The only player I truly felt sorry for in today’s Portugal vs. Croatia game was Luka Modrić. Imagine playing the last World Cup of your career, your team completely outplaying Portugal, creating chance after chance, while you’re still solving difficult situations in midfield at 40 years old. Then imagine Portugal scoring the winner in the 94th minute, and Croatia scoring twice afterward… only for both goals to be ruled out, including one in the 103rd minute because the ball barely touched a Croatian player’s hair. The two pictures say it all. In the first, Modrić looks heartbroken after Portugal scored in the 94th minute. That’s football—it happens. In the second, after Croatia’s last-second equalizer was ruled out, he was so shocked that he just started laughing like a madman. Modrić experienced one of the cruelest possible endings to an international career. The only comfort is that he finished his international journey as the winner of the World Cup Best Player award, a recognition he fully deserved. Farewell, Luka Modrić. ❤️