Toronto (Canada). Croatia’s great midfielder Luka Modric’s World Cup journey is considered to be almost at an end, his own team coach Zlatko Dalic and Portugal coach Roberto Martinez have expressed high respect for him. 40-year-old Modric has probably called a halt to the World Cup after losing 2-1 to Portugal.
After the game, Modric and 41-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo had a long intimate conversation. These two great players who spent six seasons together in Real Madrid and won the Champions League four times are considered to have reached the final stage of their international football journey.
Croatia’s coach Dalic expressed his sadness that Modric had to leave like this and said that he maintained his leadership, character and excellent game performance until the last moment. According to him, Modric has always been one of Croatia’s leading players.
Portuguese coach Martinez mentioned that Modric has inspired millions of children and said that his style of play will always be remembered in football history. He said that Modric still looks as impressive as a young player because of his ability to make the right decisions after taking control of the ball, his style of understanding the pace of the game and his ability to create space.
Modric played a decisive role in taking Croatia to the runner-up position in the 2018 World Cup and to the third place in 2022. Currently playing for AC Milan, he completed his 200th international match last month. After the victory over Panama on June 23, the players of the team raised him on their shoulders and gave him a farewell signal.
On the other hand, Ronaldo, who was criticized in the group stage, contributed significantly to Portugal’s victory and scored an equalizing goal through a penalty in the second half.