Luka Modric's World Cup dream ended on Tuesday after Croatia fell to Lionel Messi and Argentina in the semifinal, 3-0. It was a heartbreaking moment for Modric, who himself had a wonderful run in what was the final World Cup tournament of his illustrious career.
Right after the final whistle, Argentina forward Angel di Maria approached Modric to console the latter after the defeat. It was an emotional moment for both men as di Maria did his best to prop up Modric in what was an undeniably heart-rendering moment for the 37-year-old:
Di María and Modrić after the final whistle ❤️ pic.twitter.com/phcnMUF2Ku
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) December 13, 2022
Angel di Maria consoled Luka Modric after the final whistle ❤️ pic.twitter.com/YA4Zaq3DjJ
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) December 13, 2022
Modric was subbed out in the 80th minute of the contest with Croatia down 3-0. The game was beyond them at that point and head coach Zlatko Dalic decided to pull his star midfielder from the game to give the fans a chance to applaud their hero.
As soon as the final whistle blew, Modric made his way to the pitch to congratulate the opposition. Before he could do so, however, di Maria went to him to offer him some words of consolation. These two go way back having been teammates in Real Madrid a few years ago. This was a classy gesture for Angel di Maria, who himself did not even get a chance to take the pitch in this match.
In a semifinal matchup that touted two of the best players in the world, it was Lionel Messi who reigned supreme. Modric had his moments in this one, but there's no doubt that it was Messi and his superb play that will grab headlines — and rightfully so.
Modric and Croatia will have one final match in the tournament where they will face the losers of Wednesday's semifinal between France and Croatia to determine which team ends up in third place.