When it was eventually all over, Luka Modric found himself enveloped in a hug by Cristiano Ronaldo, a slight figure almost swallowed up by a far taller former teammate. It was an instant reminder of how improbable it has been, the career of this middle-aged man with the body of a boy, the footballer from a small country that, with him as their indefatigable leader, almost conquered the footballing world.
Modric at the World Cup has been a great story. The final chapter was cruel; Croatia celebrated euphorically when it appeared Josko Gvardiol had scored a 103rd-minute equaliser against Portugal. The specialists in going to extra time seemed to have done so again. Enter VAR and exit Croatia. Portugal progressed. Modric’s World Cup career is finally finished, with silver and bronze medals, with the Golden Ball and the Bronze Ball, perhaps even with a place in the tournament’s all-time 11.
