Luka Modric, going strong, at 40 as Croatia make cut for FIFA World Cup
Croatia making the cut for the 2026 FIFA World Cup is big news. Even bigger than that is how they have in Luka Modric a 40-year-old star who still inspires and perspires for his national side. It is a tribute to his will, skill and energy levels, and he still has that zing in the midfield. To be playing his fifth World Cup is cause for celebration, even as one more ‘veteran’ CR 7 – Cristiano Ronaldo – will hope Portugal will also be there next year in the biggest football event to be hosted by USA and two more nations.
Back to Croatia first, they defeated Faroe Islands to top Group L and make the grade for the showpiece event next year. That Modric is still hard-working in the midfield and delivers for Croatia has made him an ageless wonder. Where he derives his energy from is no secret. To be passionate in what he is doing, still be an active club player and charm the ‘managers’ defines Luka Modric.
The FIFA World Cup qualifiers is not easy business. Croatia is one of the nation’s which keeps the hype less and focuses more on performance. And that is how they have ensured a presence again in the World Cup. Personally speaking, for Luka Modric, this kind of engagement is massive, as he witnessed his national side finishing third in the last World Cup held in Qatar.
Legend Carlo Ancelotti feels Luka Modric is the modern-day symbol of supremacy in modern football. If that be the description, it is no exaggeration. Yes, there have been many legends before who have figured multiple times in the FIFA World Cup like Lionel Messi. As for the others, Diego Maradona played four FIFA World Cups before he was thrown out in 1994 after failing a drug test. Maradona played for Argentina, a nation with a massive football connect. If you look at Late Pele, he also played four World Cups for Brazil.
Croatia are still not right up there when compared with Brazil and Argentina in world football. Yet, a best finish till now being a second place is no mean feat for Croatia. Back to Modric, he wows those who see him in European football. There is a Facebook post on him where there are images of him been generated as a visual, reflecting how he has matured, rather than aged.
Those like Ancelotti who have seen Luka Modric train, feel his commitment to the game and passion are defining. He never misses training sessions and is always an eager beaver to go full throttle for his nation. Perhaps, that is a Croatian trait which one saw even in their maverick tennis star, Goran Ivanisevic. Goran was temperamental and at the same time extremely gifted as he won his only Grand Slam, a title at Wimbledon in 2001, as a wild card!
Modric knows that modern-day football is very demanding. He has ensured people debate on him, as to how he performs at such a high level, can shoulder high workload and even deal with travel fatigue. Call him a miracle in the world of football today, Luka Modric will be already planning his career in 2026. It is not easy for professional football players to maintain a fluent run for their clubs and keep themselves preserved for the World Cup.
He has seen war as a younger human when Croatia as a nation fought for its independence. And to have been part of several highs and also win the Ballon d’Or in 2018, there is a legacy value. More power to the legend as he will aim to create the midfield magic next summer.
