Ivan Perisic matched Messi as one of the only players to score and assist in four World Cups
The Croatian keeps adding to his World Cup legacy and left another mark for the record books. Meanwhile, Luka Modric says goodbye to the tournament and his future in football remains open.
In a World Cup that keeps feeding the great historical archive, Ivan Perisic once again left his mark. The Croatian not only overtook Davor Suker as his country's all-time leading scorer at the World Cup, but also reached a feat reserved for very few: he matched Lionel Messi as one of the only players to score and assist in four different editions.
The statistic alone explains why Perisic's name is already tied to World Cup nostalgia. In a tournament that always blends drama, pedigree and memory, the Croatian forward continues to resist the idea of hanging up his boots, and he does so with a phrase that sums up his competitive edge.
“I will keep going as long as I can make a difference,” said Ivan Perisic.
A place in the World Cup's great statistics
The World Cup tends to build its icons through singular feats, but also through consistency. In that landscape, Perisic stands out as a player with a long track record, capable of producing impact across different World Cup stages and of setting a mark that puts him alongside Messi in a very specific category.
- He overtook Davor Suker as Croatia's all-time leading scorer at the World Cup.
- He matched Lionel Messi as one of the only players to score and assist in four different editions.
- He reaffirmed his status as a key man for the Croatian national team in the Luka Modric era.
That is no minor detail: in the World Cup universe, where every record tends to endure for decades, this kind of achievement helps put into perspective careers that stretch far beyond a single generation.
Modric, the other great Croatian image
The day also left a powerful image involving Luka Modric, the absolute symbol of the Croatian national team. According to the day's context, the midfielder said farewell to the World Cup for good after the defeat to Portugal, and the big question now is whether he will continue in club football.
The national team's own camp acknowledges that the matter is open: Modric has the option of playing one more season at Milan, but he did not want to talk about his future during this World Cup. In any case, his exit from the World Cup stage marks the end of an era for Croatia.
The scene helps explain why Perisic remains such a valuable figure: in a team that lost one of its historic beacons, he continues to add both substance and big numbers.
A World Cup that always adds stories to the archive
Beyond the individual names, the context of this World Cup once again showed the mix of modernity and tradition that defines the tournament. There was a controversial microchip-driven play that disallowed a goal for Croatia against Portugal, a moment already marked as one of those actions that fuel debate for years.
And as the competition goes on, other World Cup snapshots also emerge:
- The president of Cabo Verde, José Maria Neves, defied the forecasts before the clash against Argentina.
- Carlo Ancelotti said that Brazil does not need stars, but players who contribute to the team.
- Reports emerged of traces of clembuterol in anti-doping tests from several Tunisia players.
In that landscape, Perisic's record serves as a reminder of what lasts most in a World Cup: the matches pass, but the statistics, the surnames and the milestones remain.
And in the old library of the World Cup, the Croatian already has a page very clearly underlined.
