Luka Modric leads Croatia into 2026 World Cup campaign against England
Veteran midfielder Luka Modric will lead Croatia into their opening 2026 World Cup fixture against England on Wednesday, continuing a remarkable career shaped by his nation’s resilient history.
The 40-year-old Real Madrid legend approaches 200 international caps as his side prepares for the 21:00 BST kick-off.
It is a milestone that once seemed impossible for a child displaced by the Yugoslav Wars in the early 1990s.
Rising from a war-torn childhood
The six-time Champions League winner lived as a refugee in Zadar hotels after his grandfather was tragically killed by Serbian forces in 1991.
Forced to flee the Velebit mountains where he herded goats, the young playmaker honed his skills playing football with other displaced children.
Former youth coach Romeo Jozak remembers a skinny teenager who was fiercely protective of his flowing locks.
“Any pass he was going to do, it was a flick of the hair. We even had a couple of fights.”
Jozak admits that he eventually forced the future Ballon d’Or winner to cut his hair to improve his focus on the pitch.
Defying the footballing odds
The small Balkan nation, boasting a population of under four million, has consistently outperformed larger countries on the global stage.
After gaining Uefa admission in 1993, a strong generation featuring Zvonimir Boban and Davor Suker reached the Euro 96 quarter-finals.
They famously finished third at the 1998 World Cup in France, establishing a pedigree that the current generation has brilliantly maintained.
Under their current captain’s leadership, the European side reached the 2018 World Cup final and secured another third-place finish four years later.
A nation built on resilience
Jozak believes that the historical conflict played a significant role in developing the deep-rooted drive seen in the modern squad.
“Some had relatives killed in the war and those things stay inside of you. You take it out of your genes and use it when you need it the most.”
The former coach added that patriotic pride remains a foundational pillar for any player pulling on the famous chequered shirt.
As England prepare for Wednesday’s clash, they face an opponent whose motivation has always extended far beyond the football pitch.
