“I am not focused so much on the future” – Luka Modric addresses Croatia retirement plan ahead of FIFA World Cup quarter-final against Brazil

Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric has claimed that he will decide on his future with Croatia after the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

His country lived to fight another day in the competition after seeing off Japan on penalties in the last 16. They are set to face Brazil in the quarter-finals on December 9.

So far, Modric has started all four of Croatia's games at the 2022 FIFA World Cup with the captain's armband. The 37-year-old continues to be an irreplaceable part of manager Zlatko Dalic's starting XI.

The Croatian tactician recently stated that the World Cup in Qatar will not be Modric's last major international tournament. Asked to address his future with the national team ahead of the clash against Brazil, the midfielder said (h/t Evening Standard):

"I am not focused so much on the future. I will see how long I can play for the national team and I am 100 per cent focused on what’s ahead of us at the World Cup. We will have time to reflect on the future.”

His future at Real Madrid is also up in the air. He has featured in 18 games across competitions under manager Carlo Ancelotti this season.

However, he is in the final year of his contract at the Santiago Bernabeu. Real Madrid will certainly be following the former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder's exploits in Qatar.

Only time will tell if an impressive showing with Croatia will lead to a new deal with Los Merengues. The last time he had a strong performance at the FIFA World Cup, he won the Ballon d'Or in 2018 after leading his side to the final.

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Zlatko Dalic not afraid to dream big with Croatia at the 2022 FIFA World Cup

Barely anyone would have backed Hrvatska to reach the FIFA World Cup final in 2018 before the competition kicked off.

However, they defied the odds and finished the showpiece event in Russia with a silver medal. There is no reason why they cannot do it again. Speaking to reporters before the showdown against Brazil (via the aforementioned source), Dalic said:

"If you take a look at the fact that among the 16 countries that have qualified for the next round, Croatia has by far the smallest population. We are a small country but we dream big."

He added:

"We want to win, we are here, we will try and do our best, that is our dream. Nevertheless we are taking it step by step, we have to be patient and believe in that."

Brazil have faced Croatia four times in their history, winning thrice and drawing once. They faced each other in the 2006 and 2014 FIFA World Cup tournaments, with Brazil emerging victorious on both occasions.