Croatia’s midfield marshall Luka Modric gave his country’s near-four million population something more to cheer about besides the World Cup third-place medal he helped them clinch, beating Morocco 2-1 at the Khalifa Stadium on Saturday night.
Not done at 37
Modric, who, at 37 years, 99 days, became the oldest player to have played for Croatia in the FIFA World Cup, revealed after the game that he will continue to don the Croatian red and white chequered shirt. “About my future, I’m not quite sure if I will be [playing] till the Euro [2024] in Germany. We will wait and see about that. But I’m enjoying playing with the national team, I feel happy, and I still think that I can perform on a high level, so I want to continue till the Nations League at least. I need to take it step by step. After the Nations League, there will be more than enough time to think about the Euro,” the Real Madrid star said moments after the win over Morocco which he celebrated with his children on the Khalifa turf.
Leading from the front
Modric had been terrific at this tournament. His sheer presence in the midfield combined with his brilliantly anticipated tackles and highly accurate passing helped stem many an opposition attack. Ask the Brazilians, who struggled as the Croatian midfield trio of Modric, Mateo Kovacic and Marcelo Brozovic controlled things in the centre of the pitch and took the game into the shootout, where the South Americans eventually perished.
Nations League challenge
Croatia, Spain, Italy and The Netherlands are part of the final four of the Nations League, with the semi-final draw scheduled for January 25, the semi-finals on June 14-15, and the final on June 18 next year. Modric’s intention to play next year should see him be able to stretch his international career for another year thereafter with the prestigious Euros round the corner then. However, his World Cup show, in all probability should be over, considering he will be 41 by the time the quadrennial showpiece next comes around, in USA, Mexico and Canada.
Croatian coach Zlatko Dalic, however, has already said that his captain will be part of their Euro 2024 campaign. “I hope Luka will be there [at Euro 2024]. I’m looking forward to it. In fact, it’s certain that he will be there, but he will personally decide how he feels. I personally feel that he will be there, but it ultimately is his decision,” Dalic had said on the eve of the third-place match. Croatian fans too will be hoping that Modric plays at Euro 2024, and a gold medal at the continental showpiece event could be a fitting international farewell gift in a glittering career.
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