Luka Modric’s dedication moved even Argentine fans.
Croatia (ranked 12th in FIFA) defeated Argentina (ranked 3rd in FIFA) in the quarterfinals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup held at Lusail Stadium in Lusail, Qatar at 4:00 am (Korean time) on the 14th. was defeated by As a result, Croatia failed to advance to the final and had to play against the loser of Mokoro and France for the 3rd and 4th place.
Croatia shines as runner-up at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. However, as the key players at the time have been in charge of the main axis so far, they did not receive much attention even before the opening. In fact, Croatia struggled to advance to the round of 16 by facing Morocco (0-0 draw), Canada (4-1 win), and Belgium (0-0 draw) in Group F of the group stage.
However, the ‘guts’ survived. Croatia advanced to the semifinals by defeating Japan in the round of 16 (1-1 draw, penalty shootout 3-1 win) and quarterfinal Brazil match (1-1 draw, penalty shootout 4-2 win). As in the previous tournament, the way the match was led to overtime and then overpowered the opponent in the penalty shootout is noteworthy. Croatia’s momentum pierced the sky as they captured Brazil.
An interesting matchup took place in the semifinals. Croatia, led by Modric, met Argentina, led by Lionel Messi. In fact, the two legends who were performing the ‘last dance’ in the last World Cup clashed over tickets to the finals. 스포츠토토
The winner was Messi and Argentina. In the 34th minute of the first half, Julian Alvarez scored the opening goal as Messi completed a penalty kick (PK). In the 39th minute of the first half, Alvarez scored an additional goal to widen the gap. In the 24th minute of the second half, Messi, who broke through to the dangerous area from the side, assisted Alvarez’s multi-goal and created a joint work again.
In the end, Modric could not achieve his dream of winning two consecutive finals and, furthermore, the first ever World Cup victory. Modric, who was out as a substitute in the 39th minute of the second half, lowered his head and even wiped away tears when the game was over. Angel Di Maria, whom he worked with in Real Madrid in the past, and Sergio Aguero, who remains an Argentine legend, approached and offered comfort.
The same goes for Argentinian fans. The British ‘Sports Bible’ shared a video taken at the stadium, saying, “Modric received a standing ovation from Croatian and Argentinian fans.” Fans in the stands stood up and applauded as Modric exited the tunnel. Modric aims for the beauty of Yujong through the remaining 3-4 place matches.