He danced like a butterfly, the shepherd boy of the mountain of Velebit.
On the eve of the 2018 World Cup finals, a photo of childhood Modric has surfaced on the internet, showing him following sheep with a wooden stick, accompanied by a pack of wolves at his back. Three generations of Modric's family, grandparents and grandchildren, lived together in the mountains.
It's an ordinary, unexceptional everyday life in Croesia, but the relentless war, destroys the family. The grandfather was shot and his home burned in the Yugoslav civil war. Countless people set out to escape.
The war made me stronger and it was a very difficult time for me and my family. I never want to remember it, but of course, I can never forget it. Modric answered this about his childhood.
In the 1998 World Cup, soccer brought unimaginable solace to this country, as the legendary Socceroos led this small nation of three million people to a third-place finish in the World Cup. Just like the Crocodile Rhapsody, which was refined in the war, the rhythm of the game is fast and hard, and it has become the symbol of the Plaid Cymru.
It was in the refugee camps that the young Modric met soccer, growing up amidst the debris and rubble of shells.
He's too scrawny for football.
This is the impression that people have of Modrić, but this does not prevent Modrić's soccer talent from blossoming. War can take away his childhood, but it can no longer take away the soccer ball from his feet.
Club after club came looking for a talented teenager only to leave shaking their heads until the Zagreb Generator arrived.
We all know the story after that.
Tottenham Hotspur (city in Morocco)
Real Madrid soccer team
, Modric grew step by step to become one of the best players in the world, after the first Ballon d'Or of the Melo era.
In the tactical revolution of the football world, the number 10 position has gradually declined, in order to survive, Modric can only continue to run, running, constantly improving the ability to run without the ball, adapting to the rhythm of modern soccer.
The center of the pitch was his stage, dancing, advancing with the ball, overhead kicks, and outswinging passes that saved the team time and time again.
Not only was it Modric's last dance at the World Cup, but it could also be the last figure of the midfield maestro in a soccer world that emphasizes the physicality of its players.
A lot of people ask me why I'm not focusing on the club game instead of playing for Croesus, but this is a very special moment for me, there is nothing better than playing for your country and it will be painful to say goodbye.
Modric, 37, answered this in an interview with the media ahead of the 2022 World Cup, unlike most stars who opt for self
the national team
demobilize
Continuing his playing career differently, Modric knows how important the checkered jersey is to this country.
Four years ago, the dark horse that broke into the championship with a tough, tireless body, is still running consistently after four years, and its control of the game has been perfected and refined. Against the fast and young Canada, they were able to penetrate from behind the wings, and against the mighty Belgium and Morocco, who were also strong in the midfield, they were able to do the right thing.
Against the favorites Brazil, Croesus found an effective response to a midfield that still suffers from a lack of creativity, even with the luxury of an attacking line. The Globetrotters swooped out of the midfield in the first half, baffling the Brazilians, and blocking the line for crosses was a more effective way to stop the Brazilian offense.
The Brazilians also targeted Modric to limit, let him all the way back, back, and even back to the back line, to have a way to get the ball from the comfort of the two sides of the tactical game until the 90 minutes is still indistinguishable.
It wasn't until the extended match that Brazil's teamwork finally tore through the Croesia defense, with Neymar's light, nimble crashing and dribbling that should have sealed the deal and ended the match.
However, Croesus, a country that rose from the ashes of war, never lacked hardened men - never giving in to fate.
Coach Darić gave back-to-back instructions and in a desperate move moved all his attackers up, especially on the left, and on 117 minutes, substitute Olsic raced all the way up the pitch and knocked the ball across to Matej Kotvic, pushing, refracting, and breaking the net. The game was back to square one once again.
The World Cup is the promised land of soccer, a place where even when you do your best, you still have to face defeat at some point. It is the land of dreams, the land of miracles, where there is no shortage of dreamers, and only those who are unwilling to bow their heads can continue to hold their heads high.
