February 22, 2023 - Aging like a fine wine, maestro Luka Modrić continues to impress in the Champions League at 37 years old. 

It was an epic duel at Anfield on Tuesday night as part of the Champions League round of 16. Liverpool hosted Real Madrid in the first leg of this last-16 tie, and by the 67th minute, it was already 2:5 for Real Madrid. 

Liverpool was up 2:0 in the first 15 minutes with goals from Nunez and Salah, but the current European champion woke up five minutes later, and two goals from Vinicius in the 21st and 36th minutes leveled the result. Luka Modrić masterfully assisted for the Real Madrid lead at 2:3 in the 47th minute and intercepted the ball from Liverpool in Madrid's half to launch the play that resulted in Madrid's 5th and final goal, scored by Karim Benzema.

Modrić's world-class performance lasted until the 87th minute when he was subbed off for Toni Kroos. The 37-year-old Croat received a standing ovation from the whole of Anfield, proving once again that his Champions League masterclass knows no age. 

Real Madrid became the first club in history to score five goals against Liverpool in a European match at Anfield.

"This is how Real Madrid wins," wrote Luka Modrić on Twitter and Instagram after Real Madrid's fantastic performance. The Croatia captain also received praise from all sides for his outstanding play.

"It was the usual Modrić, the best one can see, constant, in rhythm, with good control of the ball. I think he was key in the moments when we had difficulties," said coach Carlo Ancelotti.

"These are tournaments for players like Modric, Kroos, and Karim, where experience makes the difference. When you're down 2:0, the experience of these players is key to helping the younger players stay focused," added the Italian expert.

Spanish sports daily Marca was also full of praise.

"He is a leader and life insurance on big nights. It's crazy to rule Anfield at 37."

"The fact that Liverpool fans applauded Luka and Karim only proves that people here know how to appreciate these guys who play great," said Real Madrid's goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.

The 37-year-old Croatia captain wants to end his career at Real Madrid, and according to Ancelotti, he deserves a contract extension, which expires on June 30.

"Modrić has a career in which he has shown it and shows that he deserves it. He didn't do well in January but returned to his best level and will continue to grow. I am sure of this because he is physically excellent and also wants to play for Real Madrid," Ancelotti said.

Modrić said at the same press conference that he wants to earn a new contract and not be given or offered one because of past merits and achievements. However, the club and the player still haven't discussed his contract renewal. 

The Croatia national team captain won 22 trophies with Real Madrid, and this season made 31 appearances for the club. Real Madrid is defending the Champions League title this season.

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

June 8, 2022 - Luka Modrić has officially extended his Real Madrid contract until 2023, meaning the Croatian footballer will play with the Spanish club until he is 37 years old. 

Real Madrid has officially announced that the Croatia captain and star Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modrić has signed a new contract with the 'Royal' club until June 2023.

"I am happy and proud to continue wearing the Real Madrid jersey for at least another year. I want to keep giving everything I can to the club. I am proud to wear this jersey. Thank you for your support and love. Hala Madrid," said Luka during the signing and added:

"I am very happy to be able to continue playing for the best club in the world. It has been 10 years since I came here, and I continue with the same desire as on the first day."

Many predicted Modrić's departure from Real Madrid. Manchester City was mentioned and even the potential of playing in the USA. Fortunately, the Croatian footballer has at least another year left in him to play for the biggest club in the world. 

Modrić has been playing for Real Madrid since August 2012, when he was transferred from Tottenham Hotspur. The #10 midfielder has won 20 trophies with Real Madrid, five of which are the Champions League.

Modrić left the Croatia national team camp in Split yesterday and arrived in Madrid for today's ceremony. After signing the contract, he immediately flew to Split where he continued preparations for the matches against Denmark and France.

The Croatia national team player has collected 436 appearances for Real Madrid to date, with 31 goals and 73 assists.

During his time at Real Madrid, he became the best footballer in the world in 2018 and won all of the individual awards that a footballer can win. 

Real Madrid won the Champions League, the Spanish Championship (La Liga), and the Super Cup this year.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated sports section. 

May 29, 2022 - Croatian legend Luka Modrić wins the fifth Champions League of his career with Real Madrid after beating Liverpool 1-0 in Paris. To celebrate, he has extended his contract until June 2023!

