Luka Modric’s age counter advances along with his record of brilliant performances with Real Madrid. Sometimes it even seems that the first one has stopped and lives in a perennial youth. Few would say, watching him game after game, that the Croatian is a veteran on his way to 37 years. He will fulfill them on September 9. The unknown is if he, for the eleventh time, will blow out the candles with the Real Madrid shirt. The 2018 Ballon d’Or entered that stage in which he has to negotiate his future year after year and his contract ends in June 2022. Based on its actions, its renewal seems essential.
His was the assist, with that magical touch that he treasures on the outside of his right hand, which gave Rodrygo the ball with which Madrid’s comeback against Chelsea began. The icing on the cake to a new portentous performance of the Balkan, clairvoyant with the ball at his feet, sacrificed in defense. He was the second Madrid player who covered the most kilometers in the match (13.72, only behind the 14.01 kilometers of ‘Halcón’ Valverde). He was also Madrid’s most successful passer, with 65 deliveries (the same as Carvajal, but the winger missed three more passes than Luka), and he also led the innings sections with success (three, the same as Carvajal and Kroos) and anticipations (two, tied with Nacho and also again with Carvajal).
Modric is the third most decisive player in Madrid’s goals, behind Benzema and Vinicius. The Croatian has only scored three goals (which in any case places him as the team’s fourth top scorer), but he has given nine assists, so his contribution exceeds the ten goals and the goal assist recorded by Asensio. Benzema has been involved in 51 goals (38 made and 13 assists) and Vinicius in 30 (17 plus 13).
Ancelotti is managing Modric’s minutes and the Croatian responds with memorable performances. He has left his mark on the big games this season. Against Chelsea, in the comeback against PSG or in the Spanish Super Cup final against Athletic, in which he opened the scoring. “Modric is in a position to win the Ballon d’Or again,” said Florentino Pérez at the celebration of the first title of the season. After playing the full 120 minutes (including extra time) against Chelsea, Luka is the seventh player in Ancelotti’s squad in minutes, with 2,886′, 68.2% of the possible. He exceeds the 2,628 minutes that he played two seasons ago.
Modric is, at 36 years and 215 days, the eighth oldest player to play a game for Real Madrid. If he renews and completes his eleventh season as a madridista, next season he will be able to climb to fifth place in that ranking, beating Santamaría, Miguel Ángel and Gento. Modric has defended the white shirt in 428 games and is seven games away from surpassing Zoco’s 434 and entering the top-20 of players with the most games played for Real Madrid.
Modric still has his future at Real Madrid up in the air, waiting to sign the renewal or not.