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- Top 5 Highest-Earning Footballers of 2025
- Football Salary: $22.5 Million Per Year
- Career Transfer Fees: $60 Million
- Endorsements: $5 Million Per Year
- Investments and Business Ventures
- Early Life and Career Beginnings
- Success at Tottenham
- Real Madrid Superstardom
- Croatian National Team Heroics
- Personal Life and Legal Issues
- Philanthropy
- Outlook and Future Potential
- Career Accomplishments and Honors
Luka Modrić is one of the best midfielders of his generation. The Croatia and Real Madrid superstar has enjoyed tremendous success at club and international level.
Modrić’s skills, achievements and appeal have made him a very wealthy footballer. Let’s examine Modrić’s net worth, career highlights and marketability.
Modrić’s brilliance has earned him lucrative contracts and endorsements. According to multiple reports, Luka Modrić’s net worth is estimated to be $90 million as of 2024. Let’s take a closer look at how he has amassed his fortune.
Top 5 Highest-Earning Footballers of 2025
Football Salary: $22.5 Million Per Year
Luka Modrić has earned enormous sums from his salaries playing for major clubs like Real Madrid and Tottenham. Team mates like Courtois are very happy having him as a team mate.
Modrić signed a six-year contract with Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur worth $140,000 per week. This equated to around $7 million per year.
He currently earns a reported $22.5 million in annual salary from Real Madrid in Spain.
He once transferred from Tottenham to Real Madrid for a $44 million transfer fee. His salary increased to over $10 million annually.
Over his entire club career, Luka Modrić has likely earned over $200 million in total salary payments thus far.
Career Transfer Fees: $60 Million
The talented Croatian midfielder has commanded huge transfer fees when moving between clubs:
- Signed by Dinamo Zagreb for $550,000
- Sold to Tottenham for $22 million
- Bought by Real Madrid for $44 million
The $44 million Real Madrid paid for him in 2012 was a record transfer fee for the club at the time.
In total, Modrić’s transfers have been worth around $60 million over his career. His high fees reflect his importance and ability as a midfield maestro.
Endorsements: $5 Million Per Year
On top of his Real Madrid salary, Luka Modrić earns around $5 million annually from endorsement deals with brands like Nike, Huawei, Sony PlayStation and others.
Modrić has a lifetime sponsorship deal with Nike for football boots and apparel. He has featured in their commercials alongside Cristiano Ronaldo.
Some of his other endorsements include Swiss watchmaker Hublot, Austrian energy drink company Red Bull, and American Tourister luggage.
As he winds down his career, Modrić’s endorsements continue to provide a lucrative income stream alongside his massive Real Madrid salary.
Investments and Business Ventures
Like many wealthy footballers, Modrić has invested some of his career earnings into real estate and startup companies.
Real Estate
- Owns a lavish $12 million home in Madrid purchased in 2019
- Also owns property in his native Croatia
Football Academy
- Opened the Luka Modrić Football Academy in his hometown of Zadar, Croatia in 2017
- Training facility for youth players with top-class pitches and facilities
Startup Investing
- Has invested in several Croatian tech startups, including food delivery company Pauza
- Also backs athletic recovery device startup Regeneron Pharma based in Croatia
Diversifying his income streams will provide financial security for Modrić beyond his playing days.
Early Life and Career Beginnings
- Born September 9, 1985 in Zadar, Croatia which was then part of Yugoslavia
- Grew up as a refugee when his family’s home was destroyed in the Croatian War of Independence in 1991
- Began playing organized football as a child in Zadar, often practicing while bombs fell around him
- Joined the youth academy of Dinamo Zagreb at age 16 after impressing scouts
- Went on loan to Bosnian club Zrinjski Mostar in 2003, winning league’s Player of the Year award
- Returned to Dinamo Zagreb and became a regular starter, winning three straight league titles
- Earned first cap for Croatian national team in 2006 and became essential midfielder
Success at Tottenham
After starring for Dinamo Zagreb, Modrić moved to the Premier League with Tottenham Hotspur in 2008 for a $22 million transfer fee.
Initially, he struggled with injuries and the physicality of the Premier League. But under manager Harry Redknapp, Modrić thrived in a more advanced midfield role.
He became the creative fulcrum of the team and earned the nickname “Wizard of the Lane” from Tottenham supporters.
In 2010, Modrić signed a six-year contract extension with Tottenham as their highest paid player, signaling his importance.
