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Croatia picked up the bronze medal at the 2022 FIFA World Cup after beating Morocco 2-1 today (December 17) at the Khalifa International Stadium. After the game, fans lavished praise on Luka Modric, who might have played his last match in the competition.
Josko Gvardiol put the Vatreni in front in the seventh minute but Achraf Dari equalized for the Atlas Lions just two minutes later. Then in the 42nd minute, Mislav Orsic restored Croatia's lead.
Morocco upped the pressure on their rivals in the second half but couldn't get the final touch. They lost their second game in a row in the tournament to finish fourth, albeit it's a campaign to remember for them.
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For the second time in history, and the first since 1998, Croatia finished third at the World Cup. Modric might have also picked up his last medal in the competition.
He's 37 years old and it's unlikely to see him play at the 2026 FIFA World Cup as the Real Madrid star would be 41. If this was indeed the last time we saw him at the World Cup, then Modric bowed out with his head held high.
Fans showered him with generous puffery. Tributes started pouring in on Twitter, with one fan calling him 'one of the best' to have ever played the game. Another fan claimed he was 'happy' for the veteran midfielder.
Here are some of the best Twitter reactions:
Croatia and Morocco can both be proud of their 2022 FIFA World Cup campaign
Croatia and Morocco both impressed at the 2022 FIFA World Cup and can be absolutely proud of themselves.
For the first time in their independent history, Croatia finished inside the competition's top three consecutively and their path wasn't easy.
The Vatreni held out Belgium in their final group match to qualify for the knockout stages. They then fought back from a deficit to eliminate Japan and tournament favorites Brazil.
Morocco, meanwhile, topped their group ahead of Croatia and Belgium before driving out Spain and Portugal in the knockout stages.
In the process, the Atlas Lions became the first African team, and the first Arab team, to reach the last four of the FIFA World Cup.
