Ambassador hails Modrić as a most recognizable face of Croatia

On December 4, Beijing time, Luka Modrić, captain of the Croatia national team and the key midfielder for Real Madrid, won the 2018 Ballon d’Or. Photo Courtesy of Luka Modrić INS

On December 4, Beijing time, Luka Modrić, captain of the Croatian national team and the key midfielder for Real Madrid, won the 2018 Ballon d'Or, ending decade of Ronaldo and Messi triumphs. He became the first Croatian to win this award.

“We are a country with a bit more than 4 million people. Having the second best team in the world around this year’s world championship and having the best player in the world, at least this year, is something that we consider to be a huge achievement,”said Nebojša Koharović,Croatian ambassador to China, during an exclusive interview with China.org.cn.

In August and September this year, Modrić respectively received the 2017-2018 UEFA Best Player in Europe Award and the 2018 Best FIFA Men's Player. And he has now carried off the top individual honor in football. Commenting on Modrić’s success,Nebojša Koharović said, “The private story of how this gentleman won the Ballon d’Or, this prestigious award, what did he have to overcome to do it, from being a refugee of war, up to being a small player who was rejected by many teams, and getting there to be best midfielder in the world, is really a story that could be an inspiration for all, not just the young sportsmen, but for all young people in the world. I think that this gentleman will definitely be one of the, not just sporting heroes, but the most recognizable faces of our country in almost 27 years of our independence.”