Luka Modric will enter the 2026 World Cup a legend. He has won a World Cup silver and bronze medal with tiny Croatia, six Champions League titles with Real Madrid, and a Ballon d’Or as the world’s best soccer player in 2018.
His accomplishments are especially remarkable when you consider the tragedy of his youth. As a six-year old, Modric’s grandfather was murdered by enemy paramilitary forces in Croatia’s war of independence, and he and his family became war refugees.
The Guardian tells the story of how Modric’s grandfather was killed by machine-gun fire in the Croatian Velebit mountains above the coastal town of Zadar. In the article, Modric recalled seeing his grandfather for the last time in his coffin. He said, “I remember my father asking me to kiss him when he was in the casket.” Modric recalled his relationship with his grandfather. “I slept at his house, played with him, went hunting with him, everything. He added, “I have a lot of amazing memories from my time with him.”
These are some of Modric’s earliest memories, and they naturally could have created a burden that he was never able to overcome. But that’s not what happened. He has emerged as a beloved figure in his native Croatia and throughout the world of soccer, where he has not only earned respect for his playing talent but for the classy way he has always carried himself.
Several things have helped him move through his heartbreaking past and live a great life. We picked out five.
- Accept what you can’t control
The first thing on the list started when he was still a boy and was living life as a war refugee. It was a scary time, but he also recalls the good times. Modric accepted what he could not control. In the article, Modric described his circumstances as “part of life.”
- Make the most of what you have
Although Modric lived through the worst of times, he and his young found ways to have fun by playing soccer. The article says that Modric “speaks of his own experiences with a certain fondness: days spent playing football (soccer) in the hotel car park with friends.”
- Choose your destiny
It would be completely understandable if Modric held on to the unimaginable hurts that no small child should ever have to experience. That is a choice that nobody would have criticized. It’s not the one he made. He explained, “These things can make you tougher or can break you. I choose the other way; I choose to become tougher.” Modric believes that the tragedy he faced and his decision to be strong have helped him in all aspects of his life. He stated, “It is much easier to accept some things that are happening in your life later, footballing-wise, or defeats or critics or this or that.”
- Love and forgive
Carrying past hurts that others have inflicted upon you will only serve to multiply the negative impacts of the original action. Forgiving others is a gift to them, but honestly, a greater gift to yourself. This is the path that Modric chose. He said, “Things that aren’t nice happen, but I don’t have hate.” Modric learned the lesson of not carrying bitterness or revenge in his heart from his father. After the family moved into a hotel housing refugees, Modric’s father joined the Croatian army, but the article stated, “As Modric recalls it, there was no talk of revenge nor resentment in his father.”
- Live with purpose
After Croatia was defeated by France in the 2018 World Cup final, Modric was initially devastated. However, his spirits were lifted when 500,000 Croatians greeted the team on its arrival in Zagreb, the nation’s capital. “They were proud of us for reaching the World Cup final,” said Modric. But it was more than that. Much more.
Modric has become a legend in his native Croatia for how much of himself he has poured into the national soccer team. He explained, “It’s indescribable, our feeling playing for Croatia, how we feel proud, what kind of responsibility we have. Especially because we are still a young country. We feel that on our shoulders, we don’t want to let our people down, and that’s why we have such a strong spirit.”
The love that the Croatian people showed to the 2018 team, and continue to have for Modric, is rooted deeply in the understanding that when he puts on the checkers, his biggest purpose is to do something beautiful for them.
Luka Modric has chosen to live life with the perfect mix of grit, love, and purpose. That is the secret to his greatness, and we are all lucky to be able to witness it.
