Glow Up: Pixar Character to play in World Cup Final
The country of Croatia almost burned itself to the ground on Wednesday by lighting off several billion flares, bombs, and other assorted explosives in celebration of their men’s national team advancing to its first-ever FIFA World Cup final. While Croatia isn’t exactly 16-seed UMBC knocking off 1-seed Virginia in the NCAA tournament last year, most people assumed they would be emasculated by Messi and Argentina in the knockout stage.
However, Croatia being in the World Cup final isn’t the real “Cinderella” story here. The real story is how their captain, Luka Modric, went from orphaned, homeless, four-legged movie star, to a potential world champion.
Modric first burst onto the scene in 2015 when he starred in a little Pixar production called “The Good Dinosaur.” Director Peter Sohn discovered Modric when location scouting for the film. Modric, then homeless, sans parents, and rather dog-like, emerged from the woods like only a gritty midfielder would.
It was then that Sohn knew he found a star. He cast Modric as the supporting actor, named Spot, opposite Arlo, a fictitious Dinosaur.
Truth be told, the film was moderate at best, but that certainly didn’t stop Modric from stealing the show. His performance caught the eye of the Croatian national soccer team and head coach Zlatko Dalic. Modric was quickly moved to Zadar, Croatia so he could obtain citizenship and play for his new country.
In an exclusive interview with Couch Guy Sports, Modric said he brought many things with him from his days living alone in the woods that have helped make him the soccer player he is today. One example, Modric mentioned, is his strict diet.
Another — his motor — which many announcers say is simply unmatched (Modric has ran 39.1 miles, or 63 KM in this years World Cup – good for most in the tournament) is a product of being a hunter-gatherer for the first half of his life.
Modric also said that while he is primarily known for his foot skills, passing ability, and ugly facial structure, he also learned how to use his head during his time in the forest, which has translated quite nicely to the pitch.
The story of Luka Modric and his glow-up is one that will be told long after the World Cup final on Sunday. And regardless of the outcome of the game, you can bet the country of Croatia will be very, very drunk.
P.S. This is the official bio for Spot from the Good Dino wiki – tell me this isn’t the exact description of a Croatian midfielder….
“Spot is a wild, tough, and tenacious human boy who has lived alone in the wilderness for much of his life. He speaks in only grunts and growls, but his strengths are clear: he’s fearless, confident and a survivalist.”
– @robdark_13