Real Madrid's Croatia midfielder Luka Modric was named winner of the 2018 Ballon d'Or on Monday, breaking Cristiano Ronaldo's and Lionel Messi's decade-long hold on the prestigious award.
Real Madrid got off to a flying start in La Liga by beating Celta Vigo 3-1 away from home on Saturday with the help of a magnificent long range strike from Toni Kroos.
Luka Modric's top priority is to win La Liga this season, the midfield maestro said on Wednesday after signing a new contract that will keep him at Real Madrid until 2020. The Croatia international has claimed two Champions League titles, a King's Cup, UEFA Super Cup and the Club World Cup since joining from Tottenham Hotspur in 2013 for a fee of 35 million euros ($38.36 million).
IMAGES from football matches played across European leagues on Saturday
Croatia progressed to the semi-finals of the World Cup after a second successive penalty shootout on Saturday but their inability to put away another unimpressive team over 90 minutes and extra time is a major worry for the Balkan side.
Real Madrid and Croatia midfielder Luka Modric was voted Player of the Year for last season by European soccer body UEFA on Thursday, ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo and Mohamed Salah with Lionel Messi fifth.
Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Luka Modric is irreplaceable and the club must hold on to the Croatia international and their other top players to avoid becoming a mid-table team again, manager Harry Redknapp said on Friday.
Real Madrid have avoided defeat in their last 41 LaLiga games, the second best streak by a team in the competition's history.
Real Madrid have agreed to sign Croatia playmaker Luka Modric from Tottenham Hotspur on a five-year contract as the stuttering Spanish champions look to tap into his guile and creativity to get their season back on track.
Luka Modric is still struggling to find his feet at Real Madrid but is sure he will end up winning over sceptical fans in the future, the Croatia midfielder said.
Scotland stay in hunt for quarters with 1-0 win over 10-man Croatia
The 26-year-old reveals his delight at Croatia's qualification for Euro 2012 and the secret behind Tottenham's superb start in this season's English Premier League.
Manchester United boss David Moyes is reportedly considering a move to bring Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric as the Old Trafford side's pursuit of Barcelona's Cesc Fabregas appearing to have come to an end.
After a long night of celebrations, the team arrived in Madrid early on Sunday and started the party tour at 6 p.m. local time
Vinicius Jr came off the bench to score once and set up another goal to steer champions Real Madrid to a 4-1 fightback victory over Espanyol.
'Cristiano scored 50 goals and you can't find someone today who scores that many. Some of us have to take a step forward and, while not scoring 50, what we need is two or three players who score 15, 20, or 10 goals and we don't have that.'
Cristiano Ronaldo will play no part in Real Madrid's game against Deportivo La Coruna on Saturday after the prolific Portuguese forward was left out of the squad on Friday.
Sunday's final promises a fitting climax to a soggy Championships, especially if it scales anywhere near the dizzy heights of last year's classic won by Alcaraz in five sets.
Ancelotti's second-string players proved they were up to the task as they secured three points for Real and kept them on course for the inevitable LaLiga title celebrations.
IMAGES from UEFA Champions League matches played on Tuesday
Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Luka Modric said he was almost 100 percent sure he would stay at the club until the end of the season amid speculation that he could leave during the January transfer window.
Croatia needed a touch of Luka Modric magic to beat Turkey 1-0 in their Euro 2016 Group D opener on Sunday, gaining a measure of revenge after their bitter quarter-final elimination by the same opponents at Euro 2008.
IMAGES from the Euro 2024 Group B match between Croatia and Albania at Hamburg Volksparkstadion, in Hamburg, Germany, on Wednesday.
Midfielder Luka Modric and available-again striker Mario Mandzukic will spearhead Croatia's effort to keep alive their hopes of reaching the World Cup last 16 when they face Cameroon on Wednesday, coach Niko Kovac said.
A first-half penalty earned Lille a shock 1-0 home victory over holders Real Madrid in the Champions League group phase on Wednesday.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Croatia's defeat meant this could be the end of the road for Luka Modric as far as his international career is concerned.
LaLiga leaders Real Madrid's pursuit of a record-extending 36th Spanish title
Real Madrid strike late to beat Dortmund and win 15th UEFA Champions League
This sets up Real Madrid final against Borussia Dortmund, who knocked out Paris Saint-Germain in the other semi-final.
Real Madrid beat holders Manchester City in an edge-of-your-seat 4-3 shootout victory to reach the semi-finals of the Champions League.
Several players across the continent are poised to make a name for themselves on the international stage.
Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric is set to miss the rest of the year with a thigh injury, the La Liga leaders said in a statement on Monday.
Germany expects 2.7 million people to attend matches in stadiums across the country and some 12 million in its fan zones for outdoor viewing, including on a long stretch of turf laid out in front of Berlin's Brandenburg Gate.
IMAGES from the football matches played across Europe on Sunday.
La Liga leaders Real Madrid were held to a frustrating 1-1 draw at lowly city rivals Rayo Vallecano on Sunday as Joselu's early strike was cancelled out by Raul de Tomas' penalty, a result that could spice up the title race with surprise package Girona.
Now, with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo venturing into smaller leagues as they near the end of their brilliant careers, 2024 may finally be the year for the next in line in football royalty.
Real Madrid thrashed arch-rivals and league leaders Barcelona 4-0 to reach the Copa del Rey final
Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic admitted his team rode their luck against Belgium but said he was pleased with the way they controlled the match for large stretches.
Images from the UEFA Champions League group matches played on Tuesday night.
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