Zlatko Dalic responds to question on whether Luka Modric will play for Croatia at Euro 2024

Croatia head coach Zlatko Dalic has expressed his desire to see Luka Modric continue playing for the national team beyond the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Not many fans expected Croatia to be among the last four teams remaining in the 2022 FIFA World Cup at the start of the tournament. Zlatko Dalic's men, however, impressively managed to reach the semi-finals of the competition.

Croatia's FIFA World Cup dream, though, came crashing down after losing 3-0 to Argentina in the semi-finals this week. A brace from Julian Alvarez and a goal from Lionel Messi saw La Albiceleste book their place in the final.

Dalic and Co. will still be hopeful of finishing their FIFA World Cup campaign on a high this weekend. They are scheduled to face Morocco in the third-place play-off on Saturday (December 17).

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Luka Modric urged to stick around with Croatia for Euro 2024

Saturday's match could notably be Modric's final game for the national team as he nears the end of his career. The Real Madrid midfielder will be 38 years old when the UEFA European Championship comes around in 2024.

Dalic, though, is hopeful that the former Tottenham Hotspur man can continue representing the Kockasti at least until after the European Championship. However, he is aware that the decision is entirely up to the player. He told a press conference [via @EricNjiiru on Twitter]:

“I hope he [Modric] can be there. I hope he can continue but this is a decision he’ll personally make.”

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Meanwhile, the veteran midfielder will be focused on leading his team to a third-place finish at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

About the author

Dakir is a European and Indian football journalist at Sportskeeda with an overall experience of 10 years. Holding a Master’s degree in Journalism & Mass Communication, and currently pursuing Master’s in Sports Journalism from Sheffield Hallam University, he is a seasoned football journalist who has interviewed the likes of former Liverpool star John Arne Riise, covered the entire 2022-23 Indian Super League season of the Kerala Blasters, and has delivered a seminar at an international conference held by St. Albert's College, Ernakulam.

Thanks to his extensive academic background in journalism, Dakir understands the importance of accuracy and spends a significant amount of time researching the subject. In today’s data-driven world of football, where players are perceived as machines, he prides himself amplify the voices of the people that make football the beautiful game that it is.

He started following football in 2013, and more specifically, Brendan Rodgers’ Liverpool, and admires Jurgen Klopp for his untouched charisma and unmatched legacy. A perpetual underdog supporter, he is a fan of under-fire Reds forward Darwin Nunez and can’t wait for him to show the world what he truly is. Trent Alexander-Arnold’s iconic “corner taken quickly” corner assist for Divock Origi in Liverpool’s 4-0 UCL semifinal win over Barcelona left a lasting impact on him.

When not writing, Dakir enjoys indulging in his guilty pleasure - watching mass commercial movies.

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Edited by Dakir Mohammed Thanveer