25 Sep, 2018 16:41

'Bravo Luka! Deserved!' - Croatia president Grabar-Kitarović congratulates Modric on FIFA Best award

Croatian president Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović has congratulated national team captain Luka Modric on his FIFA Best Men's player award with a "bravo" message to her official Facebook page.

"Bravo Luka - deserved! Captain, congratulations on your choice for the best player in the world!" the popular president wrote on Facebook following the announcement at the FIFA Best ceremony in London on Monday, where Modric beat off competition from Cristiano Ronaldo and Mohamed Salah.

Grabar-Kitarović stole hearts at the World Cup 2018 Russia with her passionate display of support for the Croatian team as they marched all the way to the final, including wearing the team jersey in the stands at their quarterfinal match versus hosts Russia.

The team eventually made it all the way to the final, valiantly losing 4-2 to France, but heir efforts had done the tiny Balkan nation proud. Not least those of captain Modric, who was awarded the Golden Ball for the best player at the tournament, presented to him by the president.

The image of Grabar-Kitarović emotionally embracing the defeated skipper while handing him a runners-up medal, as the rain cascaded down on the Luzhniki Stadium turf after the final, became one of the most iconic of the entire tournament.

Despite Modric's unparalleled personal success on the pitch, there was one area in which Grabar-Kitarovic outdid Croatia's golden boy; the president was so popular at the tournament, that she recorded a whole 25 percent more social media mentions than skipper Modric, from a record-high 258,326 about Croatia during the final.

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