The captain of the Croatian national football team, Luka Modric (34), has received the Golden Foot award, another honour in his successful career.

“It is an honour for me to receive this award. I am returning to my best level, as I showed in the last game. There are seven very important matches until the end of the year and we will try to keep playing well,” Modric said at a ceremony in Monte Carlo on Tuesday.

The award is given to players of at least 28 years of age who stand out for their individual and team achievements and for their personality.

Modric is the 17th player to receive the prize, which was launched in 2003. Interestingly, it is one of the rare prizes that has not been awarded to either Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo.

After the ceremony, Modric returns to Opatija to join his teammates in preparations for a Euro 2020 qualifier against Slovakia, scheduled for November 16 in Rijeka.