200 Matches in 20 Years: Modric's 'Great Journey' Celebrated with Toss in the Air

Veteran midfielder Luka Modric (40, AC Milan) of the Croatian national football team, who has embarked on his "last dance" at the 2026 World Cup, enjoyed the joy of becoming only the fourth player in history to reach the milestone of 200 international appearances (A-matches).

Croatia's captain Modric started in the second match of the World Cup Group L against Panama, held on Wednesday at Toronto Stadium in Toronto, Canada, playing 81 minutes until he was substituted in the 36th minute of the second half, helping his team secure a 1-0 victory.

Above all, by starting in the match against Panama, Modric tasted the joy of reaching his 200th international match (29 goals).

Modric is only the fourth player in history to reach the 200-international-match milestone, following Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal, 213 matches), Bader Al-Mutawa (Kuwait, retired, 202 matches), and Lionel Messi (Argentina, 201 matches).

Among them, only three players—Ronaldo, Messi, and Modric—are still active.

Notably, Modric is the only central midfielder among the four players who have reached the 200-international-match milestone.

Modric is a star player considered one of the best active midfielders.

In 2018, he won the Ballon d'Or, which had been dominated by Ronaldo and Messi, signaling the end of the "Ronaldo-Messi era." That same year, he swept the FIFA World Player of the Year and UEFA Men's Player of the Year awards, enjoying a second prime in his career.

Modric, who made his international debut in a friendly match against Argentina in March 2006 at the age of 20, has left many records while wearing the Croatian national team jersey.

At the time, Argentina had Messi playing in his sixth international match, while Croatia had Modric making his debut. Although Messi managed to score, the match ended in a 3-2 victory for Croatia.

It was the first international encounter between Modric and Messi.

The peak of Modric's career with the Croatian national team came in 2018.

At the 2018 Russia World Cup, Modric won the Golden Ball, the award for the tournament's best player, despite his country finishing as runners-up after losing to France in the final.

During his fourth World Cup appearance at the 2022 Qatar World Cup, he led Croatia to a third-place finish and was awarded the Bronze Ball.

In April, just ahead of this World Cup, Modric suffered a serious cheekbone fracture during a match with his club. After focusing on his recovery, he was included in the final squad, stepping onto the World Cup stage for the fifth time in his career.

Modric started in the first group match against England on June 18, marking his 199th international appearance, but the team suffered a 4-2 defeat, and Modric was substituted in the 13th minute of the second half.

Finally, in the second group match against Panama on Wednesday, Modric was named in the starting lineup to play his long-awaited 200th international match. After being substituted in the 36th minute of the second half, he celebrated the team's 1-0 victory with his teammates.

Modric's journey of 200 international matches, which began at the age of 20 in March 2006, was completed at the age of 40, spanning over 20 years and three months.

After the match, the Croatian Football Federation presented Modric with a commemorative jersey symbolizing his 200th international match, and the players celebrated their captain by wearing T-shirts with the number 200 and the words "Infinite Legacy" printed on the chest.

The players celebrated Modric by tossing him in the air, and Modric fully enjoyed the joy of achieving the milestone, taking commemorative photos with his teammates while holding his special jersey.
 
(Photo: Getty Images)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.