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Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic starred for Croatia during the World Cup and the pair of brilliant midfielders even swapped shirts after the World Cup final, leaving touching messages.
Croatia beat England in the semi-final to reach their first ever World Cup final.
Though it was ultimately heartbreak for Zlatko Dalic's charges who lost 4-2 to an incredibly talented French team.
But the Croatian camp will fly home with some gold in the shape of the Golden Ball award.
adidas Golden Ball Award:
Luka MODRIC (#CRO)
Eden HAZARD (#BEL)
Antoine GRIEZMANN (#FRA) #WorldCup pic.twitter.com/KQSRiwUznh
- FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) July 15, 2018
Modric bagged the coveted individual prize following his scintillating performances through out the tournament in Russia.
He performed like a superhero in the engine room of the pitch, captaining his side all the way to the final.
Modric wasn't the only Croatian midfielder pulling the strings.
He was sat alongside Barcelona play maker Ivan Rakitic who also produced heroics, while successfully converting in each penalty shootout against Denmark then Russia.
The pair of influential midfielders struck up a formidable partnership on and off the field.
Following the World Cup final, Modric and Rakitic exchanged shirts complete with a heart-warming message.
Rakitic & Modric exchanged shirts after the World Cup Final:
Modric to Rakitic: "To my brother Ivan, from my heart, I'm proud to have shared with you great moments on the pitch."
Rakitic to Modric: "To my brother Luka, it was the greatest honor to spend all this time with you." pic.twitter.com/cNI0yyQQT2
- SB (@Realmadridplace) July 15, 2018
Modric to Rakitic: "To my brother Ivan, from my heart, I'm proud to have shared with you great moments on the pitch."
Rakitic to Modric: "To my brother Luka, it was the greatest honor to spend all this time with you."
Brate @lukamodric10, neznas koliko se ponosim tobom.!:pray::kissing_heart: Sve zasluzeno, idemo slavit sa nasom obitelj i svim hrvatima.! NISTA LIJEPSE NEGO BIT HRVAT.!:heart::flag_hr: #iznadsvihhrvatska #budiponosan pic.twitter.com/FE3B5Svnou
- Ivan Rakitic (@ivanrakitic) July 15, 2018
Wonderful act of comradeship between the Croatian internationals.
After bossing the World Cup, Modric and Rakitic are set to return to Real Madrid and Barcelona, respectively.
Topics: Football News, Football, Barcelona, Croatia, Ivan Rakitic, World Cup, Real Madrid, Luka Modric