On December 4, 2018, Luka Modric ended Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi's hegemony as Ballon d'Or winners. The Croatian midfielder had just completed a sensational season with Real Madrid and reached the World Cup final with his national team. However, winning the award brought one of the worst seasons for the Balkan player with the Madrid team.
This season, the situation has taken a radical turn. Despite the voices that multiplied last summer about the need for Real Madrid to add new pieces to their midfield, Zinedine Zidane finally rejected any other possibility after the Paul Pogba option fell through. And it seems that the French coach made the right decision.
In addition to the rise of Fede Valverde as a key asset in the team's improvement, the rest of the Real Madrid midfield has taken a notable step forward. Especially significant is the case of Luka Modric, who at 34 years old is experiencing a remarkably sweet moment. With fewer games than previous seasons (he has played 14 out of 19 league matches and 4 out of 6 in the Champions League), the player from Zadar continues to show his quality every time he steps on the field.
A clear example of the good moment that the former Tottenham player is going through is what happened in the recent Spanish Super Cup. After shining in the semifinals and scoring a spectacular goal with the outside of his foot against Valencia to secure qualification, the midfielder was once again key in yesterday's final against Atletico Madrid. Getting better as the minutes passed and assuming the leading role that belongs to him, Zinedine Zidane decided to bet on him in extra time and chose to leave him on the field instead of Toni Kroos and Isco. After assisting Mariano in the 98th minute and being a protagonist in extra time, the player showed confidence when taking his penalty in the shootout and helping his team to the final victory. There is no doubt that Luka Modric still has a lot to give to Real Madrid.