Yesterday, Real Madrid beat Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League final in Paris with a goal from Vinicius Jr. in the 59th minute. This way, the team from the Spanish capital achieved its 14th European Cup in its history, greatly lengthening the difference with the rest of the continent's clubs. Some players from the squad, such as Karim Benzema, Dani Carvajal, Nacho Fernández, Marcelo, Isco, Casemiro, and Gareth Bale added the 5th Champions League trophy to their showcase, after winning the first one in 2014 in Lisbon. Likewise, Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti became the first coach in history to win four Champions League titles, two with AC Milan (2002-03 and 2006-07) and two with Real Madrid (2013-14 and 2021-22).

Nice to see you again ? pic.twitter.com/kl0adlP3xH

— Luka Modrić (@lukamodric10) May 28, 2022

The captain of the Croatian national team, Luka Modrić, is also among the select group of footballers with five Champions League titles to his name. The 36-year-old Zadar-born midfielder played 90 minutes of the match before being replaced by Dani Ceballos. Luka has been considered by many journalists, fans, and even players from other teams as one of the architects of this new title for Real Madrid. Prior to playing the match against Liverpool, Luka stood out in the previous matches against Paris Saint Germain in the round of 16, against Chelsea in the quarter-finals, and against Manchester City in the semi-finals, showing that his great form doesn't seem to wear off over the years.

Luka played all 13 games in the European competition, where he gave 4 assists and received just one yellow card. The Croatian ends his tenth season with Real Madrid in a great way, winning both the Spanish league and the UEFA Champions League, as well as being a decisive piece in Carlo Ancelotti's team.

Beautiful news for Real Madrid during the celebrations: Luka Modrić has signed a new contract until June 2023, here we go! ?⚪️ #Modric

Full verbal agreement was reached two months ago - so it’s now also signed and completed. Official statement pending.

Luka se queda. ??? pic.twitter.com/C3HayEwql3

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 28, 2022

And the good news, both for Luka and for Real Madrid, did not end there. As confirmed by the Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, for many considered the most reliable source in terms of football transfers, Luka has signed the extension of his contract with Real Madrid for one more year, until June 2023, pending an official club statement. Luka will now join the Croatian squad ahead of the Nations League matches against Austria, France, and Denmark.

Congratulations Luka!

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Maay 13, 2022 - Luka Modrić recorded a historic three Real Madrid assists in a single match - a first-time feat after 434 appearances for the Royal club!

In the 36th round of the Spanish football championship La Liga, Real Madrid defeated Levante 6-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium. But what makes this result even more unique is that three assists came from Luka Modrić.

With this defeat, Levante was left without a mathematical prospect to stay in the First League two rounds before the end of the championship.

It was another great performance of the new Spanish champion as Real Madrid celebrated thanks to triple scorer Vinicius Junior and triple assistant Luka Modrić.

For the first time in 434 appearances in Real Madrid's jersey, Modrić recorded three assists in one match. The last Real player to do so was James Rodríguez against Rayo Vallecano seven years ago.

This season, the Croatia captain recorded 13 assists in all competitions for Real Madrid and he also scored three goals.

Let's add that Benzema reached 323 goals in Real's jersey, tying for second place in the club rankings with Raul. In front of them is only Cristiano Ronaldo with 450 goals.

The 'Royal club' took the lead in the 13th minute with a goal by Ferland Mendy on Modrić's pass. Six minutes later, Karim Benzema scored for 2-0, this time assisted by Vinicius Junior.

By the end of the first half, Real scored two more goals, both assisted by the captain of the Croatia national team - in the 34th for Rodrygo, and in the 45th for Vinicius Junior.

Real continued to dominate in the 68th minute when Junior scored his second goal of the game, and in the 83rd minute, he scored a hat-trick for the final 6-0. Modrić played until the 75th minute when he was replaced by Peter Gonzalez.

Real Madrid leads the table with an unattainable 84 points, Barcelona is second with 72 points, while Atletico Madrid is third with 67 points. Sevilla (66)a and Real Betis (61) follow.

Levante remains at the bottom with 29 points, six less than Cadiz, which is in 17th and ensures salvation. However, Cadiz is better head-to-head (2-0, 1-1), so there is no hope for Levante.

Source: Gol.hr

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May 5, 2022 - Croatia continues its impressive Champions League final series. For the eleventh year in a row, Croatia will have a representative in the Champions League final, confirming it is a superpower in the European football world. 

But just how rare is this feat? 24 Sata reports that apart from Croatia, only Brazil, Spain and France had players in the last ten Champions League finals!

