The secret to Luka Modric's endless success

Luka Modric knows nothing of complacency. “I want to renew because I deserve it, not because it’s handed to me,” he says—a mantra that has followed him through his last two contract extensions. When he signed his most recent deal, he accepted that his role was evolving, something he had gradually come to terms with throughout the season. But this acceptance is far from resignation. Time may march on, and it’s something that weighs on him (“I don’t like constantly being reminded of my age”), but the milestones keep coming.

Against Celta, at 39 years and 40 days old, he surpassed Puskas as the oldest player in Real Madrid’s history. Yet his football remains timeless. At Balaídos, he delivered a stunning assist, prompting Vini Jr to exclaim, “What a pass!” to his Croatian teammate.

Just three days after setting the record, Modric dazzled again. While he and the team struggled in the first half against Dortmund, everything shifted after halftime, both on the scoreline and individually.

In England, Sid Lowe captured Modric’s essence in a column for The Guardian, writing, “There is a reason Luka Modric is still around and it’s not nostalgia... It’s something simpler: he’s still got it.”

That quality saw Madrid survive the game against Celta, and allowed Modric, alongside Rodrygo, to be the player who completed the most passes in the final third (27), make the most crosses (seven) and get the most recoveries (nine) against Borussia. Modric was pivotal in Madrid’s comeback, both disrupting and creating, breaking lines and injecting energy into a team filled more with power than finesse in midfield. As the Clásico approaches (Saturday October 26, 2024. Kick-off is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. ET/12 noon PT.), Modric has worked his way into peak form, ready to challenge for a spot in Ancelotti’s starting lineup.

His influence has only grown, as has his performance. After starting the season as a substitute in the first two rounds of LaLiga, the Champions League, and the European Super Cup, his situation has changed. In the league, he’s started five of the last eight games, and in the Champions League, Ancelotti entrusted him with the starting role in the critical rematch of the last final, following the loss to Lille.

The trust placed in his fitness and work rate was justified, as evidenced by those nine recoveries. He’s now ranked twelfth in minutes played (660′), and his importance continues to rise. For Croatia, where he’s played 347 minutes across two recent international breaks, he remains indispensable, resting just 13 minutes. Instead of depleting him, his national team appearances seem to fuel him.

Modric’s durability has been remarkable since 2017. The last serious setback came when a fractured ankle sidelined him for eight games. The next longest absence occurred in late 2021, when adductor discomfort caused him to miss five matches. Since then, he hasn’t missed more than two consecutive games. His secret?

Ahead of the 2018 World Cup, he intensified his focus on both mental and physical well-being. An exhaustive diet, meticulous attention to detail, and personalised physical preparation outside of Madrid’s regular training have become his routine. These habits have allowed Modric to defy time and resist the pull of nostalgia. Whatever it is, Luka‘s got it, and it’s not going anywhere.