Here is the story of a former refugee who went on to win the Ballon d'Or. While the rags-to-riches story is no exception in football, Luka Modric's journey to the top entails a far more harrowing reality.

During the Croatian War of Independence, his grandfather was murdered, and a six-year-old Modric and his family were forced to flee their home in Yugoslavia and live in a dilapidated hotel in Zadar. Despite the difficult conditions, Modric started playing professional football at NK Zadar, which was a top-tier Croatian club at the time.

But due to his small stature, Modric was rejected by Croatian club Hajduk Split. However, Tomislav Basic, his coach at NK Zadar, set up a trial at Dinamo Zagreb, where Modric shined bright.

Moves to Tottenham Hotspur in 2008 and Real Madrid in 2012 followed. In 2018, the Croatian lifted his fourth Champions League trophy with Madrid and also helped Croatia to the World Cup final, deservedly winning the Ballon d'Or that year.