Will he stay or will he go?
That was the question surrounding Croatian midfield maestro Luka Modric entering the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
The 37-year-old played a pivotal part in the Vatreni's sensational trip to the 2018 World Cup Final where they fell short to France, but they proved that year was not a fluke with yet another impressive run four years later.
Croatia finished second in Group F before eliminating Japan and Brazil in the round of 16 and quarterfinals, respectively, before succumbing to Lionel Messi and Argentina 3-0 in the semifinals.
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The Vatreni ended the Qatar tournament on a positive note, however, when they beat Morocco 2-1 in the third-place game to go home with the bronze medal.
That victory once again put Modric in the spotlight, leaving speculation as to if it was his last game in the infamous red-and-white checkered Croatian kit.
After the game, he revealed in an interview with beIN SPORTS he's unsure if he'll play at the 2024 UEFA Euros in Germany, which is the next premier international football competition.
"About my future, I don't know if I will be [playing] until the [2024] Euros in Germany," Modric said. "We will see. I need to go step by step."
Modric, however, does seem himself playing in the 2023 UEFA Nations League, so retirement from international duties for the Real Madrid star appears to be put on hold.
"I am enjoying the national team, I am happy," he continued. "I still think I can perform at a high level, and I want to continue at least until the Nations League. And then after, there will be more time to think about Euros."
Croatia are one of four European nations in the mix to win the 2022-23 Nations League tournament. Italy, Spain and host country the Netherlands are the four semifinalists, with a draw to finalize the matchups slated for Jan. 25, 2023.
The semifinals will then occur on June 14 and 15, with the third-place match and final both set for June 18. It is the third installment of the European-based tournament, which saw Portugal win the inaugural edition in 2018-19 followed by France in 2020-21.
