Luka Modric is 40 years old, preparing for his fifth World Cup, and apparently still not interested in showing deference to anyone. Ahead of Croatia’s Group L opener against England on June 17 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, the Croatian captain delivered a characteristically composed statement that carries just enough edge to make opponents uncomfortable.
“We respect everyone, but we’re not afraid of anyone,” Modric said.
If you’re an England supporter, that sentence probably triggers a very specific memory from 2018. The last time these two sides met on football’s biggest stage, Croatia sent England home in the semi-finals. Modric won the Golden Ball that tournament as the best player, leading his country all the way to the final against France.
The weight of a fifth World Cup
Modric first appeared at a World Cup in 2006. Two decades later, he’s still captaining Croatia at the highest level.
