A country of roughly 4 million people has no business producing one of the greatest midfielders in football history. And yet Croatia keeps showing up to major tournaments like it didn’t get the memo about population-based expectations.
Luka Modric, now 40 years old and carrying 198 international caps, was named to Croatia’s 2026 World Cup squad on May 18. He’s targeting 200 appearances during the tournament, a number that would cement an already absurd legacy. He’s also calling this his final World Cup.
The football story that writes itself
Modric’s inclusion in the squad wasn’t a given. He fractured his cheekbone in April, the kind of injury that might have sidelined a younger player for longer. But Modric recovered in time.
This will be his fifth World Cup.
