As a child Luka Modrić lived for seven years in a hotel for refugees in Zadar, during the war in Croatia. Hajduk Split rejected him: too young and too light. He became one of the most successful midfielders in history.
The war
Modrić was born in Zadar on 9 September 1985. In December 1991, during the war, his grandfather was killed near their home. The family became refugees and lived for seven years in the Hotel Kolovare, in Zadar.
Football never left him: he trained in NK Zadar's youth teams.
"Too light"
Hajduk Split, the big club of his region, didn't take him: too young and too light. At the end of 2001, aged 16, he joined Dinamo Zagreb's academy.
Bosnia at 18
In 2003 Dinamo sent him on loan to Zrinjski Mostar, in the Bosnia and Herzegovina league: tough, physical football. At 18 he was named the league's player of the year.
Then another loan at Inter Zaprešić, second place in Croatia, and a return to Dinamo in 2005, where he won six trophies in three years.
London, Madrid, Milan
In 2008 Tottenham bought him for £16.5 million and with him they returned to the Champions League after almost 50 years. In 2012 he moved to Real Madrid, where he won six Champions Leagues.
At the 2018 World Cup he was named best player of the tournament. In 2025, at almost 40, he joined Milan.
What you can learn if you're a midfielder
The tips below are ideas taken from this story, not promises: every career is different.
- A light frame is compensated by technique, vision and intelligence.
- A loan in a tough league can make you grow fast: it is not a punishment.
- Life's hardships don't decide your future. Passion and work do.
Sources
Facts checked on 29 September 2026 against public sources. No sentence is invented or put in the player's mouth. Found a mistake? Write to us.