Glory can usher in an era; glory can also end an era. Wide in 2018, when 33-year-old Luka Modric holds the Ballon d'Or trophy, he has won three of the most important individual awards of the year: the Ballon d'Or, the World Footballer of the Year and the World Cup Ballon d'Or. This extraordinary dish crime not only ended Messi and C Ronaldo's decade-long monopoly on the Golden Globes, but also pressed the pause button for the era of absolute double arrogance.
Since 2008, who can break the Merro monopoly has been a worldwide conundrum. The older generations of Sneijder and Ribery, who were infinitely close to glory, regrettably missed; the older Generations of Neymar and Griezmann, who were older than Mero, had high hopes but were slightly less than hot. In the end, it was a competitor who was the same age as C Messi and was in the same era that stood out – Modric relied on the magical year of 2018 to reach the top and finally became a great instrument.
At the world footballer of the year award ceremony, Modric said with some emotion: "At this special moment, I want to mention my idol , The 1998 World Cup Croatian captain Boban. They finished third in their first World Cup and it was that team that gave me confidence that hard work and faith can make all dreams come true. At this time, Boban, who was sitting in the audience, was in tears, spanning two generations of legends spanning 20 years, and closely linked the glory of Croatian football.
Born in Zadar, Yugoslavia, Modric was 5 years old and herded sheep in the barren mountains of his hometown, where images circulate on the Internet, representing his difficult childhood. During the war-torn years, the Modric family was displaced, and they even spent many years in refugee hotels.
In those days, Modric, who loved football, remained optimistic, believing that some dreams could change his destiny. Football is precisely the biggest dream of the young Modric. When he was 12 years old, the new World Cup team Croatia made history, that team, in addition to the captain Boban, Proscineski and Sukh are also world-renowned superstars, their golden generation of growth trajectory he is similar, that is, in the domestic giants Zagreb Dinamo team to become famous and then go to the world. Modric's football career also followed in the footsteps of his predecessors, it was he who debuted at Dinamo Zagreb, where he rose to prominence, helping the team achieve three consecutive league titles, and at the age of 23, he was twice named Croatian Footballer of the Year.
After Euro 2008, Modric made his first appearance in the top five leagues, wearing Tottenham's no. 14 shirt. Since then, this number has become the regular number of Modric in the early days of fame at the club and the national team. Modric later recalled that he had chosen No. 14 to pay tribute to Kloof. Indeed, Modric and Cruyff look exactly like the young Cruyff, with the same height, size, and cool ball style, and the number 14 is Cruyff's world-famous number.
Modric spent 4 years at Tottenham, four years when he didn't have the title honour but grew up fast. In White Hart Lane, in the big competition, Modric quickly became one of the world's top midfielders with his steady play. Chinese fans based on the harmonic sound of Modric's name, coupled with his pu zhenyi style of play, gave him an appropriate nickname - magic flute, a beautiful and loud and meaningful nickname that accompanies him to this day.
When The Magic Flute landed at the Bernabeu in the summer of 2012, he had high hopes. However, Modric, who was under Mourinho's account, did not quickly integrate, and he was even considered by the Spanish media to be one of the worst signings in Real Madrid's history. Perhaps, this is a necessary step for every player who goes deep into the big club.
Modric's real take-off began in the Ancelotti era, and he and the team went to lianfeng. People will not forget real Madrid's miracle in the 2014 Champions League final, Ramos's 92-48 second header saved the team from danger, but not everyone will remember that the right corner assist came from Modric. At Real Madrid, Modric, who is accustomed to hiding behind the giant star ring, is like this, with a low-key but efficient play to achieve his and the team's dreams. After completing a perfect Champions League experience, the Galactic continues to show its dominance in Europe. Two years later, they became the first defending champions after the Champions League restructuring, and in 2018 they achieved an incredible triple crown, an honor that is difficult to replicate, especially in the era of European football.
In the middle of summer 2018, just a month after winning the Champions League three times with Real Madrid, The Croatian team led by Modric gave an unparalleled performance at the World Cup in Russia. This was his sixth time in the World Series, but it was the first time as a captain, and after the retirement of the old captain Silner, the magic flute held up the new banner of the Lattice Legion. At the age of 32, he walked resolutely to the forefront of the team, leading the team to re-play the Croatian Rhapsody of 20 years ago.
In the first two games, Modric scored two goals and became the best player in both matches, including the world wave against Argentina, which was a clean blow to the group's strongest opponent with a 3-0 game. In the knockout rounds, Croatia showed the coexistence of strength and courage. They went to penalty shootouts in two consecutive knockouts, three consecutive knockouts into extra time, three consecutive knockouts to complete the reversal, and they miraculously reached the final with the physical exertion of almost one more game. On the road to the final, Modric's total running distance reached 62.6 kilometers, the longest running distance of all the players in the World Cup, which is not easy for a 32-year-old veteran, and the "midfield perpetual motion machine" is the most accurate title for him.
Two goals and one assist in the World Cup, just looking at the data level obviously can not cover Modric's full contribution. In this team, he is the leader and must always show the responsibility of the captain. 1/8 final against Denmark Although he missed a penalty in the 116th minute, this responsibility pushed him to the penalty spot again ten minutes later and scored steadily, helping the Lattice Army to get through the danger. Facing the hosts in the quarter-finals, although 106 minutes had passed, this responsibility drove him to regain the ball by running across the whole field. After getting the corner kick, he used a short break to lean on the billboard to soothe his strength, and then immediately engaged in a more brutal fight in the final stages.
This is the magic flute, who wears the number 10 jersey of the idol Boban and completes the feat of surpassing the idol. Croatia eventually set the best record in team history with a World Cup runner-up result, and the afterglow of the golden generation 20 years ago is still shining, but Croatia's new golden generation has surpassed history. Modric won the World Cup Ballon d'Or with his undisputed performance, coupled with his outstanding performance in achieving three consecutive Champions League titles for Real Madrid, he finally won the World Footballer of the Year and the Ballon d'Or, breaking through the monopoly of the absolute double arrogance and playing the strongest sound. As he himself says, diligence and faith will make your dreams come true.
In the 2022 Champions League quarter-finals, Real Madrid played at home to Paris, and in the match, Messi took the ball to advance, and the 37-year-old veteran desperately chased back, a tackle, declaring that his peak was still there.
Of course, this is by no means Modric's last cry, Croatia's championship pursuit is still not realized, and he is still looking up at the galaxy in the neckline of world football. The Croatian national anthem sings: "When the sun kisses his fertile soil, when the wind blows his oak trees, when heaven summons his beloved, his heart still beats for Croatia." The 37-year-old magic flute is hoping to use the beat of his career to play a more passionate movement, playing proudly for Croatia on the world stage again.