Cristiano Ronaldo (41) and Luka Modrić (40) faced each other in one last great duel at the World Cup and created one of the most emotional moments of the tournament so far. After Portugal's 2-1 victory over Croatia on Thursday at BMO Field in Canada, the two former teammates sought direct contact, embraced, and exchanged a few words. What Ronaldo said to the visibly affected Modrić was later revealed by the Portuguese player in an interview with US broadcaster "FOX Sports".
"I played so many years with him, we're almost the same age", Ronaldo said about Modrić. "He's a legend of the game because he still plays very well and at a high level." After the final whistle, he gave the 40-year-old some personal words of encouragement: "I told him: Congratulations on everything, I'm happy to see you again, and I wish you all the best for the next years of your career."
The two share a common history at Real Madrid, where they played together for six years. During that era, they won the Champions League four times as well as the Spanish championship and cup.
Dramatic final phase decides the match
The duel between the two veteran stars was also a match full of twists and turns. Croatia took the lead through Ivan Perišić, who became his country's most successful World Cup scorer in the process. Ronaldo equalized from a penalty kick - after video review. For the 41-year-old, it was his first-ever goal in a World Cup knockout round.
The decision came late: Gonçalo Ramos scored in stoppage time to make it 2-1. Croatia subsequently struggled with the video review, as two goals were disallowed for offside, including a late equalizer deep in stoppage time. Portugal held on to their narrow lead until the final whistle.
Modrić's likely final World Cup appearance
For Modrić, it was already his 202nd international appearance - and in all likelihood his final appearance at a World Cup. The Croatian didn't want to comment on his own future just yet. In the round of 16, Ronaldo and his team now face a clash with Spain. The match against the reigning European champions takes place on Monday at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas.
