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Croatia
Italy substitute Mattia Zaccagni scored in the last minute of stoppage time for Italy to advance to the knockout stage of the European Championship after drawing Croatia 1-1. Luka Modric's second-half strike looked like sending Croatia through as the Group B runner-up, but Zaccagni swept a brilliant shot inside the far post in the eighth minute of added time to cap a furious finale from the defending champions. Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic was unhappy so much time was added after a battling performance from his side. You can't have eight minutes of added time after that game, it's nonsense, Dalic said. There weren't so many breaks in play, or so many fouls to justify that. I don't want to cause a fuss but I think Croatia needs to be acknowledged and respected. We played for almost three hours. Italy needed a point to progress, while Croatia realistically needed a win to stay in the tournament. The Croatians have two points from their three games and were at the mercy of other results
Manchester City is ready to make a big move in the transfer market, days before the start of the new season. The English and European champions are set to sign Croatia center back Josko Gvardiol for a reported 90 million euros ($98.3 million) from German club Leipzig, making him one of the world's most expensive defenders. Neither City nor Leipzig have commented publicly about the deal for Gvardiol, who will reportedly undergo a medical examination this week. Manchester United's Harry Maguire cost 80 million pounds (then $97 million) when he joined from Leicester in 2019, while Virgil van Dijk moved from Southampton to Liverpool for 75 million pounds (then $100 million) in 2018. The 21-year-old Gvardiol, known as Little Pep because of his name's likeness to City manager Pep Guardiola, is one of the most highly rated defenders in the world and enhanced his reputation with impressive performances for Croatia at the World Cup last year. He has played for Leipzig for two seasons, havi
Luka Modric led Croatia to third place in what was likely the midfield great's last appearance at the World Cup. The runners-up from four years ago secured another medal by beating Morocco 2-1 in the third-place match on Saturday. Mislav Orsic scored the decisive goal shortly before halftime at Khalifa International Stadium to ensure Modric finished on a winning note, if this does turn out to be his last World Cup match. At the age of 37, that seems likely, even if there are hopes he will lead his country at the 2024 European Championship. Josko Gvardiol put Croatia ahead in the seventh minute, but Achraf Dari evened the score in the ninth. It is the second time Croatia has taken third place. The team also achieved that feat in its first World Cup as an independent nation 1998. After becoming the first African team to reach the World Cup semifinals, Morocco's tournament ended in two losses. But the team's achievements in Qatar will be remembered for the outpouring of pride among
Tears are flowing from soccer's biggest superstars as they make emotional exits from what might be their last World Cup. First it was Neymar. Then it was Cristiano Ronaldo. Could Lionel Messi be next? Momentum is building behind Messi's push to cap his career with the biggest prize in the game. The 35-year-old Argentina playmaker has carried his team to the semifinals, almost in the same way Diego Maradona the man with whom Messi is so often compared led the South American nation to its second and most recent World Cup title in 1986. Now in Argentina's way is Croatia, a country with a population of 4 million which is establishing a reputation as the most stubborn and durable of opponents while also boasting one of soccer's most graceful players in Luka Modric. The teams go head to head at Lusail Stadium also the venue for Sunday's final in a meeting between the last two runners-up at the tournament: Argentina in 2014 and Croatia in 2018. Argentina might have been expected to b