It was heartbreak once more for Luka Modric and the Croatian national team on Sunday night. Facing Luis de la Fuente’s Spain, they fell to a defeat only on penalties in the final of the UEFA Nations League.
Ahead of the tournament, Modric made a big statement about his future with the national team by stating that he had taken a binding decision on his continuity. However, he prioritised the task at hand and refused to reveal his choice.
“I’m focused on the Nations League now. I’ve made a decision, but we’ll talk about my future with Croatia when the Nations League is over,” he had said.
The veteran was unsurprisingly asked to provide a follow-up response to the same after last night’s clash against Spain. His response, understandably, did not change as revealed by Fabrizio Romano.
“My future with the national team? I have decided my future, I am clear about it but I’m not going to say it today,” the Real Madrid legend said.
At 37 years of age, there is really only one way an announcement of such magnitude can go.
After impressive campaigns with the Croatian international team in the last two FIFA World Cups, and most recently the UEFA Nations League, all signs point to Modric’s retirement from the international stage.
However, Modric has continued to defy the odds and continue to perform at the highest level despite his age. And he could look to keep going on with Croatia until the UEFA Euros next year.
Heading into the upcoming season, the veteran is likely to see a reduced role under Carlo Ancelotti as well. New signing Jude Bellingham and rising star Eduardo Camavinga are seen as regular starters for the campaign and which could lead to Modric being used sparingly. Nevertheless, he will continue to play a critical part on the big nights for Los Blancos.
