Time to make more noise for Modric on his 200th Croatia cap

The hullabaloo over Cristiano Ronaldo’s brace on Tuesday night nearly put to shade an extraordinary milestone of one of the most self-effacing legends of the game: Luka Modric. The midfield maestro and a former teammate of CR7 in Real Madrid, now 40, made his 200^th appearance for Croatia in a laboured win against Panama but his teammates ensured it was an affair to remember at the Toronto Stadium.

Once Zlatko Dalic, the long serving coach of Croatia and his men heaved a sigh of relief after the Russia 2018 runners-up stayed afloat, the entire squad slipped into a custom made shirt bearing the words ‘infinite legacy’ in Modric’s honour and went on a lap of honour around the stadium. They tossed up their slightly built captain, in his fifth and certainly last Cup, as the enormity of his achievement was still sinking in for the fraternity.

He is only the fourth footballer to reach the 200-mark after the Big Two of Ronaldo, Leo Messi and Bader Al-Mutawa of Kuwait – a testimony to his class and longevity as a performer.  Yes, Luca is no longer the same force he used to be even in the Qatar World Cup four years back and was the butt of severe criticism after their 4-2 defeat to England in the first game, but one had to factor in the odds he had to fight against in the run-up to the World Cup.

It was only in April during a Serie A clash between his current team AC Milan and Juventus where Modric sustained a multi-fragmented fracture of the left zygomatic bone during a duel with Manuel Locatelli. After an emergency surgery at La Madonnina clinic in Milan, he began a race against time to be fit but it was obvious that his physical preparation suffered in the bargain.

After the defeat against England which saw Modric being guilty for his side conceding an early penalty, Modrić gave a fighting speech in the dressing room: ‘’We have to move on, we have two games left. I’m sure things will get better and we’ll reach our minimum goal.’’ His performance against Panama was marginally better till he was substituted after 80 odd minutes – though the work rate had certainly suffered with age.

It’s not for nothing that Modric, who famously developed his football skills as a child dodging grenades during Croatian civil war, is considered as their most influential footballer of the new millennium. Part of a golden generation, he acted as a fountainhead of Croatia’s attacks in 2018 World Cup and brought them ever so close to winning the trophy till they were deflated by France in the final.

That year perhaps saw him at the peak of his prowess as Modric was voted as the Player of the Tournament for the Golden Ball while he was also the winner of Ballon d’Or award, which till then was the preserve of the Messi-Ronaldo combine. Four years down the line, Modric’s Croatia were placed third in Qatar 2022 after they pipped Morocco 2-1 in the play-off between the losing semi-finalists.

Add with it the surfeit of trophies Modric had won for Real Madrid in a stay spanning over 13 years – six UEFA Champions League titles, five FIFA Club World Cup and as many UEFA Super Cups. Putting the value that Modric still brings to the table into perspective, Dalic, the national team coach since 2017 said: ‘’We’ve achieved a lot together over the past 10 years. As captain of my team and my right hand on the pitch, he means a lot to us. We have a few older players alongside Luka who guide this generation. We also have young players, and they should be happy to have him by their side. He shows them how to work, how to fight for the Croatian shirt. His main quality is that he never gives up. He’s the leader on and off the pitch. Thank God, he’s still with us.’’

Words that seem to come from the bottom of the heart while the younger generation are also aware of his worth. Josip Stanisic, the 26-year-old right back, told the media: ‘’That number - 200 appearances - is unreal. From day one, whether he was the main man or not, he’s always been the same with everyone. He’s stayed humble despite everything he’s achieved. That’s something people on the outside don’t see or know.’’

Luka Sucic, one of the many tipped as Modrić’s successor in midfield but who has yet to take his place in the starting XI, goes even further: ‘’Luka has been my idol since I was a kid. Sharing the pitch with him for the national team is indescribable. He spends a lot of time advising us, the younger players. He gives us confidence just by telling us to play our football, without pressure. His presence makes us all better.’’

The road ahead for Croatia is still uncertain as they are still third in Group L after England and Ghana – with their last game coming up against the physical Africans. If they can forge the road ahead, then Modric can still hope to marshall things in the midfield deeper into the tournament one last time!