FIFA World Cup 2026: Luka Modric reaches 200 international caps, joins Ronaldo, Messi

Luka Modric made history by becoming the first Croatian player and only the fourth men's footballer to reach 200 international appearances, achieving the milestone during Croatia's 1-0 victory over Panama in their second Group L match of the FIFA World Cup 2026. The veteran midfielder, who captained Croatia to the 2018 FIFA World Cup final, made his senior international debut on 1 Jun, 2006. Since then, he has scored 29 goals for his country and remained a mainstay in Croatia's midfield for nearly two decades.

The list of players with the most international appearances is led by Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal with 230 caps. He is followed by Kuwait’s Bader Al-Mutawa with 202 appearances and Argentina’s Lionel Messi with 201. Modric now ranks fourth with 200 caps and is the only Croatian player to reach this mark.

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Croatia’s 1-0 win over Panama was an important result that kept their hopes of reaching the knockout stage alive. The match, played in Toronto, was closely fought, with both teams creating opportunities.

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Watch FIFA World Cup 2026 Live on Zee5 Photograph: (WION)

The winning goal came in the second half when substitute Ante Budimir found the net. His strike helped Croatia recover from their opening-match defeat and earn their first points of the tournament.

Panama defended well and performed strongly in the first half but could not make the most of their chances. As a result, Croatia moved forward with renewed confidence and momentum, while Panama remained without a win in the group stage.