13 fun facts about Luka Modrić

When the Croatia and Real Madrid superstar was only six years old, the murder of his cherished granddad by Serbian militants rocked his entire existence, and he was forced to live as a refugee in his war-torn motherland.

However, on December 8, 1991, violent Serbian militia stormed Modrići, a small hamlet in northern Dalmatia close to the Velebit mountain range, and terrorised Croatian families who hadn't already fled. Luka Modrić Snr., who was walking his cattle up an abandoned street when he was cornered by a gang of Serbians, was one of those caught in the crossfire.

"I was six years old. These were really hard times. I remember them vividly but it’s not something you want to remember or think about," the Croatian stated.

Following the event, his parents were compelled to flee Modrići and took up residence at the Hotel Iz in Zadar. Little Luka and his sister Jasmina had to deal with the sound of grenades and gunfire every day while also avoiding landmines that might be buried around any corner because there was no power or running water.

However, that didn't stop the youngster from kicking a tiny, punctured football around the motel parking lot while he daydreamed of being able to escape his war-torn life someday.

Mateo Kovačić and his wife, Izabel, baptised their son Ivan in July 2021 when he turned nine months old, and named Modrić as the godfather.

The Croatian duo are close friends, of course thanks to their time in Madrid, as the Chelsea man played for Real Madrid from 2015 to 2018.

Between 2007 and 2022, the midfield maestro has been awarded the Croatian Footballer of the Year award a record eleven times.

Modrić is the most-capped player in Croatia history, with 164 appearances to his name at the time of writing.

Having played at the 2006, 2014, 2018 and 2022 World Cups, as well as the 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2020 European Championships, Modrić became the first player to appear at both the Euros and World Cup in three different decades, a testament to his longevity at the highest level.

When Modrić lifted the Ballon d'Or in 2018, following his exploits in the Champions League with Real Madrid as well as leading Croatia to only their second World Cup, in addition to winning the Golden Ball, he broke the Ballon d'Or duopoly shared by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

No other player won the prestigious award between 2008 to 2017, with the duo winning five titles each.

Modrić played every minute of Croatia's dream run at the 2018 World Cup, raking up 694 minutes and becoming the player with the most minutes in the entire tournament.

Modrić was gradually becoming one of the best young midfielders in Europe during his time at Dinamo Zagreb.

In 2008, Barcelona were heavily interested in signing the Croat. He even spoke about how much he would love to play for Barça in an interview with the Spanish daily Mundo Deportivo.

However, Tottenham Hotspur managed to sign the-then 22-year-old as the Catalans cooled down their interest. In 2012, he joined Real Madrid, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Spanish newspaper MARCA voted Modrić as the worst La Liga signing of the 2012 summer transfer window, ahead of Alex Song, who joined Barcelona.

Modrić received 32.2 percent of votes as he struggled to break into the first team, with the likes of Xabi Alonso, Sami Khedira, and Mesut Özil having cemented their places in the team.

While Modrić spent six memorable years with Cristiano Ronaldo in Real Madrid colours, his idol during his initial days as a professional footballer was the original Ronaldo, the 'Phenomenon!'

His first pair of shin guards, which he used in the Bosnian League before ultimately giving them away, featured a picture of the Brazilian Ronaldo.

Spurs signed Modrić in 2008 for the-then club record fee of £16.5 million, equalling the fee paid for Darrent Bent in 2007. The Croatian chose to #14 in honour of legendary Dutch midfielder Cruyff.

"It's an immense honour for them to compare me to Cruyff," he said after winning the Ballon d'Or in 2018.

"He was an incredible player and a great coach. I wore the No.14 atTottenhamin honour of him, and because the No.10 wasn't available."

"WhenZidanearrived to becomeReal Madridcoach in January of 2016, he called me to his office one day after training and explained what he saw in me as a player and what he expected of me," the Croatian stated after winning the Ballon d'Or in 2018.

"He told me I was an important player for him. Above all, he told me that he saw me as a player who could win the Ballon d'Or.

"When someone likeZidane, with his personality and background, says this then it boosts your confidence."

Robert Matteoni, a renowned Croatian-Italian sports writer, co-wrote Modrić's autobiography Moja igra (My Game), which was published in the latter half of 2019.

The growth of Modrić's football career, his childhood growing up in wartime circumstances, and other key themes like family and friends were all heavily emphasised in his autobiography.