Two clouds circled each other, and a thousand cameras waited with bated breath, pausing to gather. Like Luka Modricwho was devastated after a crushing defeat that ended a happy 20-year international career, acceded to the demands of his Portuguese allies, Cristiano Ronaldo He held her hand, and relief filled his face. The snickometer, a microchip in football, a technology that was introduced in Qatar 2022 but not the most used tool, had just rejected a late match against Croatia in the Round of 32 the greatest influence to help Portugal win 2-1 in Toronto.
Portugal vs Croatia
Ronaldo he had converted after an hour before he was substituted, and Goncalo Ramos, who was sidelined with a head injury in injury time, sent Portugal through to a thrilling round of 16 against old Iberian rivals Spain, the European champions. But for now, it was about Ronaldo and Modric. The ageless Croatian said before the World Cup that he would take a break after the show. Katia Aveiro, the tireless Portuguese sister, had confirmed that this would be her brother’s “last dance”. When the shadows grew bigger in Ontario, the two masters, clubmates once, rivals now, finally greeted each other after winning and losing. A hug, a few words, a moment of gratitude, summed up all the difficult years they had spent together. Ronaldo arrived at Real Madrid in 2009 and Modric joined four years later. Together they formed a team that won the Spanish club’s fourth title Champions League positions in five years.
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Modric was one of the architects who impressed Ronaldo the most during those years. The Croatian master might not always receive his share of honor; the highlight came in 2018 when he beat Ronaldo for the Ballon d’Or after winning the Champions League and recording a memorable World Cup campaign as Croatia finished runners-up to France. Ronaldo, who was at Juventus, would have believed he deserved the award. But eight years later, on Thursday, that bitterness, if any, seemed a thing of the past. For now, it was time to take a quick look at what was left of the day. Modric, 40, often played his part, pulling the strings for Croatia. From deep set pieces to whipping in crosses, he looked determined to take this golden generation of Croatia, now in the West, one step further. But the ever-changing technology in the game had a final call. A moment that would have been a real joy would now be fixed in Modric’s mind as a wound that brought the curtains on a terrible job. When Josko Guardiol scored the ball, the cameras immediately caught Ronaldo sitting on the sidelines. If the goal had stopped, they knew it would have been very difficult for Portugal to recover in extra time. Croatia would be a world power, and Portugal would find it very difficult to match the relentless Croatians in the middle of the game. In the coming week, the test will be tough, with a promising Spain leading the way. Martinez will have his thoughts on how to use the old master, who often saves his best, remember that terrible hat-trick in 2018?, against the Spaniards. And a large part of the football team (which may include his old friend Modric) will be hoping that Cristiano Ronaldo still has one more dance.
