How Luka Modrić built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.
Luka Modrić is a Croatian professional footballer renowned as one of the greatest midfielders of all time. He captains both Real Madrid in La Liga and the Croatia national team. He is widely considered the greatest Croatian footballer in history.
In March 2001, Modrić debuted for the Croatian under-15 team, marking the start of his international career at the youth level.
In late 2001, Tomislav Bašić arranged for 16-year-old Luka Modrić's move to Dinamo Zagreb.
In 2003, Luka Modrić began his professional career with Croatian club Dinamo Zagreb.
In 2003, Luka Modrić was loaned to Zrinjski Mostar in the Bosnian Premier League, where he became Bosnian Premier League Player of the Year.
In 2004, Modrić stated in his testimony that he signed the annexe clause in 2004, the year of his first contract.
In 2005, Luka Modrić debuted for Dinamo Zagreb and his performances earned him a move to Tottenham Hotspur in 2008.
In 2005, Luka Modrić signed a ten-year contract with Dinamo Zagreb, using his earnings to buy a flat in Zadar for his family.
In March 2006, Luka Modrić made his international debut for Croatia in a match against Argentina.
On August 16, 2006, Modrić scored his first goal for Croatia in a friendly win against Italy.
In the 2005-06 season, Luka Modrić helped Dinamo Zagreb win the league, contributing 7 goals in 31 matches.
In 2008, Tottenham confirmed that the transfer fee paid was £16.5 million, equalling the club's record fee set by Darren Bent's move in 2007.
On 26 April 2008, Luka Modrić agreed to transfer terms with Tottenham Hotspur. He was the first of many summer signings for manager Juande Ramos.
In 2008, Luka Modrić moved to Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur and in 2010, he led the Spurs to UEFA Champions League qualification.
In January 2009, Luka Modrić scored in a home win in the third round of the FA Cup against Wigan Athletic.
In April 2009, Luka Modrić scored in an away defeat against Manchester United.
In February 2010, Luka Modrić scored in a home win against Everton.
On 30 May 2010, Luka Modrić signed a new six-year contract with Tottenham that ran until 2016.
On 11 September 2010, Luka Modrić scored his first goal of the 2010–11 season in a 1–1 away draw at West Bromwich Albion.
In 2010, Luka Modrić led Tottenham Hotspur to UEFA Champions League qualification, marking the club’s first qualification in almost 50 years.
In 2010, Modrić scored three goals in the World Cup qualifiers for Croatia against Kazakhstan, Andorra, and Ukraine.
In the 2010-11 season, Luka Modrić flourished in a central midfield role as a deep-lying playmaker, conducting attacks and creating chances for teammates, influenced by Harry Redknapp's guidance.
After a draw against Manchester United at White Hart Lane in January 2011, manager Harry Redknapp praised Luka Modrić, highlighting his exceptional footballing abilities.
By the 2011-12 season, Luka Modrić was statistically among the top-rated central and all-round midfielders across the top five leagues, alongside players like Xabi Alonso, Andrea Pirlo, Bastian Schweinsteiger, and Xavi.
In 2011, Chelsea pursued Modrić with bids of £22 million and £27 million, both rejected by Tottenham. Modrić expressed his desire to move to Chelsea, leading to him refusing to play in Tottenham's opening match. Chelsea's final offer of £40 million was rejected on the transfer window's final day.
On January 14, 2012, Modrić scored the only goal in a home draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers.
On August 27, 2012, Real Madrid announced an agreement with Tottenham for Modrić's transfer. He debuted on August 29 against Barcelona in the Supercopa de España, winning his first trophy. Despite a positive debut, he struggled initially due to missed pre-season training.
In the summer of 2012, Luka Modrić joined Real Madrid for a £30 million transfer fee.
In March 2013, Modrić assisted the winning goal in El Clásico against Barcelona on March 2nd. On March 5th, he equalized against Manchester United in the Champions League, contributing to their victory. On March 16th, he scored a long-range volley against Mallorca, continuing his strong performance.
In 2013, with Carlo Ancelotti as the new manager, Modrić became a key starter in midfield, excelling in passing accuracy and ball recoveries. He scored his first Champions League goal and contributed to winning the 2013-14 Copa del Rey against Barcelona.
