Luka Modric etched his name into European Championship history during Croatia’s clash with Italy, breaking a longstanding record. In Group B, Spain maintained their flawless record with a win over Albania, but the night’s drama unfolded in the other match.

Croatia’s hopes hinged on defeating Italy to advance to the tournament’s knockout stage. In the 55th minute, their talismanic figure from Real Madrid capitalized on a penalty rebound to give Croatia the lead. However, Italy struck back dramatically with a goal deep into injury time, leaving Croatia dependent on other results to qualify as one of the best third-placed teams.

Despite the disappointment, Modric, possibly in his final major tournament appearance, received the man of the match award for his performance and became the oldest goal-scorer in European Championship history at 38 years and 289 days.

Croatia finished their group stage with just two points, making their progression as one of the best third-placed teams highly unlikely.

Reflecting on the game, Wayne Rooney described the scenes at the final whistle as poignant, especially witnessing Modric, potentially in his last game for Croatia, visibly distraught on the pitch.

While this tournament might signal the end of Modric’s international career, he recently extended his contract with Real Madrid for another year, despite earlier uncertainties. Despite fewer starts last season, Modric played a crucial role as Madrid secured another La Liga title and added yet another Champions League trophy to their illustrious history against Borussia Dortmund.

During the celebrations following their Champions League triumph, Modric reassured Madrid supporters of his commitment, saying, “See you next season, Madristas!” It’s known that he made a significant sacrifice in salary to prolong his tenure at the Bernabeu.