Luka Modrić reached 200 international caps during Croatia World Cup Group L play against Panama in Toronto. The milestone put him into a small group of men at the top of the all-time list, while Croatia were also trying to reset after an opening defeat.
Modrić Hits 200
Modrić became the fourth man to reach 200 international caps, a mark that sits alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, Bader Al-Mutawa, Lionel Messi and Soh Chin Ann on the broader record chase. Croatia listed him as captain in a 4-3-3, and the number arrived in real time as the match unfolded.
The fixture itself carried more weight than a routine group game. It was a Group L clash in Toronto, with the World Cup kick-off time set for 7pm EST, 12am BST and 9am AEST, and the temperature near 24ºC, or 75ºF, as evening approached. That made the cap total part of the live match story, not a pre-match ceremony.
Zlatko Dalic's Warning
Zlatko Dalic had warned before the tournament that losing an opening match in a major tournament can “can destroy everything.” Croatia had already lived through that problem twice in the recent cycle, opening Euro 2024 with a 3-0 defeat to Spain before going out in the group stage, and opening the 2022 World Cup with a 4-2 loss to England.
That context is why the Panama match mattered beyond the milestone. Croatia reached the 2018 World Cup final and finished second, then went one better in the tournament after that run by reaching another semifinal and finishing third in 2022. Falling behind early in a group can turn every remaining match into a recovery job, and Dalic knows the cost of giving away that margin.
Panama Leaves Out Coco Carrasquilla
Panama did not start Coco Carrasquilla, who was on the bench after returning from a pre-tournament knock. The team lined up in a 3-4-3, with Michael Murillo among the names in the XI, and the setup showed a side trying to balance structure with enough veteran presence to handle Croatia's midfield control.
The match also carried a first-time edge: Panama and Croatia had never before faced each other in a competitive fixture. Panama's World Cup history adds to the pressure point. It made its first appearance at Russia 2018, lost all three of its matches, and finished with a minus-9 goal difference, so another group-stage test against a heavy tournament side puts more strain on selection and game management.
Whether Modrić completed the full 200-cap appearance and what the final result was are not stated in the available match details. What is clear is that Croatia entered the night with a captain reaching a rare milestone, and Panama had to manage the game without Carrasquilla in the starting lineup while carrying its own recent tournament lessons.
