{"id":2973,"date":"2016-06-14T11:34:33","date_gmt":"2016-06-14T06:04:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/13.201.39.237\/?p=2973"},"modified":"2026-07-17T20:19:26","modified_gmt":"2026-07-17T14:49:26","slug":"luka-modric-fifa-world-cup-finals-croatia-france-russia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/13.207.105.184\/?p=2973","title":{"rendered":"Luka Modri\u0107: The Man Who Embodies Everything Sport Should Be About"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

T<\/span><\/p><\/div>

he visual of Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovi\u0107 trying to console a sobbing Luka Modri\u0107 after their side\u2019s 4-2 loss to France in the World Cup final is going to stay with me \u2013 and I am certain I speak for many who love and follow football with ardent devotion. It was irrelevant whether you supported <\/span>Croatia<\/span><\/a>, France, or were a neutral spectator. Watching a grown man cry after a game is heartbreaking. More so, when it is Luka Modri\u0107, a player you just cannot not love.<\/span>\n\nAt 32, Luka Modri\u0107 might have played his last game at a <\/span>World Cup<\/span><\/a> for Croatia, taking them to the finals and winning the Golden Ball in the process. In his own words, it was a \u201cbittersweet moment,\u201d because personal glory is pale in comparison to winning the ultimate prize for the team. It tells you everything you need to know about the Croatian captain.<\/span>\n\nWith three Man of the <\/span>Match <\/span><\/a>awards in seven games, Croatia\u2019s midfield general had a stellar tournament. It is rather fitting that the biggest stage of them all, was graced by his tiny, dignified, and unassuming presence. \u00a0<\/span>\n\nIn the time span that Modri\u0107 receives a pass and passes the ball to the next <\/span>player<\/span><\/a>, football seems to be the easiest sport on the planet. Everything seems simple, clear, and evident. \u201cThat\u2019s what I would have done,\u201d you think. Why doesn\u2019t everyone play like him?<\/span>\n\nThe <\/span>football <\/span><\/a>world idolises pace, dribbling, and trickery. We love watching Cristiano Ronaldo embarrass a defender with a nutmeg, we love watching Lionel Messi go past half the team with quick feet, we love watching Kylian Mbapp\u00e9 run at 45 kmph. In a world that is premised on speed, Luka Modri\u0107 has mastered the art of the pause. Of waiting for the right moment. Of moulding space and time on the football pitch. <\/span>\n\n

A team man, a leader, and one of the best box-to-box midfielders in the game.\n<\/p><\/blockquote> \n\nAt any moment in the game, Modri\u0107 is aware where every one of his teammates is, almost like an aerial cam is feeding his brain. He always has an extra second on him, to make a decision, and it always seems to be the right one, like a chess grandmaster who has perfected the <\/span>end-game<\/span><\/a>. He knows when to make a pass and the precise weight it should carry. He knows when someone around will make a run and what it\u2019ll lead to. Modri\u0107 has the rare ability that very few in the game have, of knowing what\u2019s going to happen in the next three seconds. <\/span>\n\nThe reason Luka Modri\u0107 is adored in the world of <\/span>football<\/span><\/a>, is because there\u2019s no nonsense associated with him. He doesn\u2019t roll over like a drama queen every 15 seconds, he doesn\u2019t have a flashy signature celebration or any headline sponsors. He never walks into an interview and says outrageous things. There\u2019s an underrated professionalism and dignity with which he carries himself, that we all love. There\u2019s nothing about him that says \u201cLook at me!\u201d<\/span>\n\n\"luka-modric-midfield\"\n

\n

At any moment in the game, Modri\u0107 is aware where every one of his teammates is, almost like an aerial cam is feeding his brain.<\/p>\n

Image Credits: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\nHe quietly takes the pitch every game, runs more than anyone, touches the ball more than anyone, and creates chances more than anyone, doing the job for the <\/span>team<\/span><\/a>. That\u2019s what Modri\u0107 is all about: He creates chances so his teammates can score and he intercepts play so that his defenders are shielded. A team man, a leader, and one of the best box-to-box midfielders in the game.<\/span>\n\nCroatia\u2019s dream <\/span>World Cup<\/span><\/a> campaign will be remembered for its comebacks and its modest group of players, consistently punching above weight. A war survivor, a child refugee, a \u201cshy kid who was too timid\u201d to play football, Modri\u0107 also kept making comebacks from adversity and punched above weight, to become one of the most loved players on the planet. <\/span>\n\nIn the words of commentator Peter Dury, \u201cThere isn\u2019t a person who embodies their country, much like Luka Modri\u0107\u201d. In him, we see everything we want <\/span>sport <\/span><\/a>to be about.<\/span>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In a world that idolises speed, Luka Modri\u0107 has mastered the art of the pause. Of waiting for the right moment. Of moulding space and time on the football pitch. With three Man of the Match awards, he\u2019s had a stellar tournament. And yet, nothing about him screams, \u201cLook at me!\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":164,"featured_media":2976,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[394],"tags":[2253,5822,5581,5504,396,280,5135,5880,5881,5882,5620,10,3420,1307,5883,2018,5700,3218],"class_list":["post-2973","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports","tag-captain","tag-croatia","tag-cup","tag-fifa","tag-football","tag-france","tag-goals","tag-luka","tag-midfield","tag-modric","tag-own-goal","tag-peddler","tag-real-madrid","tag-russia","tag-scoreboard","tag-shehenshah","tag-var","tag-world"],"yoast_head":"\nLuka Modri\u0107: The Man Who Embodies Everything Sport Should Be About<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In a world that idolises speed, Luka Modri\u0107 has mastered the art of the pause. Of waiting for the right moment. 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