The first footballer to receive the best player of the match award three times in this World Cup, Luka Modrić, stated after reaching the semi-finals that they can surpass the achievement of the 1998 national team in the planet's championships.
The Croatian national team is back in the World Cup semi-finals after 20 years - they defeated Russia in a penalty shootout and will now fight against England for a spot in the tournament final.
In 1998, the Croatian national team also reached the semi-finals of the World Cup, but lost to France there.
"The fact that we will play in the semi-finals after 20 years makes us proud and extremely happy," said L. Modrić. "We had to walk a difficult path. The recent tournaments have not been successful for us, but we believe that these failures will be redeemed."
"We hope to perform better than Croatia did in 1998. We have an excellent team, excellent coaches, and staff. I believe that we will take one more step towards the title," continued the Croat.
When asked if he would expect to receive the "Golden Ball" award in case of a World Cup triumph, L. Modrić simply replied: "Individual prizes are not important to me. Of course, they reward all your hard work on the field, but I am focused on the performance of the national team."