He made over 150 appearances for Spurs, reaching the Champions League quarterfinals in 2010-11 and finishing 4th in the Premier League.
Real Madrid Superstardom
After proving himself in England, Luka Modrić secured a dream $44 million transfer to Spanish giants Real Madrid in 2012.
It took some time to adjust to Madrid, but Modrić eventually won over supporters with his world-class passing and ball retention skills.
Under manager Zinedine Zidane, he became the heartbeat of Real Madrid’s midfield and led them to four Champions League titles between 2014-2018.
Modrić earned numerous individual accolades including the Ballon d’Or award for the world’s best player in 2018.
He has made over 350 appearances for Real, winning two La Liga titles, four Champions Leagues and other trophies. Modrić continues starring in Madrid at age 38.
Croatian National Team Heroics
Since making his debut in 2006, Luka Modrić has been the creative engine of the Croatian national side.
He took over the captain’s armband from former teammate Darijo Srna in 2015.
In 2018, Modrić’s brilliant play guided Croatia to their first ever World Cup final, defeating England and hosts Russia along the way.
He won the Golden Ball as the best player of the entire tournament in Russia.
To date, Modrić has an incredible 150 caps and 23 goals for Croatia, whom he led to the 2018 World Cup final against France.
Personal Life and Legal Issues
- Married wife Vanja Bosnić in 2010 and has three children with her – one son and two daughters
- Devout Roman Catholic who values his privacy and maintains a very low profile off the pitch
- Was charged with perjury in 2018 for allegedly lying during a former Dinamo Zagreb executive’s embezzlement trial but was later acquitted
- Speaks fluent Spanish after spending most of his career in Spain but is notoriously soft-spoken and shy
- Enjoys reading books, playing the piano, and spending time with family away from football
Philanthropy
The veteran midfielder has given back to the less fortunate over the course of his illustrious career:
- Auctioned off autographed jerseys, boots and awards to raise money for various children’s charities and hospitals
- Made significant donations to support young refugees displaced by wars in Croatia, Bosnia and Syria
- Funded construction of a nursey school in Congo and helped finance orphanages in Croatia
- Ambassador for humanitarian organization Action Against Hunger to fight child malnutrition around the world
- Plans to expand charitable work after retirement through his foundation
Outlook and Future Potential
Even at 38 years old, Luka Modrić remains a world class midfielder and continues starring for Real Madrid and Croatia.
He signed a 1-year contract extension with Real Madrid in 2021 keeping him at the club through 2022-23 season.
Modrić will likely play at least one more World Cup in 2022 as Croatia captain. He could retire from international football after that tournament.
It’s unclear how many more years Modrić will continue playing club football for Real Madrid, but they will surely want to keep him as long as possible.
When he does eventually retire, Modrić will go down as one of the greatest midfielders of his era and can relax knowing his playing career earnings have made him financially secure for life.
Look for Modrić to take on coaching roles and expand his business portfolio and philanthropy once he hangs up his boots. One thing is for sure – the football world will sorely miss his brilliant vision and passing whenever the Croatian maestro decides to walk away.
Career Accomplishments and Honors
To fully appreciate how Luka Modrić has amassed his $80 million net worth, here is a recap of his trophy haul and individual honors over his illustrious career so far:
Club Honors
- 4x UEFA Champions League winner (2014, 2016, 2017, 2018)
- 2x La Liga champion (2017, 2020)
- English League Cup winner (2008)
- Croatian First Football League winner (2007, 2008, 2009)
- Bosnian Premier League winner (2004)
Individual Honors
- Ballon d’Or (2018)
- FIFA World Cup Golden Ball (2018)
- UEFA Men’s Player of the Year (2018)
- FIFA World XI (2018)
- La Liga Best Midfielder (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020)
- 4x UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season
- English Footballer of the Year (2011)
- Croatian Footballer of the Year (2007, 2011, 2014)
- Serbian SuperLiga Player of the Year (2004)
With both team and individual honors too numerous to list completely, Luka Modrić has clearly had an extraordinary football career thus far. His reputation as one of the best midfielders of his generation is fully cemented.
Modrić’s magical playmaking ability has not only mesmerized fans worldwide, but also enabled him to earn around $200 million in career salary, endorsements, bonuses and fees by age 38.
The Croatian legend is a shining example of how far talent, hard work and passion can take you in football and life. With a net worth of $80 million and his legacy secure, Modrić’s climb from humble refugee to global superstar is complete.