Luka Modric eyes elusive trophy as Croatia face Spain in Nations League final

In the last minute of the 76th hour Luka Modric has been active in competitive football this season, he looked down at the penalty spot in Rotterdam’s De Kuip stadium. He glanced up briefly at the target, and with a short, efficient run-up, sent the goalkeeper the wrong way.

The contest was deep into extra-time. Modric’s penalty had completed a comeback from a goal down, and from a 96th-minute Netherlands equaliser. It was Croatia’s fourth goal of a long, warm evening and they had eliminated the hosts of the Uefa Nations League finals.

It means Modric will lead his country into Sunday’s gold medal match against Spain, chasing that elusive international trophy that is the lone gap on his vast catalogue of honours.

It is five years since Modric inspired a nation of less than four million people by leading Croatia to a World Cup final, and six months since Croatia finished third at the 2022 tournament. In less than three months’ time, their captain will celebrate his 38th birthday.

A few hours after Modric’s heroics, Real Madrid, his club, were unveiling Jude Bellingham, their marquee summer signing, hired at an initial €103 million from Borussia Dortmund, a fee that if the midfielder reaches certain targets could rise over the next six years by around €30m.

As it is, Bellingham has become the second most expensive footballer in Madrid’s history, overtaking the sums paid for Cristiano Ronaldo 14 summers ago, and Gareth Bale, Bellingham’s fellow Briton, a decade back.

The club assume their investment in Bellingham, an England international, yields better dividends than the €115m they paid for Eden Hazard in 2019. The Belgian has just left Madrid, contract cancelled, after a forlorn, injury-hit stay spent mostly as a