The International Institute of Football History and Statistics (IFFHHS) named the captain of the Croatia national football team Luka Modric the third-best playmaker from 2011 to 2020, while the title of the best went to Argentine footballer Lionel Messi.
Lionel Messi, who was named the best in the IFFHS selection in 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2019, and was second in 2011, 2014, 2018, and 2020, was named the best playmaker in the last decade.
The second in the IFFHS selection is his former Barcelona teammate Andres Iniesta, who was twice named the best in the annual selection – in 2012 and 2013. Modric is followed by Belgian footballer Kevin De Bruyne (winner of the 2020 annual selection) and Toni Kroos (in the 2014 annual election).
Luka Modric won the award for the best playmaker in the IFFHS annual selection in 2018. For every year in the past ten years, IFFHHS has given the best playmaker 20 points, the second 19, the third 18, and the twentieth on that list one point. Thus, when all the years are added up, Messi collected 174 points, Andres Iniesta 127 points, and Modric 113.
This is another great recognition for the Croatian footballer, whose age-defying play for Real Madrid could fool anyone that he is 35.
Just the other day, Mundo Deportivo declared Modric one of the best and explained that only Modric did something in the attack out of all Real players.
“Modric was the one who had the best ideas in the attack. He set the rhythm of the game, but none of his teammates could follow that rhythm,” the Spanish daily sports newspaper wrote.
Modric will lead Croatia as the captain this year through the World Cup qualifiers, which begin in March against Slovenia, Malta, and Cyprus.
Croatia will then gather in June for the European Championships, and will kick-off against England in London.
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