Thursday, March 13, 2025

Andrés Iniesta vs Luka Modrić: Who is the Best Footballer?

Andrés Iniesta vs Luka Modrić: Andrés Iniesta and Luka Modrić are two legendary midfielders in modern football.

Iniesta, from Barcelona’s La Masia academy, is known for his balance, dribbling, and vision. He was the creative force in Barcelona’s midfield, key in their “tiki-taka” style, and scored the winning goal in the 2010 World Cup final for Spain.

Modrić, known for his versatility and hard work, has been a key player for Real Madrid and Croatia. He combines skill with tenacity and is great at controlling the game’s tempo. He led Croatia to the 2018 World Cup final, winning the Golden Ball as the best player.

Both players have won many trophies. Iniesta’s achievements include multiple La Liga and Champions League titles, while Modrić has won many Champions League and La Liga titles with Real Madrid.

Modrić also broke the Messi-Ronaldo dominance by winning the Ballon d’Or in 2018.

Iniesta is known for his elegance and control, while Modrić stands out for his versatility and tactical skill. Both are legends in their own right, making it difficult to say who is better, as each shines in different ways.


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Who is the Best Footballer?
Globeindependent vote

Andrés Iniesta vs Luka Modrić

In this article, we compare Andrés Iniesta and Luka Modrić to determine who is the better footballer.

Andrés Iniesta vs Luka Modrić All-Time Stats

Iniesta has scored over 107 goals in his career, while Modrić has scored over 127. Iniesta is well-known for his creativity, with more assists—over 191 compared to Modrić’s 161.

Both are listed among the players with the most assists. They are also skilled penalty takers, with Iniesta scoring over 18 penalties and Modrić converting over 23. Iniesta has won 37 trophies in their career while Modrić has won 33.

Here are their all-time stats.

TOTALSIniestaModrić
Matches10161057
Goals107127
Ratio0.100.12
Assists191161
Penalty1823
Free Kick22
Hat TricksN/A
Trophies3733
Ballon d’Or1
European Golden Shoe

Andrés Iniesta vs Luka Modrić Goals, Assists & Trophies at Club Level

In their club careers, both Iniesta and Modrić have been amazing. Iniesta played 885 matches, scored 93 goals, gave 161 assists, and won 32 trophies. Modrić, meanwhile, played 877 matches, scored 100 goals, gave 132 assists, and won 33 trophies. Modrić has more trophies and goals, while Iniesta has more assists.

StatIniestaModrić
Matches885877
Goals93100
Assists161132
Minutes Per Goal665′709′
Minutes Played61.828′58.847′
Trophies3233

Andrés Iniesta vs Luka Modrić Goals, Assists & Trophies at National Level

Iniesta and Modrić have both been impressive for their national teams, but Iniesta has won more trophies.

Modrić played 180 matches, scored 27 goals, and made 29 assists, but he hasn’t won any international trophies. He was a runner-up in the 2018 World Cup and the 2022–23 UEFA Nations League.

Iniesta won the 2010 World Cup, two EURO Championships (2008, 2012), and the UEFA European Under-19 Championship in 2002.

StatIniestaModric
Matches131180
Goals1427
Assists3029
Minutes Per Goal635′531′
Minutes Played8.894′14.329′
Trophies5

Who’s More Impressive in the World Cup? Goals, Assists & Trophies

Iniesta has a better World Cup record than Modrić. Modrić scored 2 goals in three World Cups, while Iniesta scored 2 and made 3 assists compared to Modrić’s 1.

The main difference is that Iniesta won the World Cup in 2010, while Modrić, despite being a runner-up in 2018, hasn’t won one.

Iniesta’s World Cup win and more assists show his stronger performance on the big stage. Modrić also played well but didn’t win the tournament.

StatIniestaModrić
Matches1419
Goals22
Assists31
Penalty1
Minutes Per Goal601′824′
Minutes Played1.201′1.648′
World Cup1

Who’s More Impressive in EURO? Goals, Assists & Trophies

In the UEFA European Championship (EURO), Iniesta and Modrić have different records.

Iniesta made 5 assists and won the championship twice (2008 and 2012). Modrić scored 4 goals and made 1 assist but hasn’t won the title yet.

Iniesta’s success shows his achievements in European competitions, while Modrić’s record highlights his strong performance despite not winning the tournament.

StatIniestaModrić
Matches1616
Goals4
Assists51
Penalty1
Minutes Per Goal365′
Minutes Played1.328′1.461′
EURO2

Who’s More Impressive in Champions League? Goals, Assists & Trophies

In the UEFA Champions League, Iniesta scored 11 goals in 130 matches and won the trophy 4 times (2005–06, 2008–09, 2010–11, and 2014–15).

Modrić scored 9 goals and provided 18 assists in 129 matches, winning the title 6 times with Real Madrid (2013–14, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2021–22, and 2023–24). Iniesta has more goals, but Modrić has more titles.

