Luka Modrić

Luka Modrić (born 9 September 1985) is a Croatian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Spanish club Real Madrid and captains the Croatia national team. He 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. He is widely regarded as one of the best midfielders of his generation, and the greatest Croatian footballer of all-time. Following group stage eliminations in his first two World Cups, Modrić led Croatia to the 2018 World Cup Final, and he received the Golden Ball award for best player of the tournament. In March 2021, he went on to become the country's most capped player in history. Furthermore, he has been named Croatian Footballer of the Year a record nine times between 2007 and 2020.