Croatia manager Zlatko Dalic hopeful Modric will continue with Croatia national team
The manager spoke ahead of Croatia’s game with Morocco to decide who finishes in third place at the World Cup.
On the eve of game 63 of the Qatar World Cup 2022, in a match that will decide who finishes third and fourth in the final tournament rankings, Croatia manager Zlatko Dalic spoke to the media about the competition and the future of the ageing generation of players at his disposal.
Luka Modric is one of the players who has been talked about as potentially playing his last game for the national team on Saturday 17 December against Morocco. The manager was asked about the 37-year-old’s future with Croatia and he shone some light on the topic.
“I hope he’ll be there”, said the manager, “he is pretty sure he will be there, but he will have to decide personally, depending on how he feels. I personally think he will be there but in the end it’s his decision.”
Modric has featured 161 times for Croatia, scoring 23 times. The 2018 Ballon d’Or winner has played his club football in Spain since 2012 and is now one of Real Madrid’s captains. The five-time Champions League winner has played 307 times for Los Blancos over that period and has 25 goals. Last season, his performances were crucial in helping Real Madrid win the La Liga and Champions League double.
Modric helped Croatia get to the final of the 2018 World Cup, the first ever appearance in the showpiece event for the nation formally established in 1991. During this tournament, he featured in all of Croatia’s games, winning MVP in two of the three group matches, while becoming the first player to feature in a World Cup and European Championship in 3 separate decades.
