In the end, it wasn’t quite what Luka Modric wanted. Lionel Messi had seen to that.
But when the veteran schemer looks back in the years to come, he will be immensely proud of what he has achieved, leading Croatia to second and third place finishes at successive World Cups.
The class of 2022 wasn’t quite as sharp as the 2018 vintage. Finding a replacement for Mario Mandzukic has been tough and their lack of punch in Qatar proved, ultimately, to be their downfall. Argentina’s midfielders had Messi at the top of the pitch when they needed something magical. Despite putting four past Canada in their second group stage, Modric and sidekick Mateo Kovacic simply didn’t have a striker whom they could rely on.
