The two celestial bodies circled each other, thousands of cameras waited with bated breath, pausing to merge. As Luka Modricdevastated after a heavy defeat that ended a glittering international career spanning two decades, he conceded the wishes of his Portuguese rivals, Cristiano Ronaldo he shook hands as usual, with great relief all over his face. The snikometer, a microchip in the ball, the technology introduced at Qatar 2022 but not the most used tool, just canceled out Croatia’s late equalizer in the biggest draw of the round of 16 and helped Portugal win a 2-1 thriller in Toronto.
Portugal against Croatia
Ronaldo he converted a penalty after an hour before being substituted and Goncalo Ramos headed Portugal into stoppage time to set up a thrilling last 16 meeting with old Iberian rivals Spain, the European champions. But for now it was about Ronaldo and Modrić. The eternal Croatian said before the World Cup that he would retire after the great event. Katia Aveiro, sister of the indefatigable Portuguese, has almost confirmed that this will be her brother’s “last dance”. As the shadows grew longer in Ontario, the two masters, once clubmates, now rivals, finally said goodbye after victory and defeat. A hug, a few words, a moment of mutual appreciation, summed up all those years of effort they had invested together. Ronaldo arrived at Real Madrid in 2009, and Modrić four years later. Together they forged a unit that won the famous Spanish club four Champions League titles in five years.
Statistics
Modric was among the main architects behind the incredible stardom achieved by Ronaldo during those years. The Croatian master may not have always received his share of recognition; The highlight came in 2018 when he surpassed Ronaldo for the Ballon d’Or after winning the Champions League and scripting an unforgettable World Cup campaign in which Croatia finished as runners-up to France. Ronaldo, then at Juventus, could believe he deserved the award. But eight years later, on Thursday, bitterness, if it existed at all, appeared to be a thing of the past. For now, it was a moment to enjoy the soft light of what was left of the day. Modric, 40, typically played his part, pulling the strings for Croatia. From passing from deeper positions to whipping in crosses, he seemed desperate to take this Croatian golden generation, now in its twilight, a step further. But the sport’s ever-changing technology had the final say. A moment that could have been a moment of true joy would now remain forever etched in Modrić’s mind as a scar that finally brought down the curtains on his illustrious career. When Josko Guardiol threw the ball in, the cameras immediately caught Ronaldo sitting on the sidelines. If the goal had stood, he knew that it would have been very difficult for Portugal to get it back in extra time. Croatia would have all the momentum in the world, and Portugal would find it very difficult to match the tireless Croats in the midfield. In the coming week, the test gets tougher, with a formidable Spain standing in the way. Martinez will have his own plans to make the best use of the old master, who normally keeps his best, you remember that great hat-trick in 2018, against the Spaniards. And much of the football world (which may include old friend Modric) will be hoping that Cristiano Ronaldo has one more dance after all.