After Real Madrid beat Man City in extra time on Wednesday night's semifinal, Croatia captain Luka Modrić locked his spot in his fifth Champions League final. Luka has also won in all four so far - twice against Atletico, once against Juventus, and once against Liverpool. If he wins with Madrid in Paris on May 28, he will take home his 20th trophy with the Royal club. 

The last final without a Croatian footballer was in 2011 between Guardiola's Barcelona and Ferguson's Manchester United at Wembley. After that, a series started: Ivica Olić 2012, Mario Mandžukić 2013, Luka Modrić 2014, Ivan Rakitić 2015, Luka Modrić 2016, Luka Modrić and Mario Mandžukić 2017, Luka Modrić and Dejan Lovren 2018, Dejan Lovren 2019, Ivan Perišić 2020, Mateo Kovačić 2021, Luka Modrić 2022.

Out of 19 Croatian footballers in the Champions League final, 11 of them have celebrated the title. 

The first was Josip Pirmajer (for Partizan in the 2-1 defeat in 1966 against Real Madrid) and Ivan Ćurković (defended for St. Etienne in the loss to Bayern in 1976).

Ivan Iko Buljan, the legendary Hajduk footballer, was a member of the trophy generation of HSV, which reached the final in 1980 and lost to Nottingham Forest 1-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The first Croatian to become the European champion was Robert Prosinečki, who defeated Marseille (5-3, 0-0) with Red Star in Bari in 1991 after penalties. Prosinečki was the first to take the shot and was accurate from the penalty spot.

Alen Bokšić won the Champions League with Marseille in 1993, when they celebrated against Milan 1-0 with a goal by Basile Boli. Bokšić also played against Juventus in the final in 1997 and lost at the same Olympic Stadium in Munich (3-1). 

Zvonimir Boban lifted the Champions League trophy in 1994 when Milan beat Barcelona in the final (4-0). A year later Boban played the final with Milan but lost to Ajax.

Davor Šuker had a great summer when Croatia won bronze at the 1998 World Cup and he took home the Golden Boot in France. That spring, Real became European champion for the seventh time. The winning goal against Juventus (1-0) was scored by Predrag Mijatović in the 66th minute. In the 89th he was replaced by Šuker.

Dario Šimić spent his best football years at Inter and Milan. Milan played in three Champions League finals while Šimić was on the team, though he did not play in any of the finals. 

Igor Tudor was a solid link in the Juventus defense in the 2002/2003 season, in which they reached the Champions League final. In the semifinal, they knocked out the mighty Real, which marked the end of an era. Juventus played 0-0 against Milan in the final at Old Trafford and then lost on penalties. Tudor played until the 42nd minute when he was injured and Birindelli came on.

Dado Pršo and Monaco managed to advance to the final in 2004, where Mourinho's Porto (3-0) became famous, having also won the Europa League a year earlier. Pršo will still remember the four goals he scored in the group, in Monaco's 8-3 victory against Deportivo.

Igor Bišćan experienced the most incredible Champions League final when Liverpool came back from 0-3 against Milan in 2005 and celebrated after penalties. Bišćan, despite his significant role that season and excellent quarterfinals against Juventus and semifinals against Chelsea, watched the game from the box. Benitez did not include him in the team for the final.

Three Croatians were part of the Bayer Leverkusen side that reached the Champions League final at Hampden Park in 2002 and lost to Real Madrid 2-1 after Zinedine Zidane scored his most famous goal to win. Boris Živković played the whole match. Marko Babić entered the first minute of extra time in the final against Real. The third Croat in Bayer's squad was Jurica Vranješ, but he did not enter the game in the final.

Ivica Olić played two Champions League finals with Bayern: 2010 against Inter (0-2) and 2012 against Chelsea, but never won. Moreover, at the Allianz Arena against Chelsea, Olić missed a penalty in the shootout. Chelsea won 5-4 (1-1). Danijel Pranjic was on Bayern's lineup sheet in two finals, 2010 against Inter (0-2) and 2012 against Chelsea (4-5 - 1-1), but did not play.

The only Croatian to score a goal in the Champions League final for two clubs is Mario Mandžukić. In the German final between Bayern and Borussia Dortmund at Wembley in 2013, Mario scored the first goal in the 2-1 victory. In 2017 he played in the final and scored for Juventus in the 4-1 defeat to Real Madrid with a stunning half-scissor kick.

