Luka Modrić

Luka Modrić is a Croatian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Spanish club Real Madrid and is the captain of the Croatia national team. Modrić plays mainly as a central midfielder but can also play as an attacking midfielder or as a defensive midfielder, usually deployed as a deep-lying playmaker. Modrić is widely regarded as one of the best midfielders of his generation, and among the greatest Croatian footballers of all-time. Able to blend traditional and trequartista playmaking effectively, he is known for his vision, precision in execution, and tactical strategy.

Born in Zadar, Modrić's childhood coincided with the 1990s Croatian War of Independence which displaced his family. At age 16 he was signed by Dinamo Zagreb in 2002 after showing promise with his hometown club's youth team. He continued his development in Zagreb before spells on loan to Zrinjski Mostar and Inter Zaprešić. He made his debut for Dinamo in 2005 and won three consecutive league titles and domestic cups with them, being named the Prva HNL Player of the Year in 2007. In 2008, he moved to Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur for a record high transfer fee of £16.5 million, where he led Spurs to their first UEFA Champions League appearance in almost 50 years, reaching the quarter-finals of the 2010–11 tournament.

After the 2011–12 season, Modrić joined Real Madrid for a £30 million transfer fee, where he became a key contributor under head coach Carlo Ancelotti and helped the team to win La Décima, being elected to the squad of the season. After Zinedine Zidane took over Madrid, Modrić was critical to three consecutive Champions League titles from 2016 to 2018, each time being elected to the squad of the season. He would go on to win the La Liga Award for "Best Midfielder" in 2016 for the second time, and UEFA Club Football Award for "Best Midfielder" a year later. In 2015, he became the first Croatian player ever to be included in the FIFA World XI, in which he was included once again in 2016 and 2017, as well in the UEFA Team of the Year in 2016 and 2017.

Modrić made his international debut for Croatia against Argentina in March 2006, and scored his first international goal in a friendly match against Italy. Modrić has anchored Croatia's "second Golden Generation" where he has since participated in every major tournament Croatia qualified for, including the 2008, 2012, and UEFA Euro 2016, as well the 2006, 2014, and 2018 FIFA World Cup. At the UEFA Euro 2008, he was elected to the Team of the Tournament, becoming only the second Croatian to ever achieve this honour. Following group stage eliminations in his first two World Cups, Modrić led Croatia to the 2018 World Cup Final, where they placed second, and he received the Golden Ball award for best player of the tournament. He has been named the Croatian Footballer of the Year six times, tied with Davor Šuker for most wins.