Luka Modric set a new record in the European Championship during Croatia’s match against Italy. In Group B action, Spain maintained their perfect record with a victory over Albania on Monday night, while the other game in the group ended dramatically.

Croatia needed a win against Italy to secure their spot in the tournament’s knockout stages. In the 55th minute, their star player from Real Madrid scored off a penalty rebound, giving Croatia the lead. However, Italy managed a late goal in the eighth minute of injury time, resulting in Croatia anxiously awaiting other match outcomes to qualify as one of the top third-placed teams.

Despite the disappointment, Modric, who could be playing his final major tournament, was awarded man of the match for his performance and now holds the record as the oldest goal-scorer in European Championship history at 38 years and 289 days.

Croatia concluded their group stage with two points, making it improbable for them to advance as one of the best third-placed teams.

Reflecting on the game, Wayne Rooney described the scenes at full-time as emotional, particularly seeing Modric, possibly in his final match for Croatia, visibly upset on the field.

While this tournament might mark the end of Modric’s international career, he recently extended his contract with Real Madrid for another year, despite initially facing an imminent expiration of his current deal. Despite fewer starts last season, Modric helped Madrid secure another La Liga title and added another Champions League trophy to their collection against Borussia Dortmund.

During celebrations following their Champions League victory, Modric assured Madrid fans of his return for the next season, expressing, “See you next season, Madristas!” It’s understood he accepted a substantial pay reduction to continue his tenure at the Bernabeu.