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Argentina international Rodrigo De Paul has named Real Madrid star Luka Modric as the best midfielder in the world.
In a rapid-fire round of questions with content creator Adi Contreras, the Atletico Madrid midfielder was asked who he thinks is the best midfielder in world football. De Paul took a few seconds and said:
"[Luka] Modric."
Despite being 37 years old, Modric continues to be a regular starter at both the club and international levels. He has scored once and provided two assists in nine games for Los Blancos across competitions this campaign.
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He also led Croatia to the 2018 World Cup final and was also awarded the Golden Ball for the tournament. He has also won a Ballon d'Or, and was the first player to end the Lionel Messi-Cristiano Ronaldo duopoly on the award.
Modric was named in the latest Croatia squad for their two UEFA Nations League games in September. He featured in manager Zlatko Dalic's starting XI against Denmark on Thursday (September 22), where they won 2-1 at Stadion Maksimir.
As good as he may be, Modric's time at Real Madrid could come to an end next summer when his contract expires. De Paul, meanwhile, left Udinese to join Atletico Madrid last year.
The former Valencia midfielder came face-to-face with Modric this season when the two Madrid sides played a tightly-contested derby at the Wanda Metropolitano. De Paul and his Croatian counterpart started for their respective sides in a game that finished 2-1 in favor of Los Blancos.
He has also made the cut in manager Lionel Scaloni's latest Argentina squad for their friendly fixtures this month. La Albiceleste are scheduled to play against Honduras on Saturday (September 24) before taking on Jamaica four days later.
Croatia midfielder Luka Modric addresses talk of international retirement after World Cup
Modric is a shoo-in to make the plane to Qatar when Croatia fly out to play in the FIFA World Cup in November. Alongside Inter Milan's Marcelo Brozovic and Chelsea's Mateo Kovacic, the Real Madrid star is expected to start in Dalic's midfield three at the upcoming World Cup.
At this age, it is understandable if people speculate about his future with the Croatian national team after the showpiece event in the Middle East. However, the former Tottenham Hotspur star has apparently not given the issue a thought as of now.
Speaking to reporters ahead of Croatia's win against the Danes, Modric claimed that that he will give his future some thought after the World Cup. The 2018 FIFA World Cup finalist said (h/t Yahoo! Sport):
"I'm not thinking about that. I haven't made any decisions. I'm focused on the Nations League. We have an opportunity to qualify for the last four, then we have the World Cup and then we will see.
"I'll try to make the best decision. At that time, I'll talk with our head coach, with the people I trust. I'm not thinking about that at the moment."