In the 2013–14 season, Luka Modrić won the Champions League title with Real Madrid and was named in the squad of the season.
In the first half of the 2013-14 season, Luka Modrić formed an effective central midfield partnership with Alonso and Ángel Di María, making more tackles than any other Real Madrid player in La Liga.
In August 2014, Modrić signed a new contract with Real Madrid, committing to the club until 2018. He partnered with Toni Kroos in midfield following Alonso's departure.
In 2014, Luka Modrić consistently demonstrated high passing accuracy, with his highest completion rate in a single match occurring in October against Barcelona when he completed all 42 attempted passes. For all of 2014, Modrić's dribble attempts (75) at a success rate of 76% were second in Europe's top five leagues.
In 2014, Modrić played for Croatia in the World Cup in Brazil, where they were eliminated in the group stage despite high expectations.
In early March 2015, Modrić returned from a three-month thigh injury, proving his form in seven matches. On March 21, he strained ligaments in his right knee, sidelining him until May.
On March 3, 2015, Modrić captained Croatia for the first time in a match against Azerbaijan.
During the 2015-16 season, Luka Modrić and Toni Kroos took on more defensive responsibilities to set the rhythm of the team's gameplay in midfield and orchestrate counterattacks.
From 2015–16 to 2017-18 Luka Modrić was a key member of Madrid’s three consecutive Champions League titles.
In 2015, Modrić continued to be a key midfield player under new manager Rafael Benítez. In October, he sustained a muscular groin injury during an international match against Bulgaria, but recovered in time for a match against Paris Saint-Germain.
In January 2016, with Zinedine Zidane's arrival as manager, Modrić was described as the "master of the game". On February 7, he scored a winning goal against Granada. He won the 2015-16 Champions League with Real Madrid and was included in the Champions League and La Liga team of the season.
In October 2016, Modrić signed a new contract with Real Madrid, keeping him at the club until 2020. He missed eight matches due to a left knee injury but returned in early November.
After Zinedine Zidane took over Madrid in 2016, Luka Modrić became a key member of the team, securing three consecutive Champions League titles from 2015–16 to 2017–18.
In 2016, Modrić played a key role as Real Madrid won the 2016-17 La Liga and the 2016-17 UEFA Champions League.
On 30 May 2010, Luka Modrić signed a new six-year contract with Tottenham that ran until 2016.
On March 12, 2017, in a 2–1 win over Real Betis, Modrić played his 200th match for Real Madrid.
From 2015–16 to 2017-18 Luka Modrić was a key member of Madrid’s three consecutive Champions League titles.
In 2017, Luka Modrić made a substantial anonymous donation to the autism association from Zadar.
In 2017, Modrić contributed to Real Madrid's Champions League victory, providing an assist in the final. He was named Best Midfielder of the Champions League season. He also secured fifth position at 2017 Ballon d'Or.
In January 2018, Modrić scored against Deportivo de La Coruña and was included in the UEFA Team of the Year (2017).
In August 2018, under new manager Julen Lopetegui, Modrić was given a steady return to the first team as a substitute due to his lack of pre-season training after the 2018 World Cup. His first start of the season came on September 1 in a 4–1 home win against Leganés.
In 2018, Luka Modrić became the captain of the Croatian national team following Darijo Srna's retirement. After some disappointing results, including a draw with Finland where Modrić marked his 100th cap, Modrić voiced his lack of confidence in coach Ante Čačić, who was subsequently replaced by Zlatko Dalić. Modrić later scored a penalty against Greece, helping Croatia to qualify for the World Cup.
In 2018, Luka Modrić led Croatia to the World Cup final and won the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player.
In 2018, Modrić won the UEFA Men's Player of the Year Award, The Best FIFA Men's Player Award, and the Ballon d'Or. This triggered a contract clause, ensuring his stay at Real Madrid until 2021. He was also included in the FIFA FIFPro World XI for the fourth time.
In August 2014, Modrić signed a new contract with Real Madrid, committing to the club until 2018.
In January 2019, Modrić scored in two consecutive league games for Real Madrid, against Real Betis and Sevilla. He was also included in the UEFA Team of the Year (2018).
