Modric declares himself 'ashamed for first time in 20 years' after Croatia's 7-0 collapse against England

Luka Modric condemned Croatia’s 7-0 Nations League thrashing by England as “unacceptable” and the most shameful result of his 20-year international career, speaking out after the Wembley rout on Thursday.

The veteran captain played 56 minutes of a match that was effectively over by half-time. Harry Kane opened the scoring after eight minutes, with Jude Bellingham, Anthony Gordon and Bukayo Saka all adding goals before the break. Saka and Kane struck again in the second half, before substitute Morgan Rogers completed the rout late on.

“It’s hard to find an explanation for a performance like this without duels, fouls, aggression, or a lack of unity,” Modric said. “I’ve been here for 20 years, but for the first time ever, I feel ashamed after a match. Losing is understandable because, right now, they’re better. But losing like this and ruining the reputation we’ve built over the years is unacceptable.”

The 39-year-old did not spare the details of how badly Croatia performed. “It felt like we were four or five players short. It was a catastrophic night. We shouldn’t blame each other or look for someone to blame, but rather stand together. Playing like this is unacceptable. Today we would have lost even to a Third Division team.”

Croatia head coach Slaven Bilic echoed the severity of the assessment while accepting personal responsibility. “God forbid this happens again — Croatia doesn’t deserve this. The responsibility falls on me; I’m the coach, this is my national team,” he said. “We can only move forward with a good performance against Spain. Now is the time: let’s show unity and character.”

The defeat leaves Croatia in serious trouble in Nations League A Group 3. Spain’s win over the Czech Republic on Saturday means Croatia sit second-bottom, with the world champions leading the group. England, under Thomas Tuchel, have moved clear of Croatia and face the Czech Republic in their final group fixture.