Atlanta: Ronaldo and Modric to make history in World Cup last-32 clash

By Bilal Ahmed

By Bilal Ahmed — 2 July 2026 — 4 min read

Veteran Stars Face Off

Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric are set to make history as two outfield players over the age of 40 will face each other for the first time in a World Cup match. This historic encounter will take place when Portugal meets Croatia in a last-32 fixture. Both players, known for their longevity in the sport, are currently facing scrutiny regarding their impact on their respective national teams’ aspirations in the tournament.

Before this tournament, only Cameroon‘s Roger Milla had participated in a World Cup as an outfield player after reaching 40 years of age. Ronaldo and Modric, who previously played together for Real Madrid and won four Champions Leagues in six seasons, have consistently defied age. However, their performances in what is likely their final major international tournament have shown signs of their advanced years.

Ronaldo’s Tournament Journey

Cristiano Ronaldo, at 41, declared his return to form after scoring two goals against Uzbekistan, making him the first player to score in six World Cups. Despite this achievement, Portugal‘s group stage performance was mixed. Following a 5-0 victory over Uzbekistan, a team ranked 60th globally, Portugal failed to secure wins against the Democratic Republic of Congo and Colombia. These results led to Portugal being placed in a more challenging section of the draw.

Portugal‘s coach, Roberto Martinez, has kept Ronaldo on the field for every minute of the group stages, indicating no immediate plans to bench the five-time Ballon d’Or winner. This approach has led to growing impressions that Martinez might be prioritizing Ronaldo’s status, potentially at the expense of utilizing Portugal‘s talented squad depth. For instance, players like Paris St-Germain‘s Joao Neves and Bernardo Silva were on the bench during the match against Colombia, despite Portugal possessing one of the tournament’s strongest midfields.

Ronaldo’s goals against Uzbekistan are his only non-penalty goals in his last 14 major tournament appearances. His previous World Cup experience in 2022 saw him dropped by then-coach Fernando Santos in favor of Goncalo Ramos, who subsequently scored a hat-trick against Switzerland in a 6-1 victory. However, Portugal‘s quarter-final loss to Morocco meant Ronaldo’s time on the bench was brief, and Santos was later removed from his coaching position.

During the 2022 tournament, Ronaldo’s only goal came from a penalty against Ghana in Portugal‘s opening match. He reportedly reacted strongly to being substituted during a loss to South Korea. After being benched against Switzerland and Morocco, Ronaldo was observed leaving the field immediately after Portugal‘s loss to Morocco. At the time, he was 37 years old and had gone scoreless in two group stage matches.

Following Portugal‘s quarter-final exit in 2022, Ronaldo posted on social media, stating, “I just want everybody to know that a lot has been said, a lot has been written, a lot has been speculated about, but my dedication to Portugal has never wavered for an instant.” He added, “I was always just one more player fighting for everyone’s goal and I would never turn my back on my team-mates and my country.” He concluded by saying, “For now, there’s not much more to say. Thank you, Portugal. Thank you, Qatar… Now, we have to let time be a good adviser and allow everyone to draw their own conclusions.”

Modric’s Contributions to Croatia

Luka Modric, aged 40, also displayed signs of his age in Croatia‘s opening match of the tournament, which resulted in a 4-2 defeat to England in Dallas. During this match, Modric conceded a penalty after a challenge on Noni Madueke, leading to England‘s first goal. He was substituted before the hour mark by coach Zlatko Dalic.

Croatia, however, recovered from this setback. They celebrated Modric’s 200th international cap by securing a 1-0 victory over Panama. This achievement made Modric the fourth male player to reach a double century of international appearances, joining Cristiano Ronaldo in this exclusive group. Subsequently, the AC Milan midfielder provided an assist for Nikola Vlasic‘s winning goal in Croatia‘s 2-1 triumph over Ghana.

Croatia reached the final of the World Cup in 2018 and the semi-finals four years ago, with Modric being a key figure in these successful campaigns for a nation with a population of less than four million people. The winner of the match between Portugal and Croatia will likely face Spain in the last-16 in Toronto.

Source: dawn.com