StatIniestaModrić
Matches130129
Goals119
Assists2918
Penalty1
Minutes Per Goal840′1.050′
Minutes Played9.238′9.451′
Champions League46

Who’s More Impressive in La Liga? Goals, Assists & Trophies

In La Liga, Iniesta scored 35 goals and made 84 assists in 442 matches, winning 9 titles with Barcelona.

Modrić scored 28 goals and made 60 assists in 367 matches, winning 4 titles with Real Madrid.

Iniesta has more goals, assists, and titles, showing his exceptional career in Spanish football.

StatIniestaModrić
Matches442367
Goals3528
Assists8460
Penalty12
Minutes Per Goal848′924′
Minutes Played29.687′25.874′
La Liga94

Who’s More Impressive in J1 League/Premier League? Goals, Assists & Trophies

In the J1 League/Premier League, Iniesta scored 21 goals in 114 matches and won a J1 League title in 2023.

Modrić scored 13 goals and made 18 assists in 127 matches with Tottenham Hotspur but didn’t win any trophies.

Iniesta leads in goals, titles, and overall achievements.

StatIniestaModrić
Matches114127
Goals2113
Assists2218
Penalty91
Minutes Per Goal390′824′
Minutes Played8.190′10.711′
J1 League/Premier League1

Andrés Iniesta vs Luka Modrić Matches Against Each Other

Andrés Iniesta and Modrić have played against each other 16 times in different competitions. Iniesta has the advantage, winning 8 matches compared to Modrić’s 5. In these games, Iniesta scored 2 goals, while Modrić has not scored.

MatchesIniesta WDModric WIniesta GModric G
168352

Who Has More Trophies?

Modrić has won 33 trophies, including 4 La Liga titles, 6 UEFA Champions League titles, and 2 Copa del Rey victories. He was a runner-up in the World Cup in 2018 and the UEFA Nations League in 2022–23.

Iniesta has won 37 trophies, including 4 UEFA Champions League titles, 9 La Liga titles, and 5 Spanish Super Cup titles. He won the World Cup in 2010 and the UEFA European Championship in 2008 and 2012.

CompetitionIniestaModrić
La Liga94
Copa del Rey62
Spanish Super Cup55
UEFA Champions League46
UEFA Super Cup25
FIFA Club World Cup35
J1 League1
Emperor’s Cup1
Japanese Super Cup1
UEFA European Under-16 Championship1
UEFA European Under-19 Championship1
FIFA World Cup1
EURO2
Prva HNL3
Croatian Cup2
Croatian Super Cup1
TOTAL3733

Who Has More Individual Awards?

Modrić has won more individual awards than Iniesta. He has one Ballon d’Or, one FIFA World Player of the Year, one UEFA Best Player in Europe Award, and the FIFA World Cup Golden Ball.

In comparison, Iniesta has won the Footballer of the Year and Player of the Year awards once each.

Modrić has a total of 10 awards, while Iniesta has 2, showing Modrić’s advantage in individual honors.

AwardsIniestaModrić
The Best FIFA Men’s Player1
Player of the Year16
Ballon d’Or1
European Golden Shoe
UEFA Best Player in Europe11
Top Goalscorer
TM-Player of the season
Olympic Medalist
Footballer of the Year1
Pichichi Trophy
FIFA Puskas Award
FIFA World Cup Golden Ball1
FIFA World Cup Silver Ball
TOTAL210

Who Scores More Penalty Goals?

Modrić has scored more penalty goals than Iniesta, but Iniesta has a higher success rate. Iniesta took 21 penalties, scoring 18 and missing 3, giving him an 85% success rate.

In comparison, Modrić took 29 penalties, scoring 23 and missing 6, resulting in a 79% success rate. This shows that Iniesta performed better overall in penalties.

PenaltyIniestaModrić
Total Penalty Taken2129
Total Penalty Scored1823
Total Penalty Missed36
Success Rate85%79%

Who Scores More Free Kick Goals?

Both Iniesta and Modrić have scored about 2 free-kick goals in their careers.

IniestaModrić
22

Who Has More Hat Tricks?

IniestaModrić
N/AN/A

Who’s the Better Passer?

Iniesta and Modrić are both great passers. Iniesta is good at quick passes, and Modrić is great at long passes. Who’s better is just a matter of opinion.


Who’s the Best Dribbler?

Iniesta and Modrić are both great dribblers. Iniesta focuses on close control and quick movements, while Modrić mixes dribbling with smart playmaking.


Who Has the Best Heading Skills?

Neither Iniesta nor Modrić is great at heading, but Modrić is better because of his height. Iniesta is stronger on the ground. For heading skills, We pick Modrić.


Who Is Faster?

Iniesta is faster in tight spaces, while Modrić is better over long distances. Choose Iniesta for quick direction changes and Modrić for speed on long runs.


Who’s the Ultimate Winner?

If you like creativity and quick dribbling, pick Iniesta. If you prefer passing and strategy, go with Modrić. Both are legends, and who’s better depends on your style of play!


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