Some players script their own farewells. In Varaždin on June 7, Croatia's Luka Modrić opened the scoring in his country's final warm-up before the World Cup, and Mario Pašalić finished the job in the 90th minute to beat Slovenia 2-1 (Sofascore).
For a golden generation chasing one last tournament, it was the kind of send-off that writes itself.
Croatia 2-1 Slovenia, Varaždin, June 7 — Modrić opens, Pašalić wins it at the death. Source: Sofascore
The captain breaks the deadlock
The first half offered little, a cagey affair between two neighbours that stayed goalless at the break (Flashscore).
Then, six minutes after the restart, the moment the home crowd came for. Ivan Perišić rolled the ball to Modrić on the edge of the box, and the veteran took a touch before placing a low finish into the bottom-right corner (Sofascore). At 40, the metronome of Croatian football is still finding the corners.
It was a goal that doubled as a statement: whatever role Modrić plays at this World Cup, his quality has not drained away.
Slovenia's sting, and a late kick
Croatia could not see the night out in comfort. With seven minutes left, Andraž Šporar pounced on a Martin Baturina mistake to level it, a lapse that hinted at the defensive fragility Croatia must tighten before the group stage (Sofascore).
The response was immediate. In the 90th minute, Pašalić arrived to settle it and spare Croatia a flat finish to their preparations (Flashscore).
Modrić to open, Pašalić to close — a final warm-up that felt like a curtain-raiser for one last act.
The shadow of the Belgium defeat
This win matters partly as a corrective. Croatia had been beaten 2-0 by Belgium in an earlier June friendly, a sobering result against elite opposition that raised familiar questions about whether this aging core still has the legs (Croatia Week).
Beating Slovenia does not erase that, but it restores some balance. Croatia have spent a decade defying expectations built around their age, reaching a final and a semi-final on the strength of midfield control and tournament know-how. The Baturina error aside, the platform still looks recognisably theirs.
A generation's last stand
The emotional weight of this Croatia squad is impossible to ignore. Modrić and his contemporaries have carried the nation through two extraordinary cycles, and the 2026 World Cup is, in all likelihood, the final chapter.
The model does not rank Croatia among the outright favourites, and the defensive wobbles against Slovenia underline why. But tournaments are where this team has always outperformed projections, and a captain who can still curl a finish into the corner at 40 is the kind of variable no model fully captures.
Croatia depart for the tournament with a win, a goal from their talisman and a stoppage-time reminder that they know how to dig out results. For one last dance, that is a fitting first step.
