Modric ‘ashamed’ as Croatia collapse to record 7–0 defeat

Luka Modric admitted he felt “ashamed” after Croatia suffered the worst defeat in their history, a 7–0 humiliation against England in Rijeka. Their previous record loss was a 6–0 setback to Spain in 2018, but Modric said the manner of Saturday’s collapse was unacceptable. He criticised the absence of duels, aggression and cohesion, adding that in two decades with the national team he had never felt such embarrassment.

Modric acknowledged England are the stronger side at present but insisted Croatia’s reputation had been squandered by a display in which they “looked like they had four or five players less”. He called it a catastrophic night and urged the squad to regroup quickly.

Croatia now face Spain in Split on Tuesday, with the world champions perfect so far in the Nations League. Modric demanded defiance, pride and unity, stressing that these qualities cannot disappear overnight.