Luka Modric Finally Scores Maiden Goal for Croatia at Euro 2024 After Missing Penalty Against Italy

• Croatia captain, Luka Modric, etched his name in the sands of time with his goal against Italy on Monday, June 25
• The Real Madrid star scored from a rebound after missing a penalty a couple of seconds before his watershed moment
• It was his fourth goal for Croatia in the history of the competition across five European championship appearances

Luka Modric has finally opened his account at the 2024 European Championships after earlier missing a penalty against Italy in Croatia's make-or-break Group B clash on Monday, June 24.

The veteran midfielder, who is playing in his fifth Euros, has been a stalwart for his nation but has struggled to find the back of the net at the quadrennial tournament.

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But he chose the most opportune time to break his goal-scoring duck in Croatia's third and final group game.

Having suffered a chastening defeat at the hands of a swashbuckling Spain side in their curtain-raiser, Zlatko Dalic's men threw away a 2-1 lead to share the spoils with Albania in their second game.

Modric scores crucial goal after penalty miss

Hence, they had everything to do against the defending champions. After dominating possession in the first half, the Vatreni finally broke the deadlock in a seismic fashion.

Modric had the chance to draw first blood in the 54th minute but saw his penalty palmed away by Gianluigi Donnarumma.

However, he almost immediately made amends for the missed opportunity when he struck home from a rebound a minute later, much to the cheer of the Croatian bench, which looked dejected a few seconds ago.

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According to Opta Statistics, the midfield maestro is the oldest player to score at the UEFA European Championship finals, at 38 years and 289 days.

BDN reports that the previous record was held by Ivica Vastic, who was 38 years and 257 days old when he scored for Austria against Poland at Euro 2008.

Modric among top stars defying age

In an earlier publication, Sports Brief highlighted six top stars over 35, including Luka Modric, who continue to perform at an elite level.

While footballers often reach their peak in their mid-20s and typically decline in their early 30s, goalkeepers usually enjoy longer careers.

Some players even excel with age, using their experience to outperform younger competitors.