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Real Madrid superstar Luka Modric has confirmed that the 2022 FIFA World Cup will be his final international tournament for his country Croatia.
Modric, who turned 37 in September, is widely hailed as one of the greatest midfielders in the world. The Real Madrid no. 10 took his country to their first-ever FIFA World Cup final in 2018, where they eventually lost 4-2 to France. Modric ended the campaign with two goals and an assist, deservedly winning the FIFA World Cup Golden Ball. Courtesy of his 2017-18 Champions League win with Real Madrid and stellar performances for Croatia at the FIFA World Cup, Modric won the Ballon d’Or in 2018.
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Despite being firmly on the wrong side of 30, Modric has not shown signs of slowing down. However, in an interview with FIFA+, Modric disclosed that he was nearing the end of his international career. The former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder said (via The Daily Mail):
“I am aware that I am of a certain age and that this is my last competition in the Croatian National team.”
Modric has represented Croatia in three FIFA World Cup tournaments so far (2006, 2014, 2018), scoring twice. Overall, he has played 154 games for Croatia, netting 23 times and claiming 24 assists.
The Croat has featured in 14 games for Madrid this season across competitions, scoring thrice and claiming two assists.
Real Madrid legend Modric recently claimed he was not thinking about retirement
In a press conference during Croatia’s Nations League campaign, Modric declared that retirement was not on his mind.
The Real Madrid central midfielder claimed:
“I'm not thinking about that [retirement]. I haven't made any decisions. I'm focused on the Nations League.
“We have an opportunity to qualify for the last four, then we have the World Cup and then we will see. I'll try to make the best decision. At that time, I'll talk with our head coach, with the people I trust. I'm not thinking about that at the moment.”
Croatia secured their place in the top four, alongside Spain, Italy, and the Netherlands, meaning they will take part in the final leg of the 2022-23 UEFA Nations League campaign in June 2023. It will be interesting to see whether or not Modric takes up the armband for one last time in the UEFA Nations League next year.
