Nineteen years ago, in a friendly match between Croatia and Argentina, the Croatian midfield maestro made his national team debut against Leo Messi, playing alongside the current Juventus coach. Modric, now a celebrated veteran, continues to shine at the highest level.
Luka Modric`s national team debut saw him playing alongside Igor Tudor and, notably, against a young Leo Messi. Almost two decades have passed since that March 1, 2006 friendly in Basel`s St. Jakob-Park, where Croatia triumphed 3-2 over Argentina. That “first” cap remains unforgettable for the Croatian superstar. At just 20 years old, Luka was already recognized as a prodigious talent in Croatian football (he would later join Tottenham in 2008 and Real Madrid in 2012). Few could have predicted the phenomenal career he would forge: 190 international caps, a World Cup final appearance in 2018, and a staggering six Champions League titles with Real Madrid. That night, national coach Zlatko Kranjcar was assessing players for the upcoming World Cup in Germany three months later, and Modric, the standout star of the U21 team, was considered ready for the senior squad. In Croatia`s initial 3-4-1-2 formation, the Zadar-born midfielder played alongside Niko Kovac, now the manager of Borussia Dortmund. Behind them, at the heart of the three-man defense, was 27-year-old Tudor, who would later retire from international football after Croatia`s group stage exit at the 2006 World Cup, and from professional football at 30 due to injuries.
Leo vs. Luka
Returning to that Croatia-Argentina 3-2 clash: while the Croatian side didn`t yet boast the talents of the subsequent generation (Brozovic, Rakitic, and Kovacic), they were a solid team. Up front, for instance, they featured starters like Prso and Klasnic, with Simic scoring the decisive third goal in defense. Pekerman`s Albiceleste, on the other hand, fielded a constellation of stars. In a highly offensive 3-3-1-3 formation, Riquelme played behind Messi, Crespo, and Tevez—a truly formidable attacking lineup. Later in the second half, Diego Milito and Aimar also made appearances. That Argentinian squad also included Cambiasso, Burdisso, Samuel, and Scaloni, then a robust defender and now the World Cup-winning coach. And Modric? That night, he displayed flashes of his undeniable class, but his performance was inevitably overshadowed by Leo Messi`s goal and assist for Tevez. Tudor, however, was critically assessed by Gazzetta as “too static as a center-back to plug the gaps.” Igor and Luka played together for Croatia in four friendly matches and two brief appearances at the 2006 World Cup. By the time the Zadar maestro fully established himself in the national team, Tudor had already moved on, admiring Modric`s brilliance as a fan from afar. Despite belonging to different generations and emerging from rival football academies (Luka from Dinamo Zagreb, Igor from Hajduk Split), their mutual respect has endured to this day.
