Luka Modric went through all the emotions in only one minute. 55 minutes into the game, he gave Croatia the lead against Italy on Matchday 3 of the UEFA Euro 2024 group stage.
But only a few seconds before that, the Real Madrid midfielder blew a perfect opportunity to break the deadlock by missing a penalty. Gianluigi Donnarumma guessed his intention, diving to his left to save the spot-kick after 54′. Fortunately, it didn’t take long for Modric to redeem himself.
The 38-year-old was seen in tears during the celebration as he went from almost blowing Croatia’s chance to advance in the Euros to scoring a goal that could hace seen his country qualify for the next round.
Croatia got their hearts broken in the dying seconds of the game though, with Zaccagni equalizing for Italy in stoppage time (90+8′). With this draw, Italy finish second in Group B, leaving Croatia third with just two points.
Video: Modric’s goal for Croatia vs Italy
When it looked like Donnarumma was preventing Croatia from taking the lead in Leipzig, Zlatko Dalic’s boys refused to throw in the towel and kept on looking for the opener, which came only a minute after Modric’s miss. And the veteran star got emotional during the celebration.
Modric becomes oldest scorer in Euro history
At 38 years and 289 days old, Modric became the oldest scorer in UEFA Euro history, surpassing Ivica Vastic of Poland. Besides, he joined Cristiano Ronaldo as the only players to score in four different Euros.
The seasoned midfielder now boasts 26 goals and 29 assists for Croatia, having made 178 international appearances since making his debut in 2006. Even at this stage of his career, Modric continues to write history. That’s why it was only fitting that fans recognized him with a standing ovation when Lovro Majer replaced Modric after 80′.