On June 28th, in the third round of FIFA World Cup Group L, Croatia defeated Ghana 2-1 and advanced to the knockout stage, where they will face Portugal in the Round of 16. After the match, veteran Modric told Spanish radio station Cadena SER reporter Alberto Pereiro that he is enjoying everything at the moment and wants to put the pressure aside.

You must be very happy to win and advance to the next round. You're about to play your 202nd international match — was there anyone doubting you before?

Yes, that's true. Our first objective was to get out of the group, and now we've done it, so we're very happy. I think today was our best performance so far, and I hope we can play even better in the next match.

Croatia's story at the FIFA World Cup could be a book itself — you always persevere to the end. In Spanish terms, when it comes to fighting spirit and passion, no one has ever beaten you here.

Yes, we are used to fighting, used to giving everything, persevering until the end, and always battling. Ultimately, if you combine these qualities with the talent we have — and I believe we do — the rewards will always come. Today we got our reward, so we are very happy.

Two final questions. First: everyone likes you very much, and it feels like your story will never end. How do you manage to enjoy every game, every day? You know the whole world loves you, and every stadium chants your name.

Yes, this is truly incredible. I am enjoying all of this — enjoying every training session, every game. Because I know that at my age, with every training session or game, the end gets a little closer. As you said, the end is getting closer, so I will try to enjoy it, even though it's not easy.

Especially with the national team, the pressure is immense. Because we have achieved great results in the past, the pressure is high, and people sometimes expect us to do things that might not be realistic. But this is also because we have accustomed everyone, and ourselves, to believing that we can compete with any team. So we sometimes add extra pressure on ourselves, which can affect our performance.

However, I think our last match against Panama helped us gain confidence. I feel that especially in matches against Panama and England, we sometimes play under unnecessary pressure. What we are doing is already incredible, and we should enjoy it, put the pressure aside, and keep moving forward.

Last question: has Mourinho called you again? He called once before — should we let him call again?

No, no, no. He is a great man and one of the best coaches. I have a special affection for him.

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