In Dallas, the raw power of the English Premier League and proven Croatian mastery will meet, in which Luka Modrić, at the age of 40, still dictates the rhythm and stretches the lines as if he were at the peak of his career. The match, which pits a team with an estimated €1.4 billion squad against a national team worth around €400 million, is important not only as the highlight of the first round of the 2026 World Cup, but as a possible symbolic farewell to a golden era and a test of whether the next decade will belong to the English football industry or the Balkan football mind.
The article reveals how Zlatko Dalić wants to win a medal for the third time in a row with the veteran guard, what tactical dilemmas Thomas Tuchel has and why the pressure that has been increasing in the English environment in recent days may benefit the Croats more than the favorites. Can the memory of Moscow once again tip the scales against the richer? That is also why it is necessary…
