Modric's bitter smile

On the morning of July 3rd, during Croatia's 1-2 defeat to Portugal in the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup, Luka Modric could only manage a sad smile each time the referee reviewed the VAR footage.

Modric just smiled slightly after the referee disallowed Croatia's goal.

In the Toronto match, referee Espen Eskas consulted VAR twice. Once to determine whether a penalty should have been awarded to Portugal, and the other to check if a Croatian player was offside before scoring.

On both occasions, the result favored Portugal. They were awarded a penalty, and Croatia's goal was disallowed. When the referee made the decision, Modric was always standing very close and only smiled slightly afterward.

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What many fans noticed was that Modric didn't continue to argue with the referee or show any defiance of the decision. "It seems he's accepted his fate," one person commented on social media. Another account shared: "That's Modric's bitter smile. He's aware this is his last World Cup match."

At 40 years old, Luka Modric still played the full 100 minutes of the match. He created two attacking opportunities and was directly involved in four defensive situations. But all the efforts of the former Real Madrid star and the entire team were not enough to defeat Portugal.

Croatia took the lead thanks to a close-range finish from Ivan Perisic. But a successful penalty from Ronaldo and a decisive header from Goncalo Ramos ended the former World Cup runners-up's journey in the round of 16.

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Source: https://znews.vn/nu-cuoi-chua-chat-cua-modric-post1665702.html