Inter midfielder Sučić could not hide his disappointment after Croatia were eliminated by Portugal in the round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. After the match, he knelt in the center of the field, buried his face in his hands, and wept. In a subsequent interview, he said the team deserved a better result and questioned several controversial decisions.

"I feel completely empty inside right now, but I am proud of the team, especially our second-half performance," Sučić said.

He believes Croatia fully deserved to advance. "We should have got more, at least taken the game to extra time. We played very well and created many chances. Their goalkeeper made some brilliant saves, and we had three goals disallowed... I hope someone can explain some of the referee's decisions to me. There were too many controversial situations in this game, and they all went against us in the end. Of course, we still have to congratulate Portugal on advancing to the next round."

Regarding the team's second-half performance, Sučić said: "Yes, at that point we really felt we could win the game. We played exactly as we had planned before the match, and we knew there would be phases in which each team dominated. I still believe we deserved a better result."

Speaking about his tears after the match and Ronaldo comforting him, Sučić revealed: "I was really sad at the time. Ronaldo told me that this is football, and that there will always be tough moments in football. He also said that I am a very good player, encouraged me to keep going, and told me that everything would get better in the future."

As this was likely Modric's last FIFA World Cup, Sučić was also asked whether he would become the new leader of the Croatian national team. He responded: "I don't like to talk about myself. I think I have a good character and mentality, but ultimately, who becomes the team leader is up to the head coach. There are many more experienced players on the team than me. We have many leaders, and we support each other. Luka is a leader, but he is a silent leader; he speaks more through his football on the field. I think anyone can be a leader for the team."

Finally, Sučić once again discussed Gvardiol's disallowed equalizer. He said: "The referee told us that Matanović touched the ball, and the sensor inside the ball showed that. I don't know what to say; it's really hard to explain, and I think someone should clarify the situation for us. In my opinion, Matanović did not touch the ball, so the goal should have stood. Of course, perhaps I need to watch the replay a few more times. Similarly, I think my own goal also deserves closer analysis to confirm whether it was indeed offside."

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