Luka Modrić – Then
Luka Modrić grew up in Zadar, Croatia. He and his family were refugees who had escaped the Serbian aggression that was tearing their home country apart. He was incredibly tiny for his age, and his peers would mock him for being several inches shorter than everyone else.
As much as they laughed at Luka’s stature, even they admitted that the soccer ball was “pretty in his legs.” After all, he had spent all day kicking the ball around, even in his family’s hotel room, where they were forced to stay for several months. He tried out for a local youth club, but because of his small physique, the organization didn’t give his credentials a second look.