Luka Modrić, on the other hand, is the only Croatian footballer to have won the Champions League four times. Real beat Atletico 4-1 in the 2014 final and again in 2016 after penalties. They beat Juventus in 2017 4-1 and Liverpool 3-1 in 2018.

In 2015, Ivan Rakitić scored the first goal in Barcelona's 3-1 victory against Juventus.

In the 2016 final against Atletico, Mateo Kovačić remained in the stands, and in 2017 and 2018 on the Real bench. Last season he went to the final with Chelsea, kicking out Real. He entered the match in 2021 in the 80th minute.

Dejan Lovren played for Liverpool against Real in Kyiv in 2018 and assisted in their 3-1 defeat.

In Lisbon in 2020, Bayern beat PSG 1-0, and Ivan Perišić played from the 68th minute.

Croatians in Champions League finals:

• 1993. Alen Bokšić (Marseille)
• 1994. Zvonimir Boban (Milan)
• 1995. Zvonimir Boban (Milan)
• 1997. Alen Bokšić (Juventus)
• 1998. Davor Šuker (Real Madrid)
• 2002. Boris Živković, Marko Babić, Jurica Vranješ (Bayer Leverkusen)
• 2003. Dario Šimić (Milan), Igor Tudor (Juventus)
• 2004. Dado Pršo (Monaco)
• 2005. Igor Bišćan (Liverpool)
• 2007. Dario Šimić (Milan)
• 2010. Ivica Olić, Danijel Pranjić (Bayern)
• 2012. Ivica Olić, Danijel Pranjić (Bayern)
• 2013. Mario Mandžukić (Bayern)
• 2014. Luka Modrić (Real Madrid)
• 2015. Ivan Rakitić (Barcelona)
• 2016. Luka Modrić, Mateo Kovačić (Real Madrid)
• 2017. Luka Modrić, Mateo Kovačić (Real Madrid), Mario Mandžukić, Marko Pjaca (Juventus)
• 2018. Luka Modrić, Mateo Kovačić (Real Madrid), Dejan Lovren (Liverpool)
• 2019. Dejan Lovren (Liverpool)
• 2020. Ivan Perišić (Bayern)
• 2021. Mateo Kovačić (Chelsea)

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April 30, 2022 - Real Madrid has become the Spanish champion for the 35th time, clinching the LaLiga title today against Espanyol.

A year ago, Real Madrid was left without a title in the last round, but this season looked a bit different. 

In the 34th round of LaLiga, Real Madrid beat Espanyol (4-0) at home and thus, for the 35th time in history, secured the Spanish title. Second-placed Sevilla is 17 points behind and Barcelona is -18 with a game less. Even if they celebrate on Sunday, they cannot theoretically overthrow Madrid.

Rodrygo scored two goals for 2-0 Madrid at halftime, followed by Asensio and Benzema goals in the 55th and 81st minutes for the final 4-0. 

On Wednesday, Real Madrid and Manchester City will play in the second leg of the Champions League semi-finals, meaning Ancelotti didn't want to exhaust his most important players. Luka Modric played until the 60th minute.

This title is special for Real in many ways. Brazilian footballer Marcelo has gone down in history as the most trophy-winning footballer in the club’s history with 24 trophies, and nothing could have passed without Don Carlo getting another column in the history books. He became the first coach in history to win a championship in all five leagues! He succeeded with Milan, Chelsea, PSG, Bayern, and now Real Madrid.

Croatian maestro Luka Modrić will remember this as the day he won his 19th trophy with Real Madrid, making him the fifth most trophy-winning player in the club's history.

Luka made history with Real Madrid and won four Champions Leagues, three of them in a row. This is Luka's third La Liga title, while he has also won one Cup, four Club World Cups, three Uefa Super Cups, and four Spanish Super Cups. 

Modrić came to Madrid in 2012, and while he had a rough start, he became one of the best ever to wear the Royal jersey.

Modrić has played 431 games and scored 31 goals with 70 assists so far. This season, he's played a total of 38 games - and that's all at 36. 

Source: 24Sata

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March 31, 2022 - The Luka Modrić Entrance at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium would be entrances #10 and #19, according to a fan poll by Spanish national daily sports newspaper Marca. 

Entrances 10 and 19 at the soon-to-be renovated Real Madrid stadium would be named 'Luka Modrić,' according to an online poll by the Spanish sports newspaper Marca published on Wednesday, reports Gol.hr.

In March, Marca offered readers between three and five names of former and current Real Madrid footballers for each entrance to the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.

