From the China CCTV commentator, post game. Putting this here because I think everyone needs it:
Luka Modrić is admired for far more than his mastery of the game, far more than his six Champions League titles, his World Cup runner-up medal, and his Ballon d’Or. Like Sisyphus he has pushed that impossible boulder toward the summit again and again, and still choosing, through sweat and perseverance, to plant hope.
Two old friends, once side by side in Madrid, once the authors of so much glory, have now reached the moment when one's journey must come to an end. He leaves his hopes and expectations for the other to carry forward. From this day on, Croatia may have to accept the arrival of an era without Modrić. But in the years when they had him, this team had played the greatest Croatian rhapsody.
For Portugal, this step forward deserves applause. But it is also a step taken against a truly great opponent. In sport, people complete one another. Teams and stars make each other greater; opponents, too, can bring out the best in each other. And in that embrace between Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modrić just now, we know that football is about more than love and rivalry. It also carries that lasting recognition between those who understand one another.
So now, we say goodbye to Croatia, and we say goodbye to Luka Modrić. Regret is written across the faces of the Croatian supporters. But there is no need to measure this story by its length. From their debut in Germany in 2006 to the curtain falling here in 2026, these twenty years across mountains and seas have already given us more than enough wonder. Let us remember this night in Toronto.
That is all for our commentary tonight. Thank you for watching.
