Cristiano Ronaldo vs Luka Modric in FIFA World Cup 2026 underlines sport’s harshest truth

Two players stood on either side of the center circle; they smiled before the match started. That moment between Robert Lewandowski and Marco Reus has been replayed over and over on social media as fans reveled in the undertone of nostalgia.

The two were once teammates at Borussia Dortmund, and now Lewandowski was wearing the shirt of the rival club. A similar reunion took place in Toronto when Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric, two Galacticos who had once attracted the whites of Real Madrid, came face to face on the international stage for the first time during a World Cup.

While the two have been icons for their country, their journey to Real Madrid has been the exact opposite. The Portuguese star arrived in Spain like a star – setting a world record in front of a record crowd. Modric, on the other hand, came for less than half that transfer fee and was rated as the worst transfer of the season by the Spanish daily Marca.

But more than a decade later, the pair have won 13 trophies between them, including four UEFA Champions League titles, and have become legends at the Santiago Bernabeu.

At international level, their performances saw Portugal, led by Ronaldo, win its first major international trophy – Euro 2016 – while Croatia reached the 2018 World Cup final and finished third in the tournament four years later under Modric.

In 2026, they both arrive at the World Cup in the twilight of their careers, with their eyes on the final flourish: inspiring their country to the title for the first time

Ronaldo is only the second player to have played in six World Cups – joining Lionel Messi – while Modric is at the age of five, and both have defied their age with their presence on the pitch.

Ronaldo scored twice in his country’s 5-0 win over Uzbekistan, helping Portugal return to victory after a 1-1 draw with the Democratic Republic of Congo, while Luka Modric assisted on Croatia’s winning goal against Ghana in the final round of group stage matches.

Eight years have passed since Ronaldo and Modric stopped being teammates, and they are currently both playing on different continents.

As they took the field in Toronto on Thursday, the two legends went in search of glory, but only one – Ronaldo – found victory – a hard-fought win along with a goal from the spot as the icing on the cake.

The two opponents, friends outside the rules, hugged each other after the match, with emotions running high on both sides. For fans, this had no undertones of nostalgia. Instead, it had shades of sport’s harshest truth: There is always a winner and a loser.

For Ronaldo, the match ensured that his World Cup dream continued. But Modric ended with a hug from a good friend and a long night in the twilight of his illustrious international career.

Published on July 3, 2026