FIFA World Cup 2018: Luka Modric looks to pull strings for Croatia

Country: Croatia

Position: Midfielder

FIFA World Cup Appearances: 5

World Cup Goals: 0

When it comes to his club career, there are very few honours that are missing from Luka Modric’s illustrious collection.

The Real Madrid midfielder has been a major force for his club since joining in 2012 and he played a big role in guiding the Spanish giants to three consecutive UEFA Champions League titles between 2015 and 2018.

However, his record in the FIFA World Cup has been quite average and he will be looking to change it when he takes the field in this edition of the tournament..

When it comes to his international career, Modric has scored 12 times in 102 matches and he has won the Croatian Player of the Year award six times - joint highest along with legend Davor Suker.

In 2015, he became the first Croatian international to be named in FIFA FIFPro World XI and he has been the most influential midfielder for his national side in the recent years.

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During the FIFA World Cup 2018 qualification campaign, he marshaled the Croatian midfield with his trademark authority and even scored in the qualification play-off encounter against Greece to book his team’s berth.

However, he has not scored once in the tournament and his team failed to clear the knock-out stages in both 2006 and 2014.

This time, he will have FC Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic by his side and the duo will have to take a lot of responsibility.

Modric is well-known for his skills as a superb playmaker and the Croatia skipper holds the ability to make swift passes - both long and short - to unleash the strikers.

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Mario Mandzukic, who is likely to play as the sole forward, is a proven talent in front of the goal and the service from Modric is easily what the veteran will be hoping for at the World Cup.