Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric will share a pitch once more when Portugal face Croatia in the last 32 of the World Cup, bringing together two of only four men to have earned 200 or more international caps. The fixture in Toronto marks Ronaldo’s 232nd appearance for Portugal and Modric’s 202nd for Croatia, continuing careers that have run parallel for nearly two decades.
The duo first crossed paths competitively in the 2008-09 League Cup final, when Ronaldo’s Manchester United defeated Modric’s Tottenham on penalties. Their footballing destinies became intertwined when Ronaldo joined Real Madrid shortly afterwards, where they spent six seasons as teammates. During that period, they won the Champions League four times and shared the pitch in 222 matches. A defining moment of their partnership came in the 2017 final against Juventus, when Modric cut the ball back for Ronaldo to extend Madrid’s lead to 3-1.
Two Decades of Consistency
Their commitment to international football has been unwavering. When Modric made his Croatia debut on 1 March 2006 in a 3-2 victory over Argentina, Ronaldo had already accumulated 29 caps for Portugal. That same evening, Ronaldo scored twice in a 3-0 win against Saudi Arabia. While Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have dominated football discourse over the subsequent years, Modric has maintained his presence at the highest level in a more metronomic, passing-oriented role.
The Fifth Encounter
Despite their success together in Spain, Modric has yet to experience victory against Ronaldo at international level. Portugal have won all four previous meetings between the nations when both players featured, and Croatia will attempt to snap that streak in what could be the final time these giants of the modern game oppose each other.
At 41 and 40 years old respectively, Ronaldo and Modric have answered every call from their countries across two decades. Their longevity places them in an elite category of international footballers, with this World Cup fixture offering another reminder of their enduring quality.