Published On 7/3/2026
Cristiano Ronaldo led a large wave of praise for his former Real Madrid teammate Luka Modric, after the exciting confrontation between Portugal and Croatia in the round of 32 of the World Cup, which ended with Portugal winning 2-1 in a match decided in the last moments.
Although Portugal succeeded in clinching qualification with a fatal goal, the most prominent scene came after the final whistle when Ronaldo turned to Modric and offered him great words of appreciation, affirming his respect for his exceptional career and what he had given to football over many years, in a shot that received widespread interaction and was considered an unofficial farewell moment for one of the greatest midfielders of the modern era.
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Modric, who has reached the age of forty, had led Croatia to the final of the 2018 World Cup and to the semi-finals of the 2022 edition, but he left this edition in the first qualifying round amid strong indications that this may be his last participation in the World Cup, which increased the symbolism of the moment Ronaldo interacted with him after the match.
On the other hand, Ronaldo himself was strongly present in the match, as he scored the equalizing goal from a penalty kick after Croatia advanced, before he lived moments varying between emotion when he was substituted and great joy for the late winning goal that gave Portugal a pass to the next round.
The match also witnessed an emotional atmosphere within the Portuguese national team, after the players celebrated honoring their late colleague Diogo Jota by raising his No. 21 shirt, in a humanitarian gesture that affected everyone and added a special character to the victory.
Despite some criticism directed at Ronaldo during the tournament regarding his influence on the team’s performance, his teammates, led by Rafael Leao, defended him, stressing that he is still a decisive element in the team, and that the group seeks to continue the journey in order to achieve a long-awaited title.
