Real Madrid superstar names Barcelona legend as toughest opponent

Luka Modric was not always considered to be amongst the best midfielders in the world. In fact, when Real Madrid signed him from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2012, expectations were not extremely high. He was not good during his debut campaign for the club either and many had written the Croatian midfield maestro off.

Modric has been on quite the journey since then. Five Champions League trophies, three La Liga titles, a Ballon d’Or and several other pieces of silverware later, he is considered as one of the greatest midfielders in history.

Of course, there is the debate whether Modric is better than the likes of Xavi and Iniesta. And while we might never find a definitive answer to that, it is clear that there is the world of respect between the players themselves.

As tweeted out by Madrid Xtra, Modric told BT Sport regarding Iniesta:

"“Toughest opponent in my career? Iniesta. It was so difficult to defend against him. He was so good on the ball. I played against so many great players in England like Lampard & Gerrard but he was different.”"

Real Madrid superstar names Barcelona legend as his toughest opponent

While Real Madrid fans might not be very fond of Iniesta, thanks to him being a Barcelona legend, there is no denying that in his prime, he was absolutely world-class and one of the greatest midfielders to ever step foot on a football pitch.

His combination with the likes of Xavi and Lionel Messi is the stuff of legends. And he was a key part of that iconic Barcelona team, under the management of Pep Guardiola, that dominated world football for a few years and transformed the game to a certain degree. On top of that, he even scored the World Cup-winning goal for Spain.

While in his prime, Iniesta was almost unplayable. He did struggle with a number of injuries during the latter portion of his career with Barcelona though and would end up leaving the club in 2018 to join Vissel Kobe. And to be honest, it is surprising that he continues to play there to this day.