The captain of the Croatia national team, Luka Modrić, competed with four other players who once wore the #10 on their jerseys.

Forty-six percent of readers voted for the current center midfielder of Real Madrid, Luka Modrić. Ferenc Puskas, who played for the Royal Club from 1958 to 1966, received 44 percent of the vote. Luis Figo received six percent, and Ricardo Gallego and Manuel Velázquez received two percent. 

The poll garnered close to 40,000 votes, Marca reported.

However, Luka Modrić could also get entrance #19 as he wore that number from his arrival at the club in 2012 to 2017. In the competition for that entrance, Luka received 55 percent of the vote, José Antonio Reyes 39 percent, and Esteban Cambiasso two percent.

Modrić is Real Madrid's oldest player at 36 and hopes to extend his contract, which expires in exactly three months, on June 30, 2022. 

At the same time, work is underway to rebuild the stadium in the north of the city. Real Madrid, the leading team in the Spanish championship, did not report whether they would actually name the entrances to the Santiago Bernabé after their players, but it isn't a bad idea. 

According to a poll conducted on the Marca website, the number one entrance would be called Iker Casillas, honoring the former goalkeeper and captain.

Other entries would be: Chendo (2), Roberto Carlos (3), Sergio Ramos (4), Zinedine Zidane (5), Vicente del Bosque (6), Cristiano Ronaldo (7), Michel (8), Alfredo di Stéfano 9), Paco Gento (11), Marcelo (12), Thibaut Courtois (13), Guti (14), Fernando Morientes (15), Gabriel Heinze (16), Van Nistelrooy (17), Aitor Karanka (18), Vinicius (20), Santiago Solari (21), Di María (22), David Beckham (23) and Claude Makelele (24).

In the competition for #16 was Croatia national team player Mate Kovačić, who wore the Real Marid jersey from 2015 to 2018 before moving to Chelsea. Kovačić garnered 18 percent of the vote, James Rodríguez 32 percent, and winner Gabriel Heinze 50 percent.

Former Croatia striker Davor Šuker, who played for Real Madrid from 1996 to 1999, was not offered among the best #9 players. Poll winner Di Stéfano, Karim Benzema, Ronaldo Nazario, Santillana and Hugo Sánchez competed for the famous number. 

Real Madrid, which has won the European title 13 times, marked its 120th anniversary this month.

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March 18,  2022 - Luka Modrić and Mateo Kovačić will meet in the Champions League quarterfinals as Real Madrid and Chelsea face off next month. 

The draw for the Champions League quarterfinals was held today at the headquarters of the European Football Federation (UEFA) in Nyon.

The draw was open and there were no seeded teams or “protected” pairs. Any team could be drawn against any other team.

Certainly one of the most interesting pairs is the clash between the current European champions Chelsea and the most trophy-winning European club Real Madrid. It will be a clash between two of Croatia's best footballers - Luka Modrić and Mate Kovačić. Last season, Chelsea and Real Madrid met in the semifinals and the English club advanced with a 3:1 aggregate. 

Manchester City will play against Atletico Madrid, Villarreal will meet Bayern, while Benfica will play against Liverpool.

The semifinal pairs were also drawn immediately. The winner of the Manchester City - Atletico Madrid match will play against the winner of the Chelsea and Real Madrid match. 

In the second semifinal, the winners of Benfica - Liverpool, and Villarreal - Bayern Munich will play.

England (Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea) and Spain (Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid, Villarreal) will have three clubs in the quarterfinals, and Germany (Bayern) and Portugal (Benfica) will have one each.

Five Croatian footballers remain in the competition - Luka Modrić (Real), Mateo Kovačić (Chelsea), Šime Vrsaljko (Atletico Madrid), and Bayern's reserves Josip Stanišić and Gabriel Vidović.

The first quarterfinal matches are scheduled for April 5 and 6, and the return matches are on April 12 and 13. The semifinals are on April 26 and 27, and the return matches are on May 3 and 4. The final is on May 28 at the Stade de France in Paris.

After the Champions League draw, the draw for the Europa League quarterfinals and semifinals follows from 13:30.

The eight best clubs in the Europa League are from Germany (Eintracht and Leipzig), and Italy (Atalanta), Spain (Barcelona), Portugal (Braga), France (Lyon), Scotland (Rangers), and England (West Ham) will have one representative each in the quarterfinals.

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October 31, 2021 - The Real Madrid captain armband was worn by a Croatian footballer for the first time in history on Saturday, and it's no surprise that Croatia captain Luka Modrić had the honor. 

