Croatia's World Cup run came to a dramatic end Thursday night, as Portugal edged past Luka Modrić and company 2-1 in a Round of 32 thriller in Toronto. Ivan Perišić had given Croatia the lead, but Cristiano Ronaldo equalized from the penalty spot before substitute Gonçalo Ramos headed in the winner in the 94th minute.
At 40 years old, and with retirement widely reported to be on the horizon, it may have been Modrić's final World Cup match - though he has not personally confirmed any decision about his future.
After the match, longtime rival and former Real Madrid teammate Ronaldo had nothing but praise for Modrić, calling him "a legend of football" and wishing him well "for the next years of your career."
But long before the final whistle, Modrić had already made his mark on this tournament in a different way. Earlier in the group stage, the Croatian captain earned his 200th international cap - becoming only the fourth men's player in history to reach that milestone - and did it the way he's done everything in his storied career: with his faith on full display.
A devout Catholic, Modrić has long worn custom shin guards featuring images of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary, a visible reminder of the beliefs he credits with carrying him from a childhood shaped by war in Croatia to the top of world football. Days before departing for the tournament, Modrić and his Croatia teammates gathered for Mass at a chapel in the Croatian town of Ičići - a quiet moment of preparation before stepping onto the world's biggest stage.
Whether or not Thursday's loss marked the final World Cup appearance of his career, Modrić's example offered something no scoreline can capture: a reminder that for some athletes, the biggest stage in sports is still just a place to bear witness.