In August 2019, Luka Modrić marked his seventh anniversary of signing with Real Madrid. Despite concerns about his age and commitment to the national team, Modrić expressed his determination to regain his best form.
On January 8, 2020, Modrić scored his fifth goal of the season and 100th career goal in a 3–1 victory against Valencia in the semi-finals of the 2019–20 Supercopa de España.
On October 21, 2020, Modrić scored his first goal of the 2020–21 season in a Champions League match against Shakhtar Donetsk, becoming the fourth player in club history to score in the competition aged 35 or older. Three days later, he scored his first Clásico goal against Barcelona.
During the Euro 2020 qualifying rounds in 2020, Luka Modrić scored two goals, including a penalty against Azerbaijan and a goal against Hungary, helping Croatia top their group and qualify for the tournament, which was later postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2020, Luka Modrić was selected for the UEFA Euro 2020 squad. He was named Man of the Match in the 1-1 draw with the Czech Republic on June 18. Later, in the 3-1 victory over Scotland on June 22, he scored a goal and provided an assist, helping Croatia advance to the round of 16.
In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Luka Modrić donated €100,000 for the purchase of a mobile X-ray machine to a hospital in Zadar.
In March 2021, Luka Modrić became the country's most capped player.
On May 25, 2021, Modrić extended his contract with Real Madrid until 2022.
On October 24, 2021, Modrić played his 400th game for Real Madrid in a 2–1 Clásico victory.
On December 7, 2021, Modrić played his 100th Champions League game in a 2–0 victory over Inter Milan, where he was named Man of the Match.
Due to his club, and national team performance at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, where he also received the Golden Ball, in August and September Modrić won the UEFA Men's Player of the Year Award and The Best FIFA Men's Player Award, while in December, he added the Ballon d'Or to his personal tally, marking the first time since 2007 that the award was not won by Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. Furthermore, besides becoming the first Croatian player to win these awards, Modrić was the first player to win both the World Cup Golden Ball and the UEFA Men's Player of the Year Award in the same year since Ronaldo in 1998, and the World Cup Golden Ball and the Best FIFA Men's Player of the Year Award after Romário in 1994. Additionally, he is the first player to win the awards from the former Yugoslavia territory, the first footballer from Eastern Europe to win a Ballon d'Or after Andriy Shevchenko in 2004, and the tenth player from Real Madrid to capture the trophy. Furthermore, winning the trophy triggered a clause in his contract, ensuring his stay at the club until 2021.
On January 16, 2022, Modrić scored the first goal in the 2022 Supercopa de España Final, becoming the oldest goalscorer in the competition's history, and was named Man of the Match.
On June 8, 2022, Modrić renewed his contract with Real Madrid until 2023.
On August 20, 2022, Modrić scored his first goal and assist of the season in a 4–1 victory over Celta Vigo.
At the 2022 World Cup, Luka Modrić led the Croatian team to a third-place finish, earning the Bronze Ball as the tournament’s third-best player.
During the 2022 World Cup qualifying, Luka Modrić scored three times and assisted twice in seven appearances.
On June 14, 2023, Luka Modrić led Croatia to victory over the Netherlands in the semi-finals of the 2023 UEFA Nations League Finals, winning a penalty and assisting a goal, earning Man of the Match. Croatia lost to Spain in the final.
In 2023, Luka Modrić helped Croatia advance to the 2023 UEFA Nations League Finals. On September 25, 2022, he scored the opening goal in a 3-1 away victory against Austria. In the World Cup, he captained Croatia to the semi-finals and won the Bronze Ball after their third-place victory over Morocco.
On April 30, 2024, during the Champions League semi-final against Bayern Munich, Modrić became the oldest Real Madrid player to appear in the tournament at 38 years and 234 days, surpassing Puskás's record.
On July 17, 2024, Modrić extended his contract with Real Madrid until 2025 and became the team's captain following Nacho's departure.
On January 3, 2025, Modrić became the oldest player to score for Real Madrid in all competitions, aged 39 years and 116 days, surpassing Ferenc Puskás's record set in 1966, during a 2–1 victory over Valencia. He also made his 561st appearance for the club.
On May 22, 2025, it was announced that Modrić would leave Real Madrid after 13 years at the club, following the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. He played his last home game on May 24 against Real Sociedad.
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