Sitting on the bench, slightly upright, with his right hand covering his face and the left combing his straight hair. The image starred Luke Modric, shortly after receiving an ovation from the 80,000 people present at the Lusail stadium, when he was substituted in the last minutes of the Croatia-Argentina match in the semifinals of the World Cup in Qatar. At 37, with more titles than gray hair, one of the best players in modern football and a gentleman with heeled boots on his feet says goodbye to the dream of winning a World Cup for a country that has only been around for three decades and barely 3, 9 million inhabitants.
He did it, how could it be otherwise, with his usual elegance and lordship. With ModricIf you don’t know the result and you have a neutral look, it is difficult to tell if you have won or lost. He smiles when he wins, of course, but he doesn’t stop doing it or loses his temper when he doesn’t. Quite the opposite. He looks back, remembers where he came from and what his life was like, and not only gives thanks for it, but also has plenty of charisma and empathy to congratulate the winner and offer exemplary behavior, yet another, to a society devoid of references: «I congratulate Argentina and Messi and I want to wish them luck for the final. He is a great ».
Modric played his last game last night -considering third and fourth place on Saturday a procedure- in the elite at the national team level. From his hands, Croatia has written one of the most beautiful chapters of its short, but brilliant history in football. World runner-up in Russia 2018 and semifinalist in Qatar 2022. Honor and respect for a unique footballer who makes football proud, beyond the colors with which he looks at himself. The final four of the Nations League remains next June, which it may be good to play, but last night in Doha we witnessed the planetary ‘farewell’ of a soccer master: «We are screwed by the defeat, by losing this match. It has not been. We have to recover and try to win the game for third and fourth place. If it is my last World Cup with Croatia? Now that’s not important. This is not the time to talk about this matter.”
Modric hugged Messi before the game, in the initial draw, and he also did so after the Italian’s final whistle Bearded. Two legends showing their mutual respect to him. It was right there, after the elimination was consummated, when Luka had an affectionate greeting with Di María, with whom he shared a few words of affection, a hug and an affectionate kiss, from the Argentine to the Croatian. Both were teammates in the Madrid dressing room between 2012 and 2014 and raised the long-awaited From above in Lisbon. Difficult to forget such a feat and with whom it was achieved, but not only with Leo and Ángel Modric had the deserved and improvised recognition of him. Luka said goodbye and congratulated all the Albiceleste players one by one before thanking the 1,000 Croats present for their presence at the Lusail stadium and going to the locker room. Modric’s last dance: a gentleman in heeled boots.
