{"id":3699,"date":"2026-05-01T20:52:25","date_gmt":"2026-05-01T20:52:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/play-live.eu\/?p=3699"},"modified":"2026-05-01T20:52:25","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T20:52:25","slug":"retire-new-ac-milan-deal-luka-modrics-big-decision-as-world-cup-looms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/play-live.eu\/?p=3699","title":{"rendered":"Retire? New AC Milan Deal? Luka Modri\u0107&#039;s Big Decision As World Cup Looms"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"subnav-title ff-ffc bold fs-23 lh-25 uc pd-b-10\">\n            POPULAR SEARCHES\n          <\/p>\n<p class=\"subnav-title ff-ffc bold fs-23 lh-25 uc pd-b-10\">\n            BROWSE BY\n          <\/p>\n<p class=\"ital ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6\"><img decoding=\"async\" height=\"20px\" src=\"https:\/\/b.fssta.com\/uploads\/application\/external-logos\/goal-dot-com-logo_black.svg\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-ace7f8b6>Luka Modri\u0107 is facing a major decision about his future after suffering a facial injury while playing for AC Milan. The 40-year-old Croatian must now choose between extending his stay at San Siro or bringing his remarkable career to an end.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-ace7f8b6>Modric has been ruled out for the remainder of the Serie A season after suffering a fractured cheekbone in a collision with Manuel Locatelli during AC Milan\u2019s 0\u20130 draw with Juventus. The Croatian midfielder requires surgery and will miss Milan\u2019s final four domestic matches.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-ace7f8b6>Despite the setback, the injury has not diminished the 40-year-old\u2019s desire to continue playing. <i>La Gazzetta dello Sport<\/i> indicate that the former Real Madrid star is leaning towards activating a one-year extension clause in his Milan contract.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-ace7f8b6>Modric has played a key role in the <i>Rossoneri<\/i> midfield this season, logging more minutes than in any of his final five campaigns in Madrid. The veteran remains determined to end his career on his own terms.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-ace7f8b6>The report also claimed that Modric\u2019s primary motivation is the opportunity to finish his career competing at the highest level of European football. Remaining at San Siro would allow him to chase one final run in the Champions League.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-ace7f8b6>The midfielder has reportedly developed a strong tactical understanding with Milan boss Massimiliano Allegri, who has relied heavily on the Croatian to control the tempo of the team\u2019s play. Milan\u2019s hierarchy are also believed to be prepared to extend Modric\u2019s stay only with the player\u2019s approval, reflecting the mutual respect built since his arrival at the club.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-ace7f8b6>A potential return to the Champions League appears to be a major factor in Modric\u2019s thinking. With Milan pushing for a top-four finish, the chance to lead the club back into Europe\u2019s elite competition remains an attractive prospect.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-ace7f8b6>Beyond his on-pitch contributions, Modric has become an influential figure in the dressing room. Younger players view the former Ballon d&#8217;Or winner as both a mentor and a model professional, adding further value to his presence within the squad. Interest from former club Dinamo Zagreb has surfaced, but Modric is reportedly focused on finishing his career at the highest competitive level.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-ace7f8b6>Before making a final decision on his club future, Modric is expected to prioritize regaining fitness ahead of the 2026 World Cup with Croatia national football team, which could mark his final international tournament.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-ace7f8b6>The choice appears increasingly clear: extend his stay with Milan for one final season or retire from professional football. Should he opt to walk away, he could be announcing his retirement in front of the San Siro crowd.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>POPULAR SEARCHES BROWSE BY Luka Modri\u0107 is facing a major decision about his future after suffering a facial injury while playing for AC Milan. The 40-year-old Croatian must now choose between extending his stay at San Siro or bringing his remarkable