and will face off at in what is expected to be a crucial clash in Group L. It will also be a battle of midfield star power as Luka Modric comes up against former club-mate Jude Bellingham.
Bellingham and Modric spent two seasons together at Real, before the Croatian magician departed for AC Milan. Bellingham’s power and goalscoring ability were a fine counterpoint to the guile and eye for a pass that Modric brought to Los Blancos over 13 seasons.
The two midfield stars relished playing with each other and developed an on-field chemistry that allowed the team to succeed and both players to flourish. In their time together, the duo won the UEFA Champions League, La Liga, the Spanish Super Cup, the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Intercontinental Cup™.
“Jude has showed to everyone what kind of player and talent he is,” Modric told reporters ahead of the 2024 UEFA Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund. “But what most surprised me, because I didn’t know him, was his mentality and work ethic. It is second to none. The way he wants to compete and his winning mentality, that’s what impressed me most about him.”
While Modric may have been impressed with Bellingham after training with him. It was clear that playing with the Croatian, and German metronome Toni Kroos, factored into the Englishman’s decision to move to Real in the first place.
“The things I’ll gain from the older lads, [Luka] Modric and [Toni] Kroos will be unbelievable, Bellingham told the media in his opening press conference after signing from Borussia Dortmund. “Their knowledge of the game, the way the play it, their experience will be so great for me and I’ll just be like a sponge around them trying to steal anything they’ve got. They’ll probably be annoyed of me after the first week or so.”
In their first season together, Bellingham scored 23 goals in all competitions, with Modric adding two goals and eight assists. But Modric’s impact on Bellingham and the wider game went far beyond the numbers.
“I think Toni [Kroos] and Luka [Modric] just play a different game to the rest of us, Bellingham told the media during his time with them in Madrid. “They see things before they happen on the pitch and always seem so calm. Technically, they won’t really make any mistakes. I think the best part about being team-mates with them is that they’re always open to teaching you. I’m always open to learning, and if I can get one per cent off them every day then I’m going to do it.”
While their styles of play are different - Bellingham is more of a goal-scoring threat arriving in the box, while Modric pulled the strings from deeper - the Croatian’s departure meant the mantle of midfield superstar naturally passed to the Englishman.
When Modric left the Bernabeu, Bellingham posted a personal letter to him on Instagram. “The only thing outweighing my sadness right now is the gratitude I feel for having had the honour of being your teammate,” he wrote.
“So many great memories on and off the pitch that I will treasure forever... from the bottom of my heart, thank you for every pass (whether it was with the inside or outside), every dribble, every nutmeg and every shot, but more meaningful to me every chat, every hug, every dinner and every piece of wisdom and advice that you gave.”
Bellingham may have relished learning from Modric, but now the two come head-to-head in a pivotal World Cup opener in which the winner of the midfield battle is likely to gain the ascendancy.
The Englishman will hope that his time alongside the Croatian will give him the upper hand. Meanwhile, Modric is under no illusion about the threat that Bellingham poses, but will be keen to show he has one more trick up his sleeve to surprise the man from Birmingham.
“I played with him for two years, I know what a top character and player he is,” Modric told the media on the eve of Croatia’s group stage match against England. “He’s a great threat for us tomorrow evening.”
Sources: FIFA Official
