Today, the Croatian midfield maestro not only celebrates his 38th birthday, marking the passage of time that can make anyone a bit more fragile with age, but his national team’s fans also serenaded him with a birthday song and choreography on Friday.

Born on September 9, 1985, in Zadar, Croatia, Modrić took to the field for the 167th time representing his nation on that evening. He relished a pleasant hour on the pitch against Latvia. When he was substituted in the 61st minute, after creating six scoring chances, his team was already leading 3-0. The final score in the Euro Qualifier was 5-0.

In a fitting tribute, ‘Lukita’ was celebrated in the 38th minute when the Rujevica Stadium displayed a banner that read ‘Sretan rodendan, Luka,’ which translates to ‘Happy Birthday, Luka’ in Croatian. This birthday tribute did not bring any bad luck to the World Cup third-place team, as Croatia now sits in second place in Group D with seven points from three matches.

Luka Modrić can continue to dream of a future with the national team, as he has not yet considered retiring. He takes it year by year, tournament by tournament. Having joined Real Madrid in 2012, he has now played 492 matches for the club, scoring 37 goals, assisting 77 times, and winning a total of 23 titles. The 2018 FIFA World Player of the Year is not satisfied yet, even though he has currently lost his regular spot to younger players at Real Madrid. In an interview, he expressed some sadness, saying, ‘No one is happy when they are not playing. This feeling was especially strange for me.’ However, he has accepted the challenge, stating, ‘I am completely calm and aware that I have to work alone, as I always have, and that sooner or later, everything will fall into place naturally. (…) I am still convinced that I can play the way Real Madrid needs me to.’

He still has a lot left in the tank and is eyeing some other records as well. At 38 years old, he now ranks fourth on the list of the oldest players ever to play for Real Madrid. Only three players were used at an even older age, with Ferenc Puskás being the leader at over 39 years old. To achieve that, Modrić would have to extend his contract for a third consecutive year, and he probably already has the desire to do so, as luck seems to be on his side despite the early birthday serenade.”

During Croatia-Latvia match, the entire stadium chanted Luka Modric’s name. In the 38th minute, the fans raised a banner saying “Happy Birthday Luka.”

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