Luka Modric: Real Madrid-esque Croatia must stop Lionel Messi in World Cup semi-finals
- Heinrich Griessel
- 12 December 2022
Croatia captain Luka Modric has compared the team's mental strength to Real Madrid, but knows Argentina's Lionel Messi will test them in the World Cup semi-finals.
"You could say we have the same DNA as Real Madrid because we always keep going until the end, and never give up," Modric told El Chiringuito.
Croatia have shown that mental fortitude throughout the 2022 World Cup, as they needed penalty shootouts to beat Japan in the last-16 and to knock out Brazil in the quarter-finals.
Now Modric and company will once again be pushed to their limits when they come up against Messi's Argentina side, which also required penalties to get past Netherlands in their quarter-final on Friday.
"I want to play another semifinal against a big team, that's what I want, not just against a player," Modric told Television Espanola.
"Of course, Leo is very big, he's their best player, and we're going to have a lot of difficulties to stop him, but we are prepared and we are going to give it our all.
"I hope it will be enough to be in the final."
Croatia and Argentina will lock horns at Lusail Stadium on Tuesday night.
