Ballon d’Or 2018: 4 facts surrounding Luka Modric’s win that you probably didn’t know

#1 The first Croat ever

Modric led his team to

It hasn’t been very long since Croatia became an independent country. 27 years might seem like a long time but in the context of the other nations in the world of football, 27 isn’t really that big a number.

After becoming an independent country in 1991, Croatia actually displayed their brilliance in the field of play soon after. In their first ever World Cup appearance, Croatia ended up being the third best team in the tournament.

They bettered it this time by being the runners-up and the man that led them towards it has now been crowned as the best footballer on the planet. Luka Modric now becomes the first ever Croat player to ever win the honour.

And it is a proper marriage as the Real Madrid superstar will finish his career as the greatest player in the history of the country.