Luka Modric sure to grace Hampden with level of class that his fellow Ballon d'Or winner lacks

In 2018, when Luka Modric arrived at the ceremony where he was widely expected to be awarded the Ballon d’Or, he found an empty seat next to his. It was meant to be occupied by Cristiano Ronaldo.

It said everything about their respective characters. The idea of turning up to sit and applaud someone else being acclaimed was alien to the Portuguese superstar, even if that person was Modric, a former teammate at Real Madrid. Of course, he is not alone in feeling this way. Even Lionel Messi failed to turn up on that occasion. This year, meanwhile, Vinicius Junior couldn’t bear seeing Rodri accept an award that the Real Madrid player clearly felt was due to him.

The Ballon d’Or identifies the best footballer in the world and large ego is often part of the equation, although not in the case of Modric. It might be a consequence of his grandfather’s murder during the Croatian war of independence. He detailed this horror in his autobiography, published shortly after leading Croatia to the World Cup final in Russia. “My heart breaks every time I think of him dying, literally on his doorstep,” Modric writes, devastatingly, in reference to Luka, after whom he was named.

Croatia midfielder Luka Modric could play in Scotland for the last time on Friday evening. (Photo: DAMIR SENCAR/AFP via Getty Images) | AFP via Getty Images

Ronaldo did not have it easy of course. The son of an alcoholic father, he emerged from poverty to become Portugal’s first international player from Madeira. But as Croatian sportswriter Drazen Antolic explained yesterday at Hampden, “he is from there (pointing to his knee) and Modric is from here (pointing to the floor)". 

Modric is sorely aware that the fripperies of sport do not matter. Compare this to Ronaldo, who left Hampden Park last month, on what might have been his last appearance on Scottish soil, wailing hysterically about a corner that couldn’t be taken because the referee blew for full time instead.

The last image of a football superstar for kids who had begged their parents to let them either stay up to watch the game – on Youtube! – or take them to Hampden was the sight of the back of Ronaldo’s famous No 7 shirt as he strode huffily up the tunnel without shaking a single Scottish hand. To be fair to him, there were reports of him signing autographs afterwards when the vehicle he was in was waved down in the street. Still, it was hardly the most dignified of exits.

Cristiano Ronaldo stormed off the pitch at Hampden in a huff after Portugal’s goalless draw with Scotland last month. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group) | SNS Group

Even John Carver, the Scotland assistant manager, mentioned something about disappointing one of the world’s great footballers earlier this week. “He’s coming off in a huff because he’s frustrated,” he said, approvingly, when challenging Scotland to go one better this week against Croatia and secure a first win of the calendar year rather than just a spirited 0-0 draw, one of the reasons why Ronaldo was so miffed.

It was a shame. Not the result, which gave Scotland a precious first point in this challenging A-tier of the Nations League, but the manner of Ronaldo’s departure, with so much having been written about him finally gracing Hampden at the age of 39. It’s not being Scottish-centric to having so keenly anticipated this meeting of legendary stadium with legendary winger.

Was Ronaldo sitting around his palace in the Middle East, counting his hundreds of millions of dollars, while bemoaning never having played at Hampden? Perhaps not. But for anyone who cares about the history of the world game, it felt significant. It felt momentous.

Luka Modric scores to make it 2-1 Croatia during a Euro 2020 match between Croatia and Scotland at Hampden Park. Cr: SNS Group. | SNS Group

The stadium was once the biggest and best in the world. It was where the club with whom Ronaldo won five European Cups lifted their fifth successive such title after one of the most memorable matches ever played against Eintracht Frankfurt, in front of the largest crowd to attend the final either before or since.

One imagines the 39-year-old Modric, who has become Real Madrid’s oldest-ever player in the weeks since Scotland last faced him a month ago, appreciates and respects all this ahead of tonight’s Nations League re-match. He’s already granted this arena a bravura performance at Euro 2020 to send Scotland spinning from the tournament. Steve Clarke might note wishfully that there’s no need for another one tonight on what could be the player’s last appearance in this country.

The Scotland manager is a fully paid-up member of the Modric fan club. “There are certain players even I would pay money to watch; I am in the fortunate position where I don’t normally have to pay to watch these players,” he said yesterday. “Players of that level are somebody you want to go and say you’ve seen play live. So yes, that is what I would say about Luka Modric.”

Modric’s last performance here cost Scotland their place at Euro 2020. He turned it on in the second half after Clarke’s side briefly got themselves back into things through Callum McGregor’s equaliser just before half time. Modric took the game by the scruff of the neck, arrowing in a superb goal with the outside of his right boot to put his team 2-1 up, in doing so becoming the oldest player to score for Croatia to that point (he was a mere 35 years and 286 days old). He then provided the assist for a third goal from Ivan Perisic.

Luka Modric in action for Real Madrid during a 3-0 away victory at Celtic Park two seasons ago. | AFP via Getty Images

Until last month, it was the only time Croatia had beaten Scotland. Despite his advanced age, and the fact he would be needed in the last 16, Modric stayed on for the full 90 plus minutes. Fewer than 10,000 were at Hampden that evening due to Covid restrictions. Most of them, I’m sure, would have put aside the disappointment they felt to hand Modric the ovation he deserved had he been taken off.

In a way, it’s better that this opportunity did not arise. Better that it happens, if it happens at all, on a night when Hampden is full. Ronaldo managed to ruin things with his petulance. It seems inconceivable that Modric will do likewise this evening.

He’s already felt the love in Scotland. He was cheered off after proving instrumental in Real Madrid’s 3-0 Champions League win over Celtic at Parkhead in 2022. “Special atmosphere. Thank you Celtic Park,” he wrote rather elegantly on Instagram afterwards. Unlike Ronaldo, he knows no other way.