Watch: Croatia fans’ stunning gesture for visibly emotional Luka Modric after Nations League final loss goes viral

Croatia were beaten in heartbreaking fashion by Spain in the UEFA Nations League final at De Juip in Rotterdam, falling in the penalty shootout after a spirited performance during regulation play. Croatian certainly entered the match against the 2021 finalists as the underdogs, but this tournament marked another occasion that the Croatians came close to ultimate glory but left empty-handed.

Following the decisive penalty by Real Madrid defender Dani Carvajal, his club teammate and Croatia’s most legendary player, 37-year-old midfielder Luka Modric was caught by cameras in a clearly emotional state. A video shared on Twitter by Optus Sport shows Modric being applauded by the traveling Croatian fans, sharing their love for their country’s finest footballing export, along with the rest of the team.

Modric has been Croatia’s best player and talisman for much of his career, and has been providing sublime performances in midfield at every major international tournament, earning a silver medal at the 2018 World Cup, and a bronze medal at the 2022 World Cup after getting knocked out by eventual champions Argentina. Croatia have made a name for themselves as overperformers on the international stage, having caused major upsets against Argentina and England in 2018, and Brazil in 2022, but they still have no international trophies to their name just yet.

Modric is approaching the twilight of his career and has won everything there is to be won at the club level, at the heart of Madrid’s “threepeat” Champions League team. International success with a country which has capped him 166 times, however, continues to be just outside his grasp, but always within touching distance. The emotional nature of this caught up with him after Sunday’s final, as he scored his penalty in the shootout with confidence but saw Spanish keeper Unai Simon win the match and the tournament for his nation.

Croatia’s attention will turn to qualifiers for Euro 2024, in what might well be Modric’s last bow at the international stage. Croatia’s roster of talent will no doubt give it their all, as they always do, to ensure their national hero retires with a trophy next to his name.