Modric and Croatia: Defying the Odds Again

Luka Modric, Croatia's most decorated footballer, continues to defy expectations as he prepares to lead his nation into the 2026 World Cup. At 40, the Real Madrid midfielder will captain Croatia against England in their opening match on Wednesday (21:00 BST). His journey from a war-displaced child to a Ballon d'Or winner and six-time Champions League champion is emblematic of a small country that consistently punches above its weight in international football.

Early Days and a Haircut Dispute

Romeo Jozak, a key figure in Croatian youth development, recalls coaching a teenage Modric at Dinamo Zagreb's second team. The young midfielder was protective of his long hair, which became a point of contention. 'I was freaking out,' Jozak says. 'Any pass he was going to do, it was [flick of the hair]. We even had a couple of fights. Well, I was the coach and I had the last word, so he eventually cut that hair!' Modric later told Jozak, 'Do you know you and the army are the only ones that cut my hair?' Jozak adds, 'There's a respect and I feel it whenever we see each other, even though he's now the superstar.'

War and Resilience

Modric's childhood was shaped by the Croatian War of Independence (1991–1995). When he was six, his grandfather, also named Luka, was killed by Serbian forces near their home in the Velebit mountains. The family home was burned, and Modric's father went to war. Forced to move to Zadar, Modric lived as a refugee in hotels, playing football with other displaced children. He is one of the few current squad members who lived through the conflict.

The Croatia national team was admitted by FIFA in 1992 and UEFA in 1993, missing qualification for the 1994 World Cup. However, stars like Zvonimir Boban, Davor Šuker, and Robert Prosinečki—who had previously represented a strong Yugoslavia side—led Croatia to the Euro 96 quarter-finals and a third-place finish at the 1998 World Cup, defeating Germany and the Netherlands.

Pride and Self-Confidence

Jozak, whose own playing career was cut short by injuries, later became Dinamo Zagreb's academy director and technical director of the Croatian Football Federation. He believes the war instilled a drive in players, but pride now comes from results. 'We don't use it as a motivation per se, because that motivation is built within the players,' he says. 'But some had relatives killed in the war and those things stay inside of you. You take it out of your genes and use it when you need it the most.' He adds, 'Pride initially came from the country, from the patriotic things that we've had in the past regarding the war. Yes, we're a small country, but lately with the results we've had and even we have with the youth, it is not only pride, it's self-confidence.'

A Nation of Overachievers

It took 20 years for Croatia to again emerge from a World Cup group stage, but the 2018 golden generation surpassed the original by reaching the final, losing to France. In 2022, they finished third. Modric, who joined Dinamo Zagreb at 16 after being overlooked by Hajduk Split, has been central to this success. Jozak recalls, 'He was always a good guy, well-educated, humble. He wasn't a doubt, because we always saw something in him.' Now, with nearly 200 caps, Modric remains the heartbeat of a team that continues to defy the odds.