Real Madrid midfielder, Luka Modrić, has become an ambassador of Croatia-based sports data company, SofaScore.

In forming the agreement, on Sunday, Modrić was met by the company’s founders, Zlatko Hrkać and Ivan Bešlić who will see the La Liga player cooperate with the firm ahead of this year’s World Cup.

In particular, the football scores and livescore provider has focused on its shared nationality and heritage with the Croatian national team striker, who played for the country during the 2018 World Cup, where it secured second place. 

“Luka joins SofaScore at a significant moment – before the Qatar World Cup, which could be his final major competition,” a SofaScore statement on the partnership read.

“We are eager to see the outcomes of this cooperation as well as the results of the Croatian national team. And, of course, to follow them on SofaScore.” 

By linking with Ballon d’Or and four-time Champions League winner Modrić, SofaScore hopes to significantly boost its profile and exposure ahead of the World Cup in Qatar, as Croatia looks to repeat its successes of the last tournament. 

The firm intends to promote its image as a ‘unique product that connects fans, sports enthusiasts, and athletes themselves’.

So far, SofaScore has achieved a prominent standing among sports fans, having secured a worldwide monthly user base of twenty-two million and carrying a high rating among apps in the live score category on both the App Store and Google Play. 

Speaking to SBC Leaders last year, SofaScore’s Head of Sales Daniel Jurilj, outlined the ‘secret sauce’ to the app’s success, pointing to the firm’s ability to ‘turn raw data into valuable insights that help users immediately figure out what’s going on in the match’.

With the World Cup – one of the betting industry’s biggest events – just six months away, Jurilj also detailed how a ‘seamless mobile experience is a must’ for companies involved in sports business, whether that be live score providers, betting firms or others, to achieve success in the highly competitive landscape.