Magic Made Easy The Modric Way

. There can be a sprinkling of magic and it stands out because it is a sprinkling. But what would these magical moments be without simplicity?

It is a question that can often be asked when watching the 40-year-old Luka Modric. “Marca” once called him the “eternal solution” but the true magic is in the simple things he does. His movement is the first thing that comes to mind. He is everywhere at once and when Croatia are playing well everything seems to go through him.

We see the magic passes, the vision, the pass into space, but that is all set up by the little passes, the one-twos, the movement and the fitness that allows him to maintain the tempo while he is on the pitch. Moving to Serie A – a step lower on Modric’s mind after a career at Real Madrid saw him win a record 28 trophies including 6 Champions Leagues and 4 La Liga titles – is perhaps a blessing for Croatia.

He was used mostly in the second half for Real towards the end of his stint but at AC Milan, Modric started 32 of 34 league matches before a cheekbone fracture put him out of commission.

A World Cup has its own special rhythm and tactics can sometimes have a rather sinister feel to them. But playing enough at the top level will always help. Modric wasn’t getting that at Real but he’s certainly getting it at Milan and at 40, he needed that.

“Maldini won the Champions League at 40 years of age and you can compare the two in terms of what it takes to be a footballer,” former Real Madrid and current Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti said in 2025. “They are fantastic examples and it is no coincidence that they have got to this age and are still playing. It’s partly genetics, but above all, it’s commitment and attitude.”

Modric, who won the Ballon d’Or in 2018, has been named in coach Zlatko Dalic’s 26-man Croatia squad. This World Cup will feel like unfinished business for him; a chance to leave one final mark on the world stage.

The midfielder made his World Cup debut in 2006, and was part of the Croatia side that finished as runners-up in 2018 and third in 2022. He has played 196 times for his country and could make his 200th international appearance at this summer’s tournament.

Croatia are in Group L along with England, Panama and Ghana. The top two teams, possibly along with the third-placed team, will advance to the round of 32. England and Ghana will be tricky opponents and the men in the checkerboard jersey will need Modric’s experience and sophisticated geometry (as Croatia midfielder Zvonimir Boban described Modric’s vision and passing) more than ever.

Just ahead of the 2022 World Cup, he was asked what keeps drawing him back to international football.

“People ask why I keep playing for the national team instead of focusing on my club,” he had told fifa.com. “I keep playing because it is still something special for me. There’s no better feeling for me than playing for my country. I would love to keep playing for my country as long as they need me and as long as I can help them.”

He added: “Playing for Croatia is sacred for us. It’s an indescribable kind of love.”

Croatia have earned the reputation of being a dogged team. However, football matches are not won on that quality alone and that is where Modric enters the frame.

He has built a career with passes that break the mould and he’s still got it. He plays passes that others simply don’t see. And as long as his teammates make the run, they’ll receive the ball. At AC Milan, he boasted a 90% passing accuracy, completed over 1,800 passes, and showed why, even at 40, he is one of Europe’s top playmakers.

Modric’s brilliance remains a talking point but his drive to win is pretty special as well. When he turns up in the US, both qualities will be on show in equal measure and, while you can, you must soak in the experience for as long as you can.