After scoring one of the goals of the tournament and upstaging Lionel Messi by leading his team to the top of their group, Croatia captain Luka Modric hopes to fulfil a dream that began when he watched his nation record a best ever World Cup showing.
Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Luka Modric is irreplaceable and the club must hold on to the Croatia international and their other top players to avoid becoming a mid-table team again, manager Harry Redknapp said on Friday.
Manchester United boss David Moyes is reportedly considering a move to bring Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric as the Old Trafford side's pursuit of Barcelona's Cesc Fabregas appearing to have come to an end.
Images from the Euro 2024 Group B match between Italy and Croatia at Leipzig Stadium, Leipzig, Germany, on Monday
The 26-year-old reveals his delight at Croatia's qualification for Euro 2012 and the secret behind Tottenham's superb start in this season's English Premier League.
'This award is not just mine.' 'It is my team mates' from Real Madrid and Croatia.' 'Without my coaches, I would not have won this and without my family I would not be the player I am today.'
Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric came off the bench to net a stunning strike from the edge of the box late in the second half to secure a 1-0 home win over Sevilla on Sunday and stretch their lead at the top of La Liga to eight points.
Luka Modric is still struggling to find his feet at Real Madrid but is sure he will end up winning over sceptical fans in the future, the Croatia midfielder said.
Former Bayern Munich coach Flick takes over Germany to 2024
Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Luka Modric said he was almost 100 percent sure he would stay at the club until the end of the season amid speculation that he could leave during the January transfer window.
Croatia finished ahead, on goals scored, of the Czech Republic, who lost 1-0 to group winners England.
A summary of Friday's action in the FIFA World Cup 2026 UEFA Qualifiers.
Midfielder Luka Modric and available-again striker Mario Mandzukic will spearhead Croatia's effort to keep alive their hopes of reaching the World Cup last 16 when they face Cameroon on Wednesday, coach Niko Kovac said.
Modric's majestic goal in the 62nd minute helped Croatia beat Scotland 3-1 on Tuesday
Real Madrid's Croatia midfielder Luka Modric was named winner of the 2018 Ballon d'Or on Monday, breaking Cristiano Ronaldo's and Lionel Messi's decade-long hold on the prestigious award.
"Since 2008 we have never gone beyond this first knockout game and it was very important for us to get that monkey off our back," Modric said.
The result means Real, on 49 points, are one point clear of Atletico Madrid, who beat Mallorca 2-0, ahead of next weekend's Spanish capital derby at Santiago Bernabeu.
Real Madrid's Intercontinental Cup triumph marked a remarkable milestone for Carlo Ancelotti on Wednesday as the Italian became the manager with the most titles in the club's history with a total of 15 trophies.
Croatia needed a touch of Luka Modric magic to beat Turkey 1-0 in their Euro 2016 Group D opener on Sunday, gaining a measure of revenge after their bitter quarter-final elimination by the same opponents at Euro 2008.
IMAGES from matches played across European leagues on Saturday
Carlo Ancelotti's side were then reduced to 10 men in the 79th minute when Vinicius Jr was shown a straight red card for slapping Valencia goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski.
Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic admitted his team rode their luck against Belgium but said he was pleased with the way they controlled the match for large stretches.
Holders France failed to qualify for the final four of the Nations League when they slumped to a 1-0 defeat at home to Croatia
Vinicius Jr's remarkable performances at Real Madrid have put the 24-year-old forward as the odds-on favourite to claim his first Ballon d'Or when the award for the best player in the world is announced in Paris on Monday.
Here are the list of awards handed out after the FIFA World Cup
A Jules Kounde goal in the dying minutes of extra-time handed Barcelona a dramatic 3-2 win over fierce rivals Real Madrid in an enthralling Copa del Rey final on Saturday.
Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich powered past third-placed Eintracht Frankfurt 4-0 with an impressive display of high-pressing football on Sunday.
Classy Croatia handed Argentina a 3-0 drubbing to claim a place in the World Cup knockout stage thanks to goals by Ante Rebic, Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic in their Group D match on Thursday.
Real Madrid were crowned Spanish Super Cup champions after goals from Luka Modric and Karim Benzema earned them a 2-0 win over Athletic Bilbao in Saudi Arabia on Sunday.
Cristiano Ronaldo will play no part in Real Madrid's game against Deportivo La Coruna on Saturday after the prolific Portuguese forward was left out of the squad on Friday.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric and Mohamed Salah have been nominated as finalists for The Best FIFA Men's Player Award, world soccer's governing body announced on Monday.
After a long night of celebrations, the team arrived in Madrid early on Sunday and started the party tour at 6 p.m. local time
They also topped their Nations League group ahead of World Cup holders France, Denmark and Austria, and head into the tournament on the back of a winning streak that culminated in a 1-0 victory over Saudi Arabia in their final warm-up friendly.
Cristiano Ronaldo struck a late winner as Portugal came from a goal down to beat Scotland 2-1.
Mondo Duplantis was named the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year, while American gymnast Simone Biles bagged the top women's honour at the Laureus World Sports Awards.
Croatia's road to Sunday's World Cup final, where they will play France for a chance to lift the trophy for the first time:
Benzema and Courtois helped Real seal a record 14th European title last season while De Bruyne guided City to the Premier League title -- his fourth crown in seven seasons at the club.
The comparison with Maradona for the title of the greatest Argentine player of all time cannot be complete without a world title, which the late Maradona won almost single-handedly 36 years ago.
Ancelotti's second-string players proved they were up to the task as they secured three points for Real and kept them on course for the inevitable LaLiga title celebrations.
Both Harry Redknapp and Arsene Wenger have paid the price for leaving it too late, offloading a lot of key players at the EPL transfers, says Manu Shankar.
