It will be the third time that Luka Modrić performs at the stadium that once belonged to Maradona: his debut in the red-and-black shirt comes after two matches (both victories) as a Real Madrid midfielder. The first was in March 2017, the second in October 2023: in both cases, the Champions League was at stake. Passing through Naples brings good fortune: those were two editions (2016–17 and 2023–24) that Real Madrid added to their trophy cabinet. And to Luka’s personal honours as well: the six Champions League titles he has lifted make him one of the competition’s record holders, a record he shares with Francisco Gento, Daniel Carvajal, Nacho and Toni Kroos.
Remarkably, those six titles represent less than a quarter of the trophies he has won at Madrid: 28 in total, a figure that makes him the most decorated player in the club’s history. There is something even more extraordinary: despite a career filled (if not overflowing) with personal and team success, Modrić still wants to expand his collection of silverware. So far, he has displayed three Croatian league titles, two Croatian Cups, one Croatian Super Cup, four Spanish league titles, two Copa del Rey trophies, five Spanish Super Cups, as many UEFA Super Cups and Club World Cups, and one FIFA Intercontinental Cup, as pointed out via Gazzetta dello Sport in this morning's print edition.
For Luka, it is still not enough: he chose Milan in the summer after being reassured about the team’s genuine competitiveness, and even today he remains one of the strongest believers in a possible comeback in the title race, or at least encourages trying. Many of those chances for a resurgence will pass through Naples and the clash with another highly decorated champion, Kevin De Bruyne.
Modrić will warm up in a prestigious friendly against Brazil, coached by former Milan manager Carlo Ancelotti. The match is scheduled for Tuesday night at 2 a.m. Italian time (8 p.m. local time in Orlando, United States). Luka will start, having been rested in the previous test against Colombia. As agreed with coach Zlatko Dalić, he is expected to stay on the pitch for about an hour, seventy minutes at most.
American fans are eager to see Modrić in action and are preparing to welcome him again in June, when the World Cup title will be at stake. Meanwhile, another medal is ready to be hung around his neck: he is set to become the first Croatian player to take part in five World Cups. Since 2006 he has been a mainstay of the national team, for which he holds the record for appearances (195) and has scored 28 goals. Luka has played in the 2006, 2014, 2018 and 2022 World Cups, finishing as runner-up in Russia (2018) and third in Qatar (2022).
After his international commitments, Modrić will return to Milan: a light training session is scheduled for Thursday, and on Friday he will rejoin the group. There will be just two training sessions before the away match at the Maradona stadium, but they will be enough for someone who has already firmly taken control of Milan’s playmaking. Modrić is a reference point on and off the pitch for teammates and Milan supporters alike.
It is an affection he feels, and one that could persuade him to stay another year in Milan. A decisive factor will be the chance to compete for another trophy, his thirty-fifth overall. Achieving that with Milan at the end of his career holds great appeal. Even wearing the red-and-black shirt in the Champions League is a temptation, not to mention a potential new record to take from Zlatan Ibrahimović: Zlatan is the oldest Milan player to have appeared in Serie A, at 41 years and 146 days. Luka would turn 41 in September.
