Luka Modrić and Cristiano Ronaldo have shared the pitch 233 times over the course of their illustrious careers; 222 as teammates and 11 as opponents. Thursday night at Toronto Stadium might have been their final time.
After Croatia’s 2-1 loss to Portugal in the round of 32, Modrić is widely expected to retire from international soccer, closing a chapter in the midfielder’s storied career. Ronaldo, who was teammates with Modrić at Real Madrid from 2012 to 2018, praised Modrić following what could be his final World Cup match, and their last time playing each other.
“I played with Luka so many years,” Ronaldo said. “We’re nearly the same age. I think he’s a legend of football. He’s still a legend of football.”
The two soccer legends shared a few smiles and an embrace ahead of the coin toss before the match. The two met on the pitch after the match, hugged and exchanged a few words.
Modrić led Croatia to second- and third-place finishes in 2018 and 2022, and the match carried the weight of the two aging stars each trying to realize the dream of winning the World Cup. Modrić is 40; Ronaldo is 41.
Croatia coach Zlatko Dalić said this was “probably” Modrić’s last World Cup, but added, “only God knows what will happen in the next four years. We’ll see. We’ll talk about it in Croatia.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
