Luka Modric insisted he was taking one of the penalties. Croatia boss Zlatko Dalic was stunned. Modric had already missed one.

His earlier effort had been saved, just minutes from the end of extra time against Denmark. His confidence should’ve been shattered. Memories of Euro 2008 had to loom large. Back then, a much younger Modric missed in the shootout against Turkey in the quarter finals and Croatia went out.

History was at risk of repeating itself. Even his teammates were surprised. Modric has missed in Euro 2008. He had missed in extra time against Denmark. Surely, he couldn’t take another in the shootout? But he actually volunteered. He wasn’t asked. He stepped up. And he buried the ball and every lingering demon.

His keeper Danijel Subasic was the hero of the shootout, but Modric was Croatia’s saviour. At 32, he’s the elder stateman of the group, the keeper of the distant flame. More importantly, he’s the only one left from the old guard. Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta have all gone home. Modric might not be the GOAT, but he still looks hungry like a wolf.

Unassuming, less demonstrative and always smiling, his demeanor can be misconstrued as some sort of easygoing weakness. It isn’t. And he’s the guy the Russians must fear most in their upcoming quarterfinal. He missed the penalty in extra time, but had earlier created it. His delightful pass threaded the needle for Ante Rebic, who was brought down in the box. Rebic may well be the future of Croatian football, but Modric is still very much present and correct.

Unlike his exiled contemporaries, he’s handling the pressure better. He’s surrounded with better team-mates. He can handle the hostile home crowd in the quarter-final. The Russians have the romantic storyline, the underdog hosts made good. But the romance of an aging artist putting the final touches on his last masterpiece also takes some beating.

Neil Humphreys
Singapore’s best selling author and Football columnist