Player Profile
Luka Modrić (Croatian pronunciation: [lûːka mǒːdritɕ]; born 9 September 1985) is a Croatian professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Serie A club AC Milan and captains the Croatia national team. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest midfielders of all time, and as the greatest Croatian player ever. Modrić began his professional career with Croatian club Dinamo Zagreb in 2003 before he went on loan spells to Bosnian-Herzegovian side Zrinjski Mostar and Croatian side Inter Zaprešić. He made his debut for Dinamo in 2005 and his great performances earned him a move to Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur in 2008. He led Spurs to UEFA Champions League qualification in 2010, the club's first qualification in almost 50 years. In the summer of 2012, Modrić joined Real Madrid for a £30 million transfer fee. In his second season, he won the 2013–14 Champions League title and was named in the squad of the season. After Zinedine Zidane took over Madrid in 2016, Modrić was a key member of Madrid's three consecutive Champions League titles from 2015–16 to 2017–18, and was named into the squad of the season each time. In total, he won 28 major trophies at Madrid, including six UEFA Champions League titles, four La Liga titles, and two Copa del Rey titles, making him the most decorated footballer in the club's history. He left Real Madrid in July 2025, joining Serie A club AC Milan on a free transfer. Modrić has won numerous individual awards, including the Ballon d'Or in 2018, making him the first player other than Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo to win the award since 2007, the Best FIFA Men's Player, and the UEFA Men's Player of the Year Award, and the IFFHS World's Best Playmaker award in 2018. He has also been named in the FIFPRO World 11 six times and in the UEFA Team of the Year three times. In 2019, he was awarded the Golden Foot award for career results and personality. Modrić made his international debut for Croatia against Argentina in Marc
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Bio
Club Career
Honors (4)
Iconic Moments
Won the 2018 Ballon d'Or after leading Croatia to the World Cup final and winning the Champions League with Real Madrid.
The first player in a decade to break the Messi-Ronaldo Ballon d'Or duopoly, at age 33.
Modrić won the 2018 Ballon d'Or, becoming the first player other than Messi or Ronaldo to win the award in 11 years.
The most significant Ballon d'Or result in a generation — Modrić's leadership at the 2018 World Cup and with Real Madrid broke the Messi-Ronaldo duopoly.
Modrić led Croatia to their first World Cup Final in 2018, winning the Golden Ball as the best player of the tournament despite Croatia losing to France.
Led a small nation of 4 million people to the World Cup Final, winning the Golden Ball in what many regard as the greatest individual tournament performance ever.
Modrić has won five Champions League titles with Real Madrid (2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022), the most in the history of the competition for a midfielder.
An unmatched record of success in the Champions League across a decade of dominance with Real Madrid.
Led Croatia to the 2022 World Cup semi-finals at age 37, winning the Bronze Ball as the tournament's third-best player.
Defied age to deliver another deep World Cup run, cementing his status as one of the greatest midfielders ever.