Modric hungry for more medals as veteran targets Nations League

Luka Modric led Croatia to the bronze medal at the World Cup on Saturday and revealed he will extend his international career into 2023 in an attempt to win the Nations League.

The 37-year-old won his 162nd cap in the 2-1 win over Morocco, four years after helping his country to the World Cup runner-up spot behind France.

Croatia will now attempt to win the Nations League title next June in the four-team finals also featuring the Netherlands, Italy and Spain.

"That's the plan," said Modric when asked if he intends to keep playing international soccer.

"It would be a nonsense not to play in the Nations League, and then we'll see how to proceed. I definitely want to stay for the Nations League."

Croatia was defeated by a Lionel Messi-inspired Argentina in the World Cup semifinals but Modric insisted that his team has cemented a place among the heavyweights of the sport.

"We achieved something major for Croatian soccer. We wanted the gold, we were close," he told broadcaster HRT.

"In the end, we return to Croatia as winners. Croatia is not a miracle that appears every 20 years. We proved that we are constant, that we cannot be seen as dark horses but as a soccer power."

Even though Modric intends to keep playing at international level, coach Zlatko Dalic admits that time is ticking on other senior players.

"It's the end of a cycle. It's the last World Cup for some older players," said the coach with one eye on the qualifying tournament for Euro 2024 which kicks off in March.

"But we have very good young players who give hope, (Josip) Stanisic, (Mislav) Orsic, many players who are on the bench. We have a very good team for the future.

"Croatia has nothing to fear with this generation. What awaits us is the League of Nations, and the qualifications of the Euro."

Meanwhile, fireworks lit the sky above the Croatian capital of Zagreb and many other towns in the country that joyfully celebrated the win in the third-place playoff.

"Croatia is on fire! Tears, songs, pride and joy throughout our homeland!" read the Vecernji List daily paper online edition.

"A long, happy night is ahead Croatia."

The nation of fewer than four million people won its third World Cup medal since independence in 1991.In France 1998, Croatia was third and at the 2018 World Cup in Russia it reached the final.

Dalic added that he would "dedicate victory to a man who started all this".

"To (Miroslav) Ciro Blazevic. 'Boss' this is for you! I could win five medals, but you will always remain the 'coach of all coaches'."

He referred to legendary coach Blazevic, 87, under whom Croatia won bronze in 1998.

"Three World Cup medals for our tiny country is a major achievement. I'm so proud, well done 'Fiery Ones'," said Marin Lovric, 32, who watched the game at a Zagreb bar.

On Sunday, the capital is scheduled to organize at the main square a welcome for the squad, similar to 2018 when it returned from Russia.

At the time more than 550,000 people cheered the team during its parade on an open-top bus from the airport to the main square.

AFP