Real Madrid veteran does not rule out playing in 2026 FIFA World Cup – report | OneFootball

There does not seem to be an end in sight to Luka Modric’s brilliance and the manner in which he continues to age like fine wine is just astonishing.

In a matter of years, the Croatian star has seen the entire dressing room change around him with club legends and former teammates including Sergio Ramos, Casemiro, Karim Benzema and most recently Toni Kroos all leaving the club.

The 39-year-old, despite being one of the oldest of the previous crop of players, shows no signs of slowing down and is going strong for Real Madrid.

A new dream

Apart from his obvious successes with Los Blancos, Modric has also enjoyed a great run with Croatia across international competitions in recent years.

After making it to the final vs France in the 2018 FIFA World Cup, his country made it to the semifinal in 2022 only to be downed by Lionel Messi’s Argentina.

Modric open to playing another World Cup. (Photo by DAMIR SENCAR/AFP via Getty Images)

Modric, who was well north of 35 in Qatar, was thus expected to be playing his final World Cup at the time.

As revealed by Jose Felix Diaz (h/t Madrid Xtra), however, the Croatian does not rule out his participation in the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States. Considering that he will be about 41 years old at that time, it is truly ridiculous.

The report furthers that the player sees it better if he is still at the elite level with Real Madrid at the time, meaning that his stint with Los Blancos could well go past this season.

Given his age, Modric is only offered one-year extensions at Real Madrid based on his performance and ability to compete at the highest level. Having shown no signs of slowing down till now, he could well drag on for two more years.

The veteran’s continuity for a few more years undoubtedly comes as great news for the dressing room and the management as his experience is invaluable, especially on the big nights.

It does, however, tighten the pressure around youngsters like Arda Guler hoping to establish their name.