Brilliant Baturina ready to inherit Modric's mantle
The 22-year-old has made his mark in Serie A with Como, delivering goals and assists. Now he aims to do the same with Croatia at the World Cup.
Croatia midfielder Martin Baturina has impressed in Serie A with four goals in 2026
He is tipped to carry forward the legacy that saw Croatia finish second and third at FIFA World Cup
Como star spoke of his admiration for Luka Modric, a fellow product of Dinamo Zagreb’s academy
Growing up as a gifted midfielder in Dinamo Zagreb’s academy inevitably brings comparison. From his earliest steps in football, Martin Baturina has faced the same narrative: his role, technical quality and undeniable talent led many to label him 'the new Luka Modric'. For a player born in 2003 and stepping onto the Serie A stage, the pressure of following in those footsteps can be immense.
At first, it didn’t go to plan, with the impressive Nico Paz blocking Baturina’s progress at Como, but a new year has brought new opportunities. The Croatian midfielder has shown great improvements in 2026, registering four goals and three assists across Serie A and the Coppa Italia since January, propelling his name into conversations surrounding the FIFA World Cup 2026™.
Croatia, after all, boast a golden generation led by the evergreen 40-year-old Modric at AC Milan and Ivan Perisic. And the conveyor belt has not stopped there, as evidenced by another 2003-born Dinamo graduate, Petar Sucic, who is flourishing at Inter Milan.
“Baturina has put himself on the map,” Como coach Cesc Fabregas told DAZN with a smile. It took a moment of pure quality to cement his presence in Italian football: a last-gasp strike against Bologna, a quick shift of the ball followed by a finish into the top corner. According to the former FIFA World Cup™ winner, adapting from Croatian football to the tactical demands of Serie A required time. “He had never worked so intensively on tactics before.”
The results are now clear to see. Against Lazio, Baturina operated as a ‘false nine’, contributing a goal and an assist. Ahead of a meeting with Torino, where he would score again, his coach added: “He is a very intelligent and versatile player. We want to see him playing further forward.” Wherever he plays, he delivers. Versatility appears to be a hallmark of Croatia’s midfielders – from Lovro Majer and Nikola Vlasic to Mario Pasalic and Sucic – each capable of influencing matches from multiple roles.
Baturina made his senior international debut exactly one year and one day after Croatia’s third-place finish at Qatar 2022. Under Zlatko Dalic, he has already earned 15 caps, despite missing the last two qualifiers due to limited early-season minutes at Como. Given his recent performances, however, overlooking him has become impossible.
With rare composure and an elegance suited to the biggest stages, Baturina appears the natural heir to Modric’s iconic No10 shirt. In fact, he has already worn it, briefly, after Como’s first meeting with Milan, and even attempted to reclaim it in the return fixture before ultimately handing it to team-mate Smolcic.
“I’d like to make an appeal to Milan: produce more Modric shirts – everyone wants one!” Baturina joked. “We’re friends in the national team. It’s a dream to play against him, and I’m proud of what he’s doing in Milan.” In a few months’ time, in Group L at the FIFA World Cup 2026, the two could reunite once more. Perhaps for a final symbolic passing of the torch in Croatia’s midfield legacy.