Luka Modric at 40 is truly outstanding

The veteran Croatian, Luka Modric, recently shone as he helped his team secure a 1-0 victory over Roma in the 10th round of the 2025/26 Serie A season. Watching Modric play, few would guess he is already 40 years old.

Since joining AC Milan, Luka Modric has started every Serie A match, completing the full 90 minutes in 7 games—a remarkable feat for a 40-year-old player. Notably, fans initially believed Modric would have a limited role at Milan and wouldn’t be able to consistently perform in a tactically demanding league known for its tough challenges.

In the key match of round 10 between Milan and Roma, Modric once again delivered an impressive performance. While on the pitch, he helped Milan control the game for most of the time. The former Real Madrid star recorded excellent stats with an 88% pass accuracy overall, created one chance, maintained 89% pass accuracy in the opponent’s final third, completed 5 accurate long passes (the highest on the field), won 2 duels, and cleared the ball twice.

Modric received a rating of 7.5, ranking just behind the lone goal scorer Strahinja Pavlovic (8.1) and penalty-saving hero Mike Maignan (8.5). Notably, all three players are members of... Milan.

By defeating Roma, Milan took over 3rd place from them and are now just 1 point behind Napoli, who lead the table. The Serie A title race this season is intense, with only 4 points separating Napoli and the 6th-placed Juventus. Fans hope Modric will maintain his form and class to help the team compete strongly with rivals and secure a spot in next season’s Champions League.

Recently, Modric sparked controversy by naming his top 5 greatest players of all time, notably excluding Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Instead, he chose Diego Maradona, Francesco Totti, Ronaldo Nazario, Zvonimir Boban, and Zinedine Zidane. When explaining why he picked "Fat Ronaldo" over Cristiano Ronaldo, Modric said simply: "I like the way he played — his speed, power, and finesse. Between Ronaldo and Cristiano, I choose Ronaldo.”

Related articles

Done! Real Madrid has found Luka Modric’s successor Real Madrid is closely monitoring 17-year-old talent Gilberto Mora from Tijuana. See more