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Football fans were left in awe of Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric after yet another stunning display in their Champions League tie against Chelsea. They debated where the Croatian ranked in comparison with the likes of Andres Iniesta, Xavi and Zinedine Zidane.
The 36-year-old has been in sensational form this season, especially in the Champions League. He displayed his prowess against Chelsea in the second leg of their quarter-final tie on Tuesday.
Real Madrid saw their 3-1 lead from the first leg evaporate as the Blues took a 3-0 lead in 75 minutes as the Santiago Bernabeu. With the aggregate score being 4-3 in favor of the Premier League side, Madrid desperately needed a goal. This is where Modric came up with a moment of magic.
The Croatian delivered a beautiful outside-of-the-boot cross right into the path of Rodrygo for the Brazilian to score. The scores were, hence, level at regulation time as the match went into extra time. Karim Benzema then scored the winner to take Madrid into the semis.
Modric's performance drew plenty of reactions and comparisons from fans on Twitter. Here are some of the best ones:
The Croatian also won the 'Player of the Match' against Chelsea.
Where does Real Madrid's Luka Modric lie in the debate for the best midfielder of all time?
Iniesta and Xavi achieved immense success with Barcelona and Spain in their prime, winning every trophy imaginable. They won the Euros, the World Cup, a sextuple and multiple La Liga trophies.
It can be argued that the duo have always had the best team around them at both club and country level. However, Xavi and Iniesta were a big part of what made these teams the best.
Zidane, meanwhile, is a legend of the game who has won numerous titles with Real Madrid, France and Juventus. He won the World Cup, Champions League, La Liga, Serie A and more. He also won the 1998 Ballon d'Or.
Modric, meanwhile, played for Dinamo Zagreb and Tottenham Hotspur before moving to Real Madrid in 2012. He has since then won four Champions League titles and two La Liga titles.
He also took the underdog Croatia team to the 2018 World Cup final, eventually losing to France. He won the Golden Ball in the process though.
Modric also won the Ballon d'Or in 2018, becoming the only player besides Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to win it since 2008.
Choosing the best of all time out of the four incredible is subject to opinions. However, no one can decline that these four are certainly amongst the top midfielders of all time.
