Modric ‘ashamed’ of Croatia’s ‘catastrophic defeat’

Croatia captain Luka Modric revealed he felt “ashamed” of his nation’s performance in yesterday’s 7-0 loss at home against England in the Nations League.

It was the 1^st time in 20 years as an international that the AC Milan player claimed to have felt such an emotion, describing it as a “catastrophic game”.

Luka, who is 41 years old, was playing his 205^th game for his country after recently agreeing to extend his international career under returning head coach Slaven Bilic.

“You can’t play in that game like that… our team looked like we were playing with 4 or 5 footballers less,” shared the former Los Blancos superstar, who led Croatia to 2^nd and 3^rd-place finishes at the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

“It is hard to find an explanation for why we performed like that without any duels, fouls, aggressiveness, or togetherness.

“I have been part of the national team for 20 years, but for the 1^st time I feel ashamed after a match.”

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Croatia had beaten the Czech Republic 2-1 away from home a few days earlier, and that’s why the result vs. England is such a shock.

🚨🗣️ Luka Modrić after losing heavily against England last night:

"For the first time, I feel ashamed after a match. Losing like this and ruining the reputation we've built over the years is unacceptable." pic.twitter.com/Iml4cus2JX

— The Touchline | 𝐓 (@TouchlineX) October 4, 2026