In the Real Madrid victory against Elche (2:1), Luka Modić had the honor of wearing the captain's armband of one of the biggest clubs in the world. The Croatia captain also wore it for the first time in his career, reports Index.hr.

Real returned to the top of the table with their victory in this match, and the hero was Vinicius Junior, who scored both goals. He scored first in the 22nd minute, after an assist by Diaz, and then shook the net after Modrić's assist in the 73rd minute.

The home side played with a man down from the 63rd minute after Guti received a second yellow card but again scored in the 86th minute. The shooter was Milla, but Elche couldn't do more than that.

Modrić left the pitch in the 84th minute when Camavinga replaced him. The Croatian midfielder was wearing the captain's armband of the great Real at that moment, taking it in the 65th minute when Marcelo was subbed off, and then handed it over to Carvajal when he walked off. 

So far, six Croats have played for Real Madrid. Apart from Modrić, Mateo Kovačić, Robert Prosinečki, Robert Jarni, Igor Jovićević and Davor Šuker played for the royal club.

Modrić has played 401 games for Real and is currently 20th on the list of players with the most appearances for the Madrid team, with whom he was twice champion of Spain and four times champion of Europe.

"Modrić just keeps on going with Real Madrid. The Croatian played his 400th Real Madrid game in the Clasico victory at Camp Nou. The midfielder has racked up 261 wins and scored 28 goals during that time. He has won everything in his 10 seasons with the team: 4 Champions League titles, 4 Club World Cups, 3 European Super Cups, 2 LaLiga titles, 1 Copa del Rey and 3 Spanish Super Cups.
 
Modrić's games for Real Madrid have come in six competitions: 272 in LaLiga, 89 in the Champions League, 22 in the Copa del Rey, 7 in the Spanish Super Cup, 6 in the Club World Cup and 4 in the European Super Cup. His highest number of appearances in one campaign was in the 2012/13 season, with 53," wrote Real Madrid on its website last week. 

"It's incredible, I'm very proud to have played 400 games for Real Madrid. I'm very happy and very proud. I hope to keep playing more games and to see how many more games I can play," said Modrić on his achievement. 

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October 19, 2021 - Croatia captain and Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modrić has spoken out against the biennial World Cup plan, which would move the international event from every 4 to 2 years. 

Former best footballer in the world and captain of the Croatia national football team Luka Modrić said he did not want the World Cup every two years, reports Gol.hr.

"For me, the World Cup every two years makes no sense. The World Cup is special precisely because it is an event that takes place only every four years," Modrić said at a news conference in Kyiv on Monday before the Champions League match between Real Madrid and Shakhtar. 

"I would not like to see the World Cup - every two years. But, as you (journalists) said, they do not ask us much for an opinion," Modrić added.

FIFA still does not give up on the idea of introducing the World Cup every two years. On the contrary, the organization is conducting a feasibility study on the practicality of organizing championships every two years despite fierce criticism from various federations, clubs, players, and fan groups.

FIFA also announced that it would organize video conferences this week to gather the "point of view" of football coaches on the reform of the international calendar and the introduction of the World Cup every two years.

"The reputation of an event depends on its quality, not its frequency. Every year you have a Super Bowl, Wimbledon or the Champions League, everyone is excited and waiting for them," said International Football Federation (FIFA) President Gianni Infantino during a recent visit to Israel.

The Croatia captain also commented on speculations that the Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema is one of the primary candidates for the Golden Ball.

The award, given by the prestigious France Football, was won by the 36-year-old Croatian footballer in 2018, and this year he is among the 30 remaining players up for the prestigious award.

"There are a few candidates who can win. For me, Karim is one of them. He deserved it because of how he played this year and how he played in recent years. Besides, he won the Nations League with France, and that's important when voting for this award," Modrić said.

Real Madrid is in second place in Group D of the Champions League with three points, while Sheriff is in the lead with six points. Shakhtar and Inter have one point each.

"We have a crucial game ahead of us. Especially because we lost the last one at home. We have no more room for mistakes. We have to enter the game like Real Madrid, with confidence and strength. We were not at the best level in the last three games, but the national team break was welcome. We are ready to play a good game," Modrić said.

"When you play for Real Madrid, you have to get used to the criticism. If you win, everything goes great, but when the results happen to us, like in the last three games, doubts begin whether we are at a good level or not. We don't worry much; we trust ourselves and our qualities," he concluded.

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