Leipzig, Germany, June 24 (Xinhua) -- In the 54th minute of the game, 12 yards ago, Modric looked grim, and as the first penalty taker of the Croatian team, he was the first to take the lead. Take a deep breath, adjust your pace, run-up, and push the bottom right corner...... Italian team goalkeeper Donnarumma accurately predicted, stretched his body to the maximum, and struggled to hold out the ball with one palm!
In this "life-and-death battle" on the 24th, the Croatian team can only win to ensure promotion. As Modric missed the penalty, a huge uproar erupted instantly, with cheers and regrets, the "Magic Flute" stomped his foot in frustration, and Donnarumma pointed to the Italian fan zone in the stands with one hand to celebrate the successful save.
A minute later, the Croatian team quickly organized another round of offensive, Budimir shot in front of the goal, Donnarumma made another miraculous save, and at this time, a white figure suddenly flashed out to score, it was Modric!
Croatia led 1-0 and the whole stadium went into a frenzy, which was enough to make every fan exclaim the transience on the field. If this score is maintained until the end, Croatia will beat Italy and qualify directly for the knockout stage by finishing second in the group. Perhaps this would be the perfect story for Luka Modric, for Croatia, for all the fans of the "Plaid Army".
However, reality is often not the same as imagined. In the final minute of stoppage time, the resilient Italians launched their final attack when Calafiori burst forward with the ball and distributed it to team-mate Zaccagni, who fired home from the far corner to give Italy a perfect draw and progress to the round of 16.
At this time, Modric had been substituted due to physical overdraft, and he sat in the shadow of the bench, shaking his head helplessly, his face full of loneliness. After the game restarted, the referee quickly blew the final whistle, Croatia only accumulated two points in three group games, ranked third in the group, whether they can qualify can only depend on the results of other groups, but the hope is a little slim.
Inside the stadium, the Italian players celebrated wildly, and the Croatian players hid their faces and wept. Luka Modric walked inside and comforted his team-mates who had collapsed to the ground until the last minute, and he tried to keep his emotions steady. It wasn't until he greeted the fans that he finally couldn't control his feelings anymore, and tears filled his eyes......
After the game, Luka Modric was named Man of the Match. According to official UEFA information, Modric became the oldest player to score in the European Championship at the age of 38 years and 289 days. When accepting the award, Modric couldn't hide his frustration. He said it was a brutal feeling to be scored late in two games in a row. Modric said: "We know the fans will support us no matter what, they have always been there and we are really grateful. ”
Asked if this game would be his last game for his country if Croatia fail to qualify from the group at this European Championship, Modric replied: "There will be answers, but now is not the time to talk about it. ”
Mateo Kovacic, a veteran midfielder, previously said in an interview: "We don't think about whether this is Luka [Modric's] last big game. He is still with us and still leading us, and we are happy and proud of that. He knows He must lead us, and we will follow Him. ”
Previously, it was reported in the media that Modric still hopes to play in the 2026 World Cup, when he will turn 40 years old. No one knows if this will happen, just as no one knows if the "magic flute" will be played again in this European Championship.