Modrić's Last Dance Leaves Panama Breathless
An ageing Croatian maestro turned back the clock in Philadelphia, pulling strings like it was 2018 all over again. Panama believed they belonged — and for one glorious half-hour, they almost proved it.
Luka Modrić is 40 years old. Let that land for a second. While most men his age are worrying about their knees on a Sunday morning kick-about, he was orchestrating a World Cup opener in front of 70,000 fans at Lincoln Financial Field, conducting Croatia's midfield like a man who simply refuses to accept the concept of time. This was always going to be his farewell tour, and Philadelphia handed him a stage worthy of it.
Panama arrived not as tourists but as believers. La Marea Roja have earned their place at two World Cups now, and Adalberto Carrasquilla gave them genuine midfield bite — the kind that made Croatia uncomfortable in patches, particularly before halftime. When Panama pulled one back to make it 3-1, the noise from their fans suggested a nation of four million punching gloriously above its weight.
But Croatia are the ultimate big-game team. Joško Gvardiol was a wall at the back, Mateo Kovačić recycled the ball endlessly, and the Vatreni's collective experience just ground Panama's romance into the Lincoln Financial turf. Three-one, and it wasn't entirely cruel.
The stakes
Croatia move to the top of Group F with three points, putting themselves in an excellent position to reach the round of sixteen for what feels like the hundredth consecutive tournament. Panama must now beat Morocco and hope results go their way — a loss in their next fixture would almost certainly end their campaign before it truly began.
The rivalry angle
These two nations had met just once before this moment, making this less a rivalry and more a collision of contrasting football philosophies — the grizzled, tournament-hardened Vatreni against the joyful upstarts of Central America. Croatia's story is built on defying a small nation's limitations; Panama is still writing that chapter, and watching them shadow Croatia's own underdog mythology made this opener quietly poetic.
Players who could decide it
At 40, this is almost certainly his last World Cup — every touch carries the weight of a legacy being sealed in real time.
The heir apparent to Croatia's defensive throne, tasked with keeping clean sheets while Modrić writes his farewell.
Panama's creative heartbeat — if he fires, La Marea Roja can cause upsets; if he's quiet, they're chasing shadows.
Did you know?
- !Luka Modrić became the oldest player ever to start a World Cup opener for Croatia, aged 40 years and 209 days.
- !Panama's only previous World Cup appearance before their 2018 debut came 0 times — they are still just the second generation of their nation to experience this stage.
- !Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia is better known as home of the NFL's Eagles, making this one of the more unusual World Cup venues in American football history.
Head to head
Croatia and Panama had barely crossed paths before this World Cup, meeting just once in an international friendly, which makes Philadelphia the real beginning of whatever story these two nations end up telling together.
Highlights
Video highlights coming soon