The 2026 World Cup is not just about the gold trophy, but about the victory of the human soul over all odds!
Look at Luka Modrić who at 40 remains a maestro, proving that a steely mentality can beat age and childhood trauma as a war refugee. Born on September 9, 1985, Luka is a midfielder for AC Milan Club and the Croatian national team who has won individual awards including the Ballon d’Or in 2018, The Best FIFA Men’s Player, UEFA Men’s Player of the Year Award, as well as the Golden Foot in 2019.
Modrić began his professional career with Croatian club Dinamo Zagreb in 2003, and his glittering performances led him to move to Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur in 2008. He led Spurs to the UEFA Champions League in 2010, the club’s first qualification in almost 50 years. In the summer of 2012, Modrić joined Real Madrid for a transfer fee of £30 million. In his second season, he won the 2013–14 Champions League title and was selected in the best squad of the season. After Zinedine Zidane took over Madrid in 2016, Modrić became a key member of Madrid’s three consecutive Champions League titles from 2015–16 to 2017–18 and was voted in the best squad of the season each time. In total, he won 28 major trophies in Madrid, including six UEFA Champions League titles, four La Liga titles, and two Copa del Rey titles, making him the most accomplished footballer in the club’s history. He left Real Madrid in July 2025, joining Serie A club AC Milan on a free transfer.
Modrić led Croatia to the final of the 2018 World Cup, winning the Ballon d’or as the tournament’s best player. In March 2021, he became the player with the most appearances. At the 2022 World Cup, he led the team to a third-place finish, winning the Bronze Ball as the tournament’s third best player. He has also been named Croatian Footballer of the Year thirteen times, a record between 2007 and 2024.
Then there is Sadio Mané, the hero from Senegal who not only scored goals, but built the future of his village, Bambali, with world-class health and education facilities. Let’s not forget Alphonso Davies, the captain of the “Gamechanging” team who was born in a refugee camp but now leads hosts Canada on the world stage.
Sadio Mané, born on 10 April 1992 is regarded as one of the best wingers of his generation and one of the greatest African players of all time.
Mané began his professional career with Ligue 2 club Metz at the age of 19, but he departed after a solitary season to join Austrian club Red Bull Salzburg in 2012 for a fee of €4 million, winning a league and cup domestic double in the 2013–14 season. Later that summer, Mané transferred to English club Southampton for a club record fee of £11.8 million. There, he set a new Premier League record for the fastest hat-trick, scored in 176 seconds in a 6–1 win over Aston Villa in 2015.
Mané signed for fellow Premier League club Liverpool in 2016, making him the most expensive African player in history at that time. Having formed a formidable attacking trio with Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino after the departure of prolific midfielder Philippe Coutinho, he helped the side reach back-to-back UEFA Champions League finals in 2018 and 2019, winning the latter. He also finished as the league’s joint-top goalscorer in the 2018–19 season, winning the Premier League Golden Boot. Mané then helped end Liverpool’s 30-year league title drought by winning the 2019–20 Premier League. In October 2021, he scored his 100th Premier League goal, becoming the third African to reach the landmark. Mané finished fourth and second in the 2019 and 2022 editions of the Ballon d’Or, respectively; and in The Best FIFA Men’s Player he ranked fifth in 2019 and fourth in 2020.
At international level, Mané has registered 55 goals in 131 caps for Senegal since his debut in 2012, and currently ranks as his nation’s all-time top goalscorer, and second in all-time appearances. Mane represented Senegal at the 2012 Olympics, as well as the 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023 and 2025 editions of the Africa Cup of Nations. In the 2019 tournament, Mané helped Senegal to a runners-up finish, and a year later, was named African Footballer of the Year. In the 2021 final, Mané scored the winning kick in the penalty shoot-out to give Senegal their first Africa Cup of Nations title, and he was also named the Player of the tournament. In 2022, he was crowned African Player of the Year for the second time. Mané would lead Senegal to a third AFCON final in 2025, once again being named the tournament’s best player. Mané also represented his nation at the FIFA World Cup in 2018, the nation’s second-ever appearance in the competition, and 2026, but missed the 2022 tournament due to injury.
And there is Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior or mononymously as Neymar, a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder and captain of Brasileiro Série A club Santos, Brazil national team and in 2023, he surpassed Pelé’s 52-year long record as Brazil’s all-time top goalscorer.
Known for his dribbling, technical ability, playmaking, and finishing, Neymar is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. Born 5 February 1992, Neymar is one of only five players to have scored 100 goals with three different clubs,[α] both the all-time Brazilian top goalscorer (43) and assist provider (33) in the UEFA Champions League, ranks second for the all-time South American men’s top goalscorers in international football (79), and was the all-time top assist provider in international football (59) from 2023 to 2025. During the Messi and Ronaldo era, he finished in third place for the Ballon d’Or in 2015 and 2017.
Neymar made his professional debut with Santos in 2009 and emerged as a teenage sensation, helping Santos win their first Copa do Brasil title in 2010, where he was the top goalscorer, and end a 48-year drought to win the 2011 Copa Libertadores, where he was named Best Player. In 2013, Barcelona signed Neymar and he soon became part of a dominant attacking trio with Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez—known as MSN. Neymar had one of the most prolific seasons ever for a winger, scoring 39 goals as Barcelona won the treble of La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the Champions League in 2014–15; he was the top goalscorer of both the Champions League and the Copa del Rey. In 2015–16, he helped his club win the FIFA Club World Cup and the double.
Neymar left Barcelona to join Paris Saint-Germain in 2017, becoming the most expensive player in history after his €222 million release clause was activated. Despite frequent injuries causing limited game time at PSG, Neymar was vital to the club’s domestic success and became their fourth all-time top goalscorer. He helped PSG retrieve the Ligue 1 title in his debut season and in 2021–22, before joining Saudi club Al-Hilal and returning to Santos in January 2025.
Neymar is Brazil’s all-time top goalscorer, with 79 goals. In 2013, he won the FIFA Confederations Cup and received the Golden Ball. With four goals and an assist, Neymar helped Brazil reach the semi-finals at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. In 2016, he captained Brazil to their first Olympic gold medal in men’s football at the Summer Olympics, having previously won silver in the 2012 edition. In the 2021 Copa América, he was focal to Brazil reaching the final to face rivals Argentina; despite losing, Neymar was jointly awarded the tournament’s Best Player. Ahead of the 2022 World Cup, Neymar became Brazil’s all-time top scorer in World Cup qualification matches.
These stories are a reminder that no matter how hard the road is to go, big dreams are still achievable. They are not just athletes; they are a symbol of hope for millions of people around the world.
Who is your favourite player with the most touching story?
Craftsmanship reflects discipline, patience, and a commitment to excellence—values that translate across every industry. If you appreciate depth over noise, explore more stories on KVB.global. Share this with fellow creators and follow Kultur Voice Business or KVB for perspectives that celebrate meaningful work.
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