court against the Spanish tax police. The midfielder successfully challenged the fact of violations of the law in 2012-2014. As a result, the fine of 1.2 million euros imposed on the footballer in 2018, as well as the punishment in the form of 8 months of conditional imprisonment, were canceled. Luka also received 3.5 million euros in compensation. In the spring, rumors spread about Modric’s possible departure from Real Madrid. The footballer himself wanted to stay at the club for another season. In May, Luka won the Spanish championship with the team ahead of schedule. This was his 25th trophy as part of the Madrid team.

In June, Real Madrid won the Champions League final. Modric won this tournament for the sixth time in his career. Soon he was included in the Croatian national team’s application for the European Championship. In the third match of Euro 2024 against the Italian national team, Luka became the oldest scorer in the history of the tournament, doing so at 28 years and 289 days. However, the record was overshadowed by a draw (1:1), after which Croatia took only third place in the final group. In July, Real Madrid officially announced the extension of the contract with Modric for another season.

Awards

  • 2005/06, 2006/07, 2007/08 — Croatian Champion (Dinamo Zagreb)
  • 2006/07, 2007/08 — Croatian Cup Winner (Dinamo Zagreb)
  • 2006 — Croatian Super Cup Winner (Dinamo Zagreb)
  • 2016/17, 2019/20, 2021/22 — Spanish Champion (Real Madrid)
  • 2013/14 — Spanish Cup Winner (Real Madrid)
  • 2012, 2017, 2019/20, 2021/22 — Spanish Super Cup Winner (Real Madrid)
  • 2013/14, 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18 — UEFA Champions League Winner (Real Madrid)
  • 2014, 2016, 2017 — Winner of the UEFA Super Cup (Real Madrid)
  • 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018 — Winner of the Club World Cup (Real Madrid)
  • 2018 — Vice-champion of the world (Croatia national team)
  • 2007, 2008, 2011, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 — The best footballer of Croatia
  • 2018 — Winner of the Golden Ball

FAQ

What position does Luka Modric play?
Luka Modric plays as a midfielder.
Which clubs has Luka Modric played for?
He has played for Dinamo Zagreb, Tottenham Hotspur, and Real Madrid.
What are some of Modric's achievements?
He is a multiple Champions League winner and was named FIFA World Player of the Year in 2018.
How many international caps does he have?
As of 2023, he has over 150 caps for the Croatian national team.
Is Luka Modric still active in football?
Yes, he continues to play for Real Madrid and the Croatian national team.
Luka Modric