Luka Modrić

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 footballer in history. With 34 major trophies, he is the most decorated Croatian player in world football. His career longevity ranks third globally for all-time international appearances having amassed over 1,150 career appearances – the first and only Croatian to do so.

Modrić began his career with Croatian club Dinamo Zagreb from 2003 to 2008 – intermittently on loan to Zrinjski Mostar and Inter Zaprešić – winning six domestic trophies. He moved to Tottenham Hotspur in 2008, leading them to UEFA Champions League qualification in 2010, the club's first qualification in almost 50 years. Modrić joined Real Madrid for a £30 million transfer fee in 2012. He won the 2013–14 Champions League title and was named in the squad of the season. Modrić was a key member of the team's three consecutive Champions League titles from 2015–16 to 2017–18, named to the squad of the season each time. In total, he won 28 major trophies with the club, including six UEFA Champions League titles, four La Liga titles, and two Copa del Rey titles, making him Real Madrid's all-time most decorated footballer. He joined AC Milan in 2025 on a free transfer.

Since his international debut in 2006, Modrić has led the nation's "second Golden Generation" of players. He has participated in every major tournament Croatia has qualified for, including every UEFA European Championship from 2008 to 2024, as well as the 2006, 2014, 2018, 2022 and 2026 FIFA World Cup. At Euro 2008, he was named in the Team of the Tournament. Modrić led Croatia to a second and third-place finish at the 2018 and 2022 World Cup respectively, securing two World Cup medals. He individually won the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player in 2018, later winning the Bronze Ball as the tournament's third-best player in 2022. Modrić similarly led the team to a silver medal in the 2023 UEFA Nations League.