Croatian Luka Modric (10 years old) and Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo (7 years old) greet each other (AFP)
Two celestial bodies orbited each other, and thousands of cameras waited impatiently, pausing for them to come together. While Luka Modric, devastated after a crushing defeat ended a glittering two-decade international career, acknowledged the wishes of his Portuguese rivals, Cristiano Ronaldo gave his customary handshake, a look of relief on his face. The accelerometer, a small chip in the ball, a technology introduced at Qatar 2022 but not the most widely used tool, just canceled out a late equalizer for Croatia in the biggest draw of the round of 32 to help Portugal win 2-1 in Toronto.
Portugal vs Croatia
Ronaldo scored a penalty after the hour mark before being substituted, and Goncalo Ramos’ stoppage-time header led Portugal to a thrilling round of 16 meeting with old Iberian rivals Spain, the European champions. But for now, it was about Ronaldo and Modric. The ageless Croatian had said before the World Cup that he would retire after the tournament. Katia Aveiro, the sister of the indefatigable Portuguese, confirmed that this would be the “last dance” for her brother. As the shadows grew larger in Ontario, the two gentlemen, once clubmates, now rivals, finally greeted each other after wins and losses. A hug, a few words, a moment of mutual appreciation, summed up all those years of toiling together.
Ronaldo arrived at Real Madrid in 2009, and Modric joined four years later. Together they formed a unit that won the four storied Spanish club
UEFA Champions League
titles in five years.
statistics
Modric was among the main architects behind the incredible stardom that Ronaldo continued to achieve during those years. The Croatian teacher may not always have received his share of accolades; The peak came in 2018 when he edged Ronaldo for the Ballon d’Or after winning the Champions League and scripting a memorable World Cup campaign as Croatia finished runners-up to France. Ronaldo, who was playing for Juventus at the time, may have thought he deserved the award. But eight years later, on Thursday, bitterness, if it ever existed, seemed a thing of the past. For now, this was a moment to enjoy the dim light of the remainder of the day. Modric, 40, has usually played his role in captaining the Croatia national team. From passes from deeper positions to crosses, he looked desperate to take this Croatian golden generation, now in its twilight, another step forward.
But ever-changing technology in sports has had the final say. What could have been a moment of genuine joy will now remain forever etched in Modric’s mind as the scar that finally brought down the curtain on a remarkable career. When Josko Gvardiol sent the ball into the goal, the cameras immediately caught Ronaldo sitting on the bench. If the goal had been scored, he knew it would be very difficult for Portugal to pull it back in extra time. Croatia would have had all the global momentum, and it would have been difficult for Portugal to keep up with the tireless Croatians in midfield. And next week, the test gets even tougher, with great Spain standing in the way. Martinez will have his plans on how to make the most of the old master, who usually saves his best shot, remember that great hat-trick in 2018?, against the Spaniards. And a large part of the football world (which may also include his old teammate Modric) is hoping that Cristiano Ronaldo still has one more dance to go.