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He is 40 years old. He has won the Ballon d’Or. He has played in a World Cup final. And on a warm evening in Philadelphia, Luka Modrić set a record that may never be broken — becoming the oldest player in FIFA World Cup history to record an assist. The corner he whipped in with eight minutes remaining found Nikola Vlašić at the near post, and Croatia had their winner. Croatia 2-1 Ghana. Round of 32 secured.
A Quiet Opening, Then a Stunner (31′)
The match was slow to ignite. Neither side managed a touch inside the opposition box in the opening fifteen minutes — cautious, probing, each waiting for the other to make an error. The first real moment of quality came in the 17th minute from Vlašić, who created space on the edge of the box and skimmed a low shot off the left post. Close. Very close.
The breakthrough, when it came, was spectacular. In the 31st minute, Petar Sučić picked up the ball thirty yards from goal, spotted the goalkeeper slightly off his line, and unleashed a low rocket that zipped through a defender’s legs and found the bottom corner. It was the kind of goal that silences a stadium — and for Ghana, it was a terrible time to switch off.
Antoine Semenyo had the Black Stars’ only real chance of the half, pulling a shot just wide of the far post. At the break, Croatia led 1-0, and it felt deserved.
Ghana’s Fight Back (73′)
Ghana came out differently in the second half. Manager Otto Addo introduced Abdul Fatawu and Ernest Nuamah to add pace and directness, and the shift worked almost immediately. The game opened up. Croatia, who had controlled the first half with comfort, suddenly found themselves under pressure.
Luka Modrić, who had orchestrated the first half with quiet authority, was now being bypassed more frequently as Ghana pressed high and hard. The Croatian backline was stretched, clearances became hurried, and spaces began to open up behind the midfield. What had been a controlled, comfortable performance suddenly had cracks in it — and Ghana sensed blood.
In the 73rd minute, Nuamah won a free-kick in a dangerous position and delivered it with quality. Derrick Luckassen met it at the back post and side-footed it home. The Philadelphia Stadium erupted — but then came four minutes of silence as VAR scrutinised a possible offside. The check was completed. Goal given. Ghana 1-1.
For ten minutes, Ghana pushed hard for a second, and Croatia looked rattled. Goalkeeper Benjamin Asare produced a spectacular diving save at the other end to deny Mario Pašalić, tipping his goal-bound strike onto the crossbar and out for a corner. A big moment.
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Modrić’s Record — and the Winner (83′)
From that corner — the one that Asare had just forced — Modrić stood over the ball. Forty years old. Playing in what is surely his last World Cup. And he curled it exactly where it needed to go: low, hard, towards the six-yard box where Vlašić had made a perfectly timed run. The striker met it with a powerful header that cannoned off the inside of the post and into the net. Croatia 2-1.
Modrić pumped his fist. His teammates swarmed him. And in the record books, his name was written again — the oldest player ever to register an assist at the FIFA World Cup. It was a moment that felt entirely appropriate for a career like his.
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Group L Final Standings
England finish top of Group L. Croatia are second and advance to face Portugal in the Round of 32. Ghana, despite the defeat, also went through — their results across the group stage earned them enough points to qualify as one of the best third-placed teams. Both sides leave Philadelphia with something.
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