Football says goodbye to Luka Modric: Portugal vs Croatia and the most dramatic farewell at the World Cup

Last Updated on 3 July 2026

Before a ball was kicked at BMO Field in Toronto, this game had been billed as a contest that would say goodbye to at least one legend.

What nobody anticipated was quite how close Croatia would come to forcing extra time in the 113th minute, nor that VAR would deliver the final, devastating blow to Luka Modric’s World Cup career in the most agonising fashion imaginable.

Portugal survived. Ronaldo cried. And one of the greatest footballers of his generation walked off a World Cup pitch for the last time.

Ivan Perisic stuns Portugal: Then VAR writes the ending

After a goalless opening 45 minutes dominated by Portugal, Croatia emerged with renewed purpose. The game sparked to life when Ivan Perisic lashed in a strike across goal to give Croatia the lead, composed, the veteran producing exactly the moment his team needed.

Croatia thought they had doubled their advantage through Igor Matanovic, only for VAR to rule the striker marginally offside. Then Ronaldo believed he had equalised after finding the net in the 61st minute, only for another razor-thin offside decision to deny him by a shoulder.

A penalty was awarded after Nikola Vlasic fouled Renato Veiga in the box following a VAR review. Ronaldo stepped up in the 68th minute and calmly slotted home: his first-ever goal in a World Cup knockout match in 41 years of life and 231 international appearances.

Then, Roberto Martinez, surprisingly, substituted Ronaldo in the 81st minute. But, that became a masterstroke of a substitution. Goncalo Ramos, came on, and scored in the 94th minute, rising to power in Rafael Leao’s cross.

Then came the cruelest twist. Ruben Neves’ own goal late in injury time looked to have given Croatia a lifeline, only for it to be ruled out for offside. It was chalked off after it was deemed Igor Matanovic got a faint touch on Perisic’s cross.

VAR had to bring out the new “snickometer” to make that decision. And, even that was not conclusive, adding to the poor officiating. But it served up an insane finale. Three disallowed goals. A penalty. A last-gasp winner. And a disallowed equaliser in the 103rd minute.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric: The teammates that turned rivals for one last time

While there was delight for one veteran in Ronaldo, the opposite was true for Luka Modric, with him likely playing in his last World Cup. The match had been framed as former Real Madrid teammates at opposite ends and that framing felt entirely earned by the end.

Modric, still pulling strings in midfield late into extra time, gave everything. It was not enough. Croatia gave it all on the pitch. They simply ran out of luck when VAR took their moment away from them. This game had also been carrying the weight of something more personal.

On the anniversary of Diogo Jota’s tragic passing, Portugal played with Jota as an honorary 27th man, every player wearing wristbands in his memory, and Ronaldo donned Jota’s number 21 shirt at full time. It was a night laced with emotion from the first minute to the last.

Before kick-off, Ronaldo’s sister Katia Aveiro had also confirmed that this was Ronaldo’s “last dance” with the national team. One legend’s farewell is now confirmed. Another survived, at least until Spain come calling in the Round of 16.