Portugal beat Croatia in a World Cup knockout match in which 41-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo captained Portugal against 40-year-old Luka Modrić, who looked to be making his final World Cup appearance. Cristiano Ronaldo said, "We knew what does this date mean for us. We knew it" and added, "We won for Diogo, for us, for Portugal." Modrić entered the tournament having won the 2018 Golden Ball, reached the 2018 final, finished third in 2022, and earlier in this tournament earned his 200th cap against Panama. The game finished on a controversial VAR/offside sequence that multiple posts described as decisive and left many calling Modrić's exit a gutwrenching farewell. After the match Ronaldo was pictured acknowledging Modrić and paying his respects, while reactions noted the emotional weight of a veteran captain meeting between two of football's longest-serving leaders. Portugal advances in the tournament; Modrić appears to have played his last World Cup match for Croatia.
