Biography of Luka Modrić: Net Worth, Age, Career, Records, Family, Achievements!
Luka Modrić is a Croatian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Spanish club Real Madrid and captains the Croatia national team. He is considered one of the best midfielders of his generation due to his playmaking abilities, vision, passing, and ball control.
Modrić has had an illustrious career, winning many trophies for club and country. Some of his major achievements include:
Luka Modrić’s Net Worth and Salary
As one of the top footballers in the world playing for one of the biggest clubs, Luka Modrić has amassed significant wealth from his footballing career. According to multiple reports, Luka Modrić’s net worth is estimated to be around $75 Million as of 2024.
His annual salary at Real Madrid is reportedly £10.8 million, which amounts to over €210,000 per week. This makes him one of the highest-earning players at the club and in Europe currently.
The majority of Modrić’s net worth has come from his time playing for Real Madrid, where he has spent over a decade. The lucrative wages and bonuses over the years, along with endorsement deals with brands like Nike and Huawei have contributed greatly to his wealth.
Outside of football, Modrić has made some smart investments in Croatian companies and startups to build his portfolio as well. With many more playing years potentially left in his career, his net worth is expected to keep rising.
Luka Modrić’s Age and Early Life
Luka Modrić was born on September 9, 1985, in Zadar, Croatia (then part of Yugoslavia). As of 2024, he is 38 years old.
He was born during the Croatian War of Independence in difficult circumstances. As a child, Modrić became a refugee when his family was forced to flee from their home village due to the war.
Growing up, his family lived in the Hotel Kolovare in Zadar for several years as refugees before moving back home after the war ended. The struggles he faced in his early life shaped Modrić’s character and attitude towards soccer.
From a young age, Luka showed a lot of promise and talent for the game. He would play soccer on the parking lots and streets around the hotel. Despite lacking proper facilities, his passion and hard work made up for it.
Luka Modrić’s Playing Career and Records
Modrić started playing professionally for Croatian club Dinamo Zagreb in 2005 at the age of 20. Despite his slender frame, he established himself as an exceptional midfielder known for his playmaking ability.
After several excellent seasons with Dinamo Zagreb and being named Croatia’s player of the year multiple times, he drew attention from bigger European clubs.
Tottenham Hotspur
In 2008, English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur signed Luka Modrić for a fee of £16.5 million – a record transfer for Spurs at that time.
Over four seasons with Tottenham, Modrić made over 160 appearances and cemented himself as one of the best creative midfielders in the Premier League. He was selected for the PFA Team of the Year in 2010-11 as well.
Real Madrid
In 2012, Spanish giants Real Madrid came calling for Modrić’s services and signed him for a £30 million transfer fee. His Real Madrid debut season was initially underwhelming but he eventually established himself as a key member of the squad.
Champions League Hat-tricks
In Modrić’s time with Real Madrid, he has won the UEFA Champions League an incredible five times – in 2013-14, 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2021-22.
He also scored a rare hat-trick of assists in a 2022 Champions League match against Chelsea, highlighting his creative brilliance.
Ballon D’or 2018
After leading Croatia to the World Cup 2018 final and a spectacular season with Real Madrid, Modrić won the coveted Ballon d’Or award in 2018 – ending the decade-long duopoly of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
He was also named the 2018 Best FIFA Men’s Player and 2018 UEFA Men’s Player of the Year.
Champions League Titles
In May 2022, when Real Madrid defeated Liverpool in the Champions League final, Modrić became one of the very few players to have won 5 Champions League titles – tying the record with legendary Real Madrid full backs Sergio Ramos and Marcelo.
Few other accolades and records held by Modrić include:
- Real Madrid’s foreign player with the most appearances
- 4 times selected in the UEFA Team of the Year
- Voted as Real Madrid’s best player for the 2021-2022 season ahead of Karim Benzema
- Most appearances for Croatia national team
At 38 years of age, Modrić continues to be a fixture in Real Madrid’s starting eleven with his abilities showing little signs of decline. The 2018 Ballon d’Or winner remains a magician capable of dictating games at the very highest level.
His trophy-laden career has ensured legendary status both for his club and country.
Family and Personal Relationships
Modrić maintains a private personal life outside of football but over the years, some information has emerged regarding his family and relationships.
He first met his future wife, Vanja Bosnić, in 2007 during his Dinamo Zagreb days. The couple began dating in 2008.
Modrić and Bosnić have three children together – two son Ivano and Leonardo and a daughter Ema. The family resides together in Madrid where Modrić plays for Real Madrid. They occasionally share insights into their family life on social media.
Modrić is known to be a devout Roman Catholic by faith just like a majority of Croatians back home. He even has a church in his hometown dedicated to him following the 2018 World Cup success with Croatia.
Despite reaching superstardom in his football career, Modrić remains deeply connected with his family roots and Croatian identity. He maintains close friendships with his childhood friends back home. His humility and loyalty are hailed as endearing personal traits.
Milestones and Achievements in Luka Modrić’s Career
Having detailed his background, playing career, and personal life, let us look at some of the biggest milestones and records over the years that have defined Luka Modrić’s glittering football career:
Winning the 2018 Ballon d’Or
As mentioned before, Luka Modrić winning the 2018 Ballon d’Or was a massive career milestone as he became the first player in a decade other than Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo to claim the award.
Recognizing his genius-like ability on the pitch, this award cemented his legacy as one of football’s modern greats in the midfield position. Even today, Modrić continues to shine for Real Madrid through his playmaking, vision, technique and ball control – qualities that make him stand out from his peers and richly deserving of the 2018 Ballon d’Or.
UEFA Champions League Hat-trick of Assists in 2022
Earlier in 2022, during a Champions League quarterfinal first leg against Chelsea, Modrić turned back the clock to deliver an unbelievable creative masterclass.
He produced a hat-trick of assists to Karim Benzema who scored three goals helping Real Madrid defeat Chelsea 3–1 convincingly in the first leg.
Modrić’s hat-trick highlighted he was far from a declining force even in his late 30s. Delivering three assists in Europe’s elite tournament once again underscored his world-class pedigree as a playmaker extraordinaire.
Captaining Croatia to World Cup 2018 Final
At the FIFA World Cup 2018 hosted in Russia, Luka Modrić captained the Croatian national team on their fairy-tale run to the finals. This was the first time ever Croatia had reached the World Cup finals – all the more significant for a country with a population of just over 4 million.
While Croatia ultimately lost to France in the final, Modrić played a pivotal role in midfield – scoring twice, providing assists and steering his team through crunch knockout games with his leadership.
Captaining Croatia to the World Cup final and winning the Golden Ball for the tournament’s best player made Modrić nothing short of a national hero back home and their greatest ever footballer thus far.
UEFA Champions League Titles with Real Madrid
In an era where the Champions League has been dominated enormously by Real Madrid, Modrić has remarkably won the competition five times over the past decade – in 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2022.
No other midfielder in history has achieved this feat in Europe’s most prestigious club tournament.
As a consistent presence in the center of the park while the ‘Galacticos’ shone around him, Modrić was a vital cog in each of those Madrid sides under different managers and has deservedly cemented a place among the greatest to have played for the Spanish giants.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Luka Modrić is undoubtedly one of the greatest midfield talents of his generation. The Croatian maestro has enjoyed an illustrious career winning trophies galore for both club and country.
Modrić’s journey from a refugee child during wartime to Ballon d’Or winning superstar has been nothing short of remarkable. His rags-to-riches story epitomizes triumphing against all odds through sheer hard work and determination.
Even today, the 38-year-old continues to excel at the highest level on the back of his intelligence, vision, subtle creativity and skill to control games from midfield. Very few players can influence games quite like Modrić does even at his age.
Having won every major trophy out there, Modrić has fully cemented his legacy as one of the all-time great midfielders. For Croatia, he remains their greatest footballing icon thus far. His contribution towards their greatest ever World Cup showing in 2018 is unmatched.
While drawing towards the end of his career soon, Modrić has forever left behind a lasting impression on football fans with his magisterial genius-like abilities in midfield. A true legend of the beautiful game.
FAQs
What is Luka Modrić’s net worth?
As of 2024, Luka Modrić’s net worth is estimated to be around $75 million. His annual salary from Real Madrid is over €200,000 per week.
How many Champions League titles has Modrić won?
Luka Modrić has won a staggering 5 UEFA Champions League titles so far – in 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2022 – all with Real Madrid.
Why did Modrić win the Ballon d’Or in 2018?
On the back of leading Croatia to their first ever World Cup final in 2018 coupled with a brilliant season with Real Madrid, Modrić won the Ballon d’Or – ending the 10-year duopoly of Messi and Ronaldo on the award.
What is Luka Modrić’s current age?
Having been born on September 9, 1985, Luka Modrić is currently 38 years old as of 2024. Despite his age, he remains a key member of Real Madrid’s midfield.
What position does Luka Modrić play in?
Luka Modrić primarily plays as a central midfielder – often in a deep-lying playmaking role – orchestrating attacks with his creativity, vision, passing and reading of the game.
