Luka Modric believes that the Croatian fight for independence is driving them to take on the world.
The 37-year-old Real Madrid midfielder is the heartbeat of a side that just refuses to be beaten. Zlatko Dalic’s team will face Argentina for the right to qualify for a second successive World Cup final after they came from behind to beat both Japan and Brazil on penalties to reach the last four.
And Modric feels it is the spirit that enabled the Croats to win their War of Independence 20 years ago that has come to the fore in Qatar. Modric said: “Nobody believed we could reach the semi-final - but we have.
“This team is made of players who are desperate to wear the shirt and want to show the world how much it weighs. We are all driven to play for our country and for the shirt. We fought a lot to win our independence as a nation - and we continue to fight for the last drop.”
Modric became a refugee when the war broke out in 1991 after Croatia tried to break away from the Serb-controlled Republic of Yugoslavia.
The World Cup final will be played on the 31st anniversary of his grandfather’s execution at the hands of soldiers who have never been brought to justice.
Modric is named after him - and has dedicated his career to his memory. Croatia coach Dalic insists his team can now take the final step after beating the tournament favourites on Friday.
His initial assessment of Argentina is that if Lionel Messi can be stopped then Croatia can win. Dalic said: “Messi is still their main player and still carries the Argentina team.
“They have some other young players who can be dangerous, but they showed against the Netherlands that they can also be vulnerable. We take comfort from the fact they were 2-0 ahead with a few minutes to go and barely won the game.
“We need to watch Messi, like we watched Neymar. It is not a case of man-marking him. We know how much he runs, how much he likes to play with the ball at his feet.
“But if we repeat the same thing we did against Brazil, which was to stay close to them, then we have nothing to fear. We are once again one of the best four teams in the world and we should be proud that Croatia and the whole world admire us.
“When you knock out a team like Brazil you have to enjoy the moment. But we will not celebrate too much with the game against Argentina on Tuesday.
“I think that we, as a national team, have shown that we don’t ever give up. It is a privilege to be the coach of a team that is sending such a message to the world. We stand by each other because we know our efforts will pay off. Discipline is the key.”
David Beckham watched Croatia eliminate Brazil and offered their FA’s president Marijan Kustic his congratulations with a handshake. Beckham’s gesture has been greeted with appreciation in Croatia.
