“It would be special” - Ex-Barcelona star Ivan Rakitic says he wants Real Madrid man to win Euro 2024
Former Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic wishes for fellow compatriot and Real Madrid star Luka Modric to win Euro 2024 this summer. The showpiece tournament commences on Friday, June 14, with hosts Germany facing Scotland.
Rakitic believes Luka Modric deserves an international trophy for all he has done for Croatia. Speaking to Diario AS, the 36-year-old was quoted as saying the following (via Madrid Xtra on X):
"Football owes Modrić a title with Croatia. His thing would be for him to win this EURO. It would be special to see Luka lift the trophy."
An international trophy is the only thing missing from Luka Modric's honors list. The star midfielder has won numerous accolades with Real Madrid, including the UEFA Champions League and La Liga double this season.
Modric has been a Croatian legend, having represented this nation 175 times and scoring 25 goals along the way. Modric, along with Ivan Rakitic, guided the Balkan nation to the 2018 FIFA World Cup final where they eventually lost 4-2 to France in Moscow.
Despite falling short at the 2018 World Cup, Luka Modric had an excellent tournament. He scored twice and provided one assist as he spearheaded Croatia to the final. Apart from being a World Cup finalist, Modric also won the Champions League in 2018 with Real Madrid which eventually saw him win the Ballon d'Or that year.
At 38, it is safe to assume that Euro 2024 could be Luka Modric's final international tournament where he has been handed a tough group to navigate through. Croatia have been drawn alongside Italy, Spain and Albania in Group B. They open their campaign with a game against Spain in Berlin on Saturday, June 15.
How many Real Madrid players will be competing at Euro 2024 in Germany?
According to 90Min, as many as 13 Real Madrid players will be in action at Euro 2024 this summer. A majority of the players will be expected to play a huge role for their respective nations at the tournament in Germany.
France has the maximum number of players playing for the La Liga giants with four. These include full-back Ferland Mendy along with the midfield duo of Eduardo Camavinga and Aurelien Tchouameni. Kylian Mbappe has officially been announced as a Real Madrid player ahead of Euro 2024.
Spain also has three players in their squad representing the recent La Liga winners. These include defenders Dani Carvajal and Nacho along with forward Joselu.
Hosts Germany will also have two players playing for Real Madrid, those being Antonio Rudiger and midfielder Toni Kroos. The latter has already retired from club football with Euro 2024 being his last tournament before he hangs up his boots.
Four nations competing at the tournament will have one player each playing for Los Blancos at club level. These are Luka Modric (Croatia), Jude Bellingham (England), Andriy Lunin (Ukraine) and Arda Guler (Turkey).