February 27, 2023 - Luka Modrić has been named in the FIFA World XI, an honor he received for the 6th time in his career. 

Luka Modrić has been selected as one of the best 11 players in the world this year by FIFPRO, an international association of professional football players. This is a traditional choice in which thousands of football players vote on 27 nominees - three goalkeepers and eight defenders, midfielders, and attackers.

This time there were two Croatian footballers to choose from - 21-year-old Joško Gvardiol and, of course, Luka Modrić. This is the sixth time the Croatia national team captain has been elected to the world's best 11 and the first time since 2019. Luka was named in the best 11 five times in a row from 2015 to 2019. Modrić was not at the ceremony in Paris tonight. 

The FIFA World XI includes Thibaut Courtois of Real Madrid in goal, Achraf Hakimi of PSG, Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool, and Joao Cancelo of Manchester City in defense. In addition to Modrić, the midfielders include Casemiro of Manchester United and Kevin de Bruyne of Manchester City. In the attack is PSG duo Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland of Man City, and Modrić's teammate Karim Benzema.

For the first time since 2006, there is no Cristiano Ronaldo in this selection. The Portuguese footballer left Manchester United last year and went to Saudi Arabia. His biggest rival Lionel Messi was selected for the 16th time in a row.

Messi won the FIFA Men's Best Player award, receiving this recognition for a record seven times. Polish striker Robert Lewandowski won the award in 2020 and 2021. Messi celebrated in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, and 2022, while Cristiano Ronaldo has five laurels, and Brazilian Ronaldo and Zinedine Zidane three each. Luka Modrić won this award in 2018, the same year he won the Ballon d'Or. 

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

January 13, 2021 - Another great recognition for the Croatian footballer: Luka Modric is named the third-best playmaker of the decade. 

The International Institute of Football History and Statistics (IFFHHS) named the captain of the Croatia national football team Luka Modric the third-best playmaker from 2011 to 2020, while the title of the best went to Argentine footballer Lionel Messi.

Lionel Messi, who was named the best in the IFFHS selection in 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2019, and was second in 2011, 2014, 2018, and 2020, was named the best playmaker in the last decade.

The second in the IFFHS selection is his former Barcelona teammate Andres Iniesta, who was twice named the best in the annual selection - in 2012 and 2013. Modric is followed by Belgian footballer Kevin De Bruyne (winner of the 2020 annual selection) and Toni Kroos (in the 2014 annual election).

Luka Modric won the award for the best playmaker in the IFFHS annual selection in 2018. For every year in the past ten years, IFFHHS has given the best playmaker 20 points, the second 19, the third 18, and the twentieth on that list one point. Thus, when all the years are added up, Messi collected 174 points, Andres Iniesta 127 points, and Modric 113.

This is another great recognition for the Croatian footballer, whose age-defying play for Real Madrid could fool anyone that he is 35.

Just the other day, Mundo Deportivo declared Modric one of the best and explained that only Modric did something in the attack out of all Real players.

"Modric was the one who had the best ideas in the attack. He set the rhythm of the game, but none of his teammates could follow that rhythm," the Spanish daily sports newspaper wrote.

Modric will lead Croatia as the captain this year through the World Cup qualifiers, which begin in March against Slovenia, Malta, and Cyprus. 

Croatia will then gather in June for the European Championships, and will kick-off against England in London. 

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

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