Croatia’s maestro Luka Modric returns to form to prolong his World Cup farewell

David Beckham, Luis Figo, Wayne Rooney, both Ronaldos, Zinedine Zidane… Carlos Queiroz has coached a lot of great players during his 40-plus-year career in the game.

The former Manchester United assistant coach and Real Madrid boss has also coached against a lot of great players, particularly during his periods in charge of 11 different international sides and in six World Cup campaigns. Only last week, his latest team, Ghana, followed his instructions to the tee to frustrate England’s superstars.

But there are problems even he cannot solve.

“He is the maestro,” said Queiroz when asked to explain how Luka Modric had just led Croatia to a 2-1 win over his Ghana.

“We tried to move a couple of players to block him but it’s very difficult. But it did not only happen to us, it’s been happening for 10 years.”

Ten? Make that 20, Carlos, as Modric is only a couple of months off his 41st birthday.

The game against Ghana was the midfielder’s 201st for his country, with his first cap coming shortly before the 2006 World Cup in Germany. He would make two substitute appearances at that tournament but has been a fixture in the side since.

But that is not a huge surprise — he has been a fixture for his clubs, too, which is pretty impressive when you remember he spent 13 spectacularly successful years at Real Madrid.

That spell came to an end in 2025, when he moved to Milan. But not before he won four Spanish league titles, two cups and only the six Champions League crowns.

And then there are the individual awards: 14 Croatian player of the year prizes, six FIFPro World XI selections, twice La Liga’s best midfielder, twice the Champions League’s best midfielder, one player of the World Cup prize and one Ballon D’Or (the only person not named Cristiano or Lionel to win it between 2008 and 2021).

But you know all this. Modric has been magnificent wherever he has played, from Zagreb to Tottenham, Madrid to Milan.

And on Saturday in Philadelphia he was everywhere, which is exactly what Croatia needed.

With Croatia needing at least a point to guarantee qualification for the knockout rounds, Modric and Mateo Kovacic, another pass master with plenty of miles on the clock, took control of the middle of the pitch in the first half. Ghana, despite Quieroz’s best-laid plans, could not lay a glove on him and Croatia were good value for their 1-0 lead.

But Quieroz tweaked the plan at the break, sending them out in a 4-4-2 formation that completely changed the momentum of the game. Suddenly, it was Croatia chasing the ball.

Thankfully for their fans, who comprised about 90 per cent of the attendance, Modric switched into defensive-masterclass mode. As Ghana upped the pace with an hour gone, it was Modric sliding in to clear a cross, then sprinting out to block a shot, before bouncing up to win a 50/50.

And, after Ghana had equalised, who was it that set up Croatia’s winner?

I suspect I have given the answer away slightly but his assist for Nicola Vlasic’s thumping header was not just any old assist… it was the oldest assist in World Cup history, as in he is the oldest player to provide one.

And then, as the game went into added time, he executed a perfect tackle to poke the ball away from Ernest Nuamah in Croatia’s box and then blocked a follow-up from Marvin Senaya.

“That is his character,” said Croatia manager Zlatko Dalic after the game. “There was the assist but then he is saving a goal. He has been getting better and better here. This is his last World Cup and he is doing is best to say ‘goodbye’ to the tournament.”

The “getting better and better” remark was probably a reference to Modric getting back up to speed after a facial injury curtailed his season for Milan. Unsurprisingly, their form tanked without him and they failed to qualify for the Champions League next season.

So, whether he calls it quits at Milan or not this summer, we are running out of chances to see this remarkable player on the game’s best stages. His run is coming to end.

But is it ending in Toronto against Portugal in Toronto on Thursday?

Both sides started this tournament slowly but have got better. Croatia have their almost 41-year-old legend; Portugal have their actual 41-year-old legend. One of them is going home and, if it is Modric, he will be doing it in front of what will be another crowd dominated by Croatian supporters, as Canada’s biggest city is home to the largest Croatian diaspora in North America.

A fitting place for a farewell, then. But also a great launch pad for take-off to the round of 16 and a likely meeting with Spain, a country Modric knows well and vice-versa.

It does not seem likely that this Croatia team can make it to the last four of a World Cup for the third edition in a row. But then how likely is it really that a 40-year-old midfielder should be as dominant, from box to box, as Modric was on Saturday?