Luka Modric has sparked debate by omitting Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi from his list of the five greatest footballers of all time. The 40-year-old midfielder, who played alongside Ronaldo at Real Madrid for six seasons, instead chose a selection of his boyhood heroes.
When asked by content creator The Real Yesus to name his top five, Modric replied: 'Maradona, Francesco Totti, Ronaldo [Nazario], Zvonimir Boban...Zizou.' The inclusion of Roma legend Totti and Croatian icon Boban, at the expense of Ronaldo and Messi, has raised eyebrows.
Modric is one of only two players to win the Ballon d'Or during the period between 2008 and 2023 when Ronaldo and Messi dominated the award. Despite this, he did not include himself or former Real Madrid teammate Karim Benzema in his top five.
This is not the first time Modric has overlooked the duo. Last year, when selecting a dream six-a-side squad, he chose Ronaldo Nazario over Cristiano Ronaldo, apologising tongue-in-cheek to his former teammate. Modric had previously praised Messi after Croatia's 2022 World Cup semi-final loss to Argentina, calling him 'the best player in history'.
