On October 26, the Real Madrid midfielder will play his 35th El Clásico against Barcelona. His career could have taken a different path, leading him to play for the Catalan team rather than facing them as a rival.
As a child, Modrić dreamed of playing for Hajduk Split. But at age 16, instead of Hajduk, he joined their rival, Dinamo Zagreb, after being rejected by Hajduk due to his small stature. Modrić built his career with Dinamo, he first had to prove himself on loan in Bosnia with Zrinjski Mostar and in Croatia with Inter Zaprešić.
In his teens, Modrić began supporting Barcelona and Chelsea. Ironically, he ended up playing against these teams rather than for them. Early in the 2000s, there was a real chance he could have joined Barcelona.
Barça’s sporting director, Txiki Begiristain, decided against signing him, as they were already investing in another young talent, Andrés Iniesta.
So, Modrić’s path diverted to Tottenham Hotspur, Barcelona’s future rival. Tottenham purchased Modrić for €22.5 million in 2008. Rumors of Barcelona’s interest persisted, though; once, a journalist from Mundo Deportivo even got a photo of Modrić holding a Barcelona jersey.
Ivan Rakitić, Modrić’s teammate on the Croatian national team and a Barcelona midfielder, once joked that Modrić was more of a Barcelona fan than he was. Rakitić teased Modrić about their shared El Clásico games, knowing his longtime admiration for Barcelona.
Still, Modrić downplayed links with the club, stating in 2010 that while he enjoyed the rumors, his focus remained on Tottenham. But in 2011, Modrić entered negotiations with Chelsea, his boyhood team. Despite a meeting with Chelsea’s owner Roman Abramovich, Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy refused to sell him.
In 2012, Real Madrid stepped in. Modrić pushed hard for the move, even staging a brief strike to convince Levy. Finally, the clubs agreed, and Modrić transferred to Madrid for €35 million. Any lingering hopes of joining Barcelona faded, replaced by a deep rivalry with the club.
In his El Clásico career, Modrić holds 16 wins, five draws, and 13 losses against Barcelona, with only one goal scored against them, at Camp Nou in 2020.