Real Madrid center midfielder Luka Modric is on a different level, hence why he won the Ballon d’Or to break up the Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi monopoly.
Few football fans will forget the special 2018 Luka Modric had as a three-peat Champions League winner with Real Madrid and an unlikely World Cup finalist with Croatia. In that spring and summer, Modric entrenched himself as one of the best midfielders ever and arguably the best of the decade.
There are two other midfielders who won a lot of silverware for club and country in the middle of the park during the 2010’s, but they did so frustrating Madridistas. Those stalwarts were Barcelona’s Andres Iniesta and Xavi, known for their ability to control games and create for teammates. They had different skillsets from Modric, but their impact on football was also quite profound.
According to Mundo Deportivo, legendary striker Dimitar Berbatov offered high praise to Modric, saying that like Xavi and Iniesta, Modric was one of the best of the decade.
"“Modric is at the height of Iniesta or Xavi , without a doubt, I have no doubt that he is one of the three or four best ‘medios’ of the decade.”"
Real Madrid’s Luka Modric is likely better than Xavi and Andres Iniesta
Real Madrid fans will quickly argue that Modric was better than both, given his longevity, Champions League influence, Ballon d’Or victory in 2018, and defensive contributions.
As for a fourth midfielder to add to Xavi, Iniesta, and Modric, Luka’s teammate at Real Madrid, Toni Kroos, has a case, though his greatness is split into the 2020’s.
Of course, so is Modric’s. Despite being 35, Modric is still going strong as one of the best midfielders in European football. The man is showing no signs of slowing down, and in the same interview, Berbatov stated that he believes the Croatian has a few years left at the top level.
Given what Modric has done for Real Madrid in 2020, including to start the season as the team’s top outfield player, Berbatov is absolutely right. Modric’s contract runs out at the end of the 2020-2021 season, but there is no doubt that he will be back in the fold. His energy remains as before. Boundless.