Luka Modric addresses retirement plans after Croatia disappointment against Italy

12 months ago

Luka Modric has been a consistent and integral part of Croatia’s recent victories. In the wake of Croatia’s devastating stalemate with Italy in their last group match, speculation over the veteran midfielder’s future has grown. When asked about his retirement after the game, Modric stated that while he wanted to play forever, he knew this was not feasible.

If Luka Modric’s international career finishes at Euro 2024, it would be a heartbreaking farewell to his national squad. Gianluigi Donnarumma stopped the first penalty attempt against the seasoned midfield player, but 33 seconds later, he scored. The goal solidified the Croatian and Real Madrid captain’s legacy as the oldest player to score a goal in the competition’s history, as reported by talkSPORT.

Mattia Zaccagni’s late goal crushed expectations that his team would win and advance to the tournament’s knockout stages. His goal also appeared confident. Following the Napoli midfielder’s equalizer, Croatia is now in third place on the table and will have to wait to find out if they advance to the next round.

Despite winning Man of the Match, Luka Modric’s trophy had a sad expression. The New York Times said he inked a one-year contract extension with the La Liga winners. Although Modric accepted a one-year contract extension, he will receive less money and play a less supporting role.

See Fabrizio Romano’s post about Luka Modric below:

🇭🇷 Luka Modrić: “Football can be very cruel… I want to play football forever, but we know that this is impossible”.

“One day I will have to announce my retirement from playing, but I do not know when that will be”. pic.twitter.com/go3uFAD2sL

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 24, 2024