Luka ModricComing out of the World Cup stage, and, perhaps, the world football, has not been beautiful or 10 perfect, the number that he made with love and appeal over the years. The ending was, however, shocking – and brutal. Just as Croatia decided that Josko Gvardiol’s late equalizer against Portugal was enough to deny the inevitable, enter VAR and its usual scheme to turn it into célèbre. Modric, seemingly unmoved by the chaos that surrounded him, his face shows that he has given up on his fate, it was slowly covered with a warm embrace from. Cristiano Ronaldo. It was a moment of catharsis. Of two middle-aged men. Ronaldo they are now deep into the competition, but Modric’s fifth bid for the top prize is unlikely to happen. “I played with Luke for many years. We are almost the same age. He is a legend of football; he is still a legend of football because he continues to play well and has a very good character. It is amazing,” Ronaldo later let his opinion be known to the world. The 40-year-old Croatian – often hailed as the greatest player from the small, proud Central European nation – is capping his World Cup career with a silver and bronze medal, and a Golden Ball and Bronze Ball to boot. A player’s never-ending thirst to achieve his goals often comes with a price and a motivational system, but judging Modric through this lens is more than just fun. Because compassion has not been necessary to create interest in his game, because his football has been hitting with his life-affirming nature. This is where he is unique, perhaps providing a humanized version of a sports hero. If Davor Suker – a goal-scoring machine – represented a symbol of hope and joy for Croatia that represented itself by helping them finish third in the 1998 World Cup, Modric added to that legacy, which serves as a bridge between the country’s incredible arrival and his new identity in the 21st century as a football great. Modric himself was a child of Croatia’s war of independence, his early years made him a refugee moving to other places in search of survival. Fortunately, instead of taking up arms, he found in football a calm in the midst of chaos. His ball has always been eager to restore order, and this has helped him rise above the average. In its impressive presence, in the beautiful courts outside the shoes or crosses, beauty has become something more than beauty, like Roger Federer’s backhand – explaining the secret of how it changes the defense to attack, and attack the winner before the opponents notice. Like any number 10, he has always dreamed of football. Tottenham gave him a platform to announce his arrival, and it was at Real Madrid that he really found his big part to fulfill his dreams, marrying his way with an unchanging attitude. It was not stereotypical, but a symphony of pure joy. His rise as the heartbeat of the Spanish team coincided with Croatia’s most successful period in international football, finishing second in the 2018 World Cup and third four years later in Qatar. In his last dance on the world stage, he may have fallen like an old king, but he did not please the crowd. Football will be empty now, but Modric’s legacy will last.
