Moscow • From a childhood blighted by war to a successful playing career now being muddied by a criminal case, Luka Modric has arrived at the World Cup final with plenty of life experiences.
Through it all, the Croatia playmaker will be the key member of a team that will face France on Sunday at the Luzhniki Stadium for the biggest title in soccer.
“I’ve seen a great deal of hardship in my life,” the 32-year-old Modric said Saturday. “What is the most important is never to give up, never to give in to circumstances, to trust yourself.