Croatia’s captain Luka Modrić marked his 39th appearance in the final stages of World Cup and European Championship tournaments. This match also turned out to be his last at a World Cup, as Croatia fell 1-2 to Portugal, led by Cristiano Ronaldo.
Modrić has played 23 matches at World Cups and 16 at European Championships.
Ronaldo stands as the only outfield player with more appearances at major international tournaments than Modrić, having already played 56 matches. This number is set to increase by at least one, as Portugal advanced to the Round of 16.
“I have played alongside Luka for so many years,” Ronaldo said. “We are almost the same age. I consider him a football legend. And he remains a football legend to this day.”
Meanwhile, Lionel Messi holds the record for the most World Cup appearances overall, with 29 matches—three more than Ronaldo.
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