At 40 and still Croatia's heartbeat, Modric targets another England World Cup upset

Luka Modric is 40 years old, approaching his 200th international cap, and still the most dangerous man England will face when the two nations meet in their 2026 World Cup group-stage opener later this week.

The last time Modric faced England at a World Cup, in the 2018 semi-final in Russia, he and Croatia ended Gareth Southgate’s side’s run in extra time. Eight years on, the midfielder remains the heartbeat of a Croatian team he first represented two decades ago. He reached 198 caps in Croatia’s final warm-up match, a 2-1 win over Slovenia, and is set to pass the 200 mark during this tournament.

His legs no longer cover the ground they once did, but the motivation that surfaces whenever Croatia meet England appears undimmed. The 2018 semi-final was framed, in part, by Croatian players bristling at what they perceived as English arrogance surrounding the “football’s coming home” narrative. It was then-defender Vedran Corluka — now assistant coach of the national side — who emerged from the mixed zone after the final whistle and shouted at the assembled media: “Football’s not coming home.” England are still waiting.

Thomas Tuchel has pushed back on suggestions England were handed a straightforward draw, pointing to FIFA rankings that placed their group among the toughest when the draw was made last December. On paper, the winner of the England-Croatia fixture will be well placed to top the group, which adds further weight to a match already loaded with history.

Croatia are not the force they were in 2018, and much of that comes down to a failure to develop a new generation capable of replacing Modric and his contemporaries. Their squad leans heavily on experience: Mateo Kovacic is 32, Ivan Perisic 37, and Andrej Kramaric turns 35 during the tournament itself. Josko Gvardiol, who announced himself to the world in Qatar before joining Manchester City for £77 million, represents the clearest sign of what Croatia can produce — but he remains the exception rather than the rule.

England have won their last two meetings with Croatia — at Wembley during Euro 2020 and in the Nations League in November 2018 — but those results have done little to diminish the sense that Modric and this group of veterans find another level when the stakes are highest.

Modric ended the club season at AC Milan, where he made 47 appearances across all competitions and was, by the accounts of those who watched him regularly, their standout performer. He is a different player from the one who dominated for Real Madrid in his prime, but he remains in remarkable condition and, in a major tournament against England, that may be all that matters.