Sensational U-turn! Modric will NOT retire from Croatia duty

The fairy tale is not over: Luka Modric has decided there is more history to write with Croatia.

Details: According to RTL, the Croatia captain will NOT retire from international football, despite weeks of reports that he would bow out after the Nations League clash with Spain in Split on October 6. New national team coach Slaven Bilic, who made convincing Modric his first priority upon taking the job, appears to have got his man.

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The turnaround is remarkable. Modric, who turns 41 on September 9, had reportedly informed the federation he would step away in early October to focus on AC Milan, having passed 200 caps at his fifth World Cup this summer, where Croatia fell controversially to Portugal in the round of 32. Instead, the 2018 Golden Ball winner and Ballon d'Or holder carries on, with Croatia's Euro 2028 qualifying cycle now having its greatest ever player at the wheel. The contrast with events in Argentina, where Messi has just said his goodbyes, only sharpens the sense that Modric is refusing to let the curtain fall.

It's worth noting that Modric recently extended his AC Milan contract until 2027, so the Croatian fairy tale continues on both fronts at once.

Reminder: Cherif Ndiaye announces his retirement from international football.