Croatia have consistently punched above their weight at major tournaments – and much of that has been down to one featherweight champion.
Luka Modric is Croatia’s most capped player, their greatest player of all time and the fulcrum of the side which will play at Euro 2024. He will turn 39 in September and the fact he is still operating at the very highest level for his country and Real Madrid is a testament to his enduring professionalism, as well as his innate talent.
Croatia is the 128th most populous country in the world, yet is ranked 10th by FIFA. They reached the final of the 2018 World Cup in Russia, where they were beaten by France, and finished third in Qatar four years later. Now, with Modric playing in what will surely be his final tournament, they will try to win the trophy.
It won’t be easy. Croatia have been drawn in Group B with Spain, Italy and Albania, but none of their opponents will be making the mistake of underestimating Zlatko Dalic’s side. Not when they could name a midfield of Modric, Mateo Kovacic and Marcelo Brozovic.
All eyes will be on Modric this summer in Germany, as they were back in 2022 in Qatar, when he embarked on what was supposed to be his international tournament swansong. But rather than retire, the 12-time Croatian footballer of the year vowed to carry on leading a country which holds him in the utmost esteem.
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Asked about Modric before the 2022 World Cup, Dalic told FIFA : “Knowing Modric, it might not be his last. Nothing is impossible with him – the things he does at his age are incredible. He’s improving every day and has so much energy when he plays for his national team.
“Croatia won’t be the same after Modric’s retirement. Football in our country owes him a great deal and we will always be grateful for what he has done. For us, it’s been a pleasure to share the dressing room with him. Modric is first and foremost a great person as well as a great player, who deserves all the success he’s achieved.”
Croatia have a core of experienced players (KHALED DESOUKI/AFP via Getty Images)Nobody can defy the ageing process – and Modric has shown signs of slowing down this season. Carlo Ancelotti has used him expertly, with 18 starts and 14 substitute appearances in La Liga allowing the midfield magician to influence games while passing the baton over to the next generation at Los Blancos.
Real’s title win in Spain and success in the Champions League has shown there is still room for the old guard, with Modric and Toni Kroos providing valuable contributions. The long-time midfield partnership will both compete at the Euros, where they will no doubt be afforded a respectful send-off, no matter their teams’ progress.
Modric has proven that physicality isn’t everything in the modern game. A slight figure who stands at barely 5ft 8in, he has shown that experience, intelligence, positional sense and passing ability can allow you to dictate a game from the middle of the pitch. Like Ancelotti, Dalic may choose to limit Modric’s involvement, but he will be there during the big moments.
Luka Modric is still going strong with Real Madrid (Pablo Morano/Getty Images)At some point there will have to be a changing of the guard in Croatia, with the veteran core of players giving way to a younger crop who are led by Manchester City defender Josko Gvardiol. But with Spain first up in Berlin on June 15, there is no time to blood younger talents just yet.
“We are up against the current European champions and the Nations League winners,” Dalic said upon discovering Croatia’s group in December. “We have a challenging task ahead, but I believe we can navigate through it, as we’ve done in the past.” Even with Spain and Italy in their way, it would be foolish to bet against them.
Modric grew up during a time of war in Croatia. His grandfather was killed metres from his front door when he was six years old. He believes those tough times made him the footballer he is today. “These things can make you tougher or can break you. I choose the other way; I choose to become tougher, to create my character,” he told The Guardian in 2020. “There was a lot of fear around but you have to cope. Things that happened made me stronger. I can say tough. When you go through what I have been through, it is much easier to accept some things that are happening in your life later, footballing-wise or defeats or critics or this or that.”
Whatever happens this summer, Modric will bow out from international football as a hero of the game.
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