In 2018 Luka Modrić did something that had not happened in ten years. He won a Ballon d'Or that did not belong to Messi or Ronaldo, and he did it at 33.
That year he led Croatia, a small nation by football standards, to the World Cup Final, the biggest achievement in the country's football history. He won the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player. He was also the best player in the Champions League, and FIFA named him its Best Men's Player to complete the set.
Five European titles in Madrid
At Real Madrid, Modrić has won 5 Champions League titles, more than most clubs manage in their entire history. His game is vision, passing and intelligence, and it has aged better than most.
A few more lines for the record:
- The 2018 Ballon d'Or ended the 10-year Messi and Ronaldo monopoly on the award
- He was still playing at the highest level past 38
He proved you do not need height or pace to run world football. Breaking the Ballon d'Or streak was the extra on top of a career that already sits among the best midfielders of all time.
Tomorrow: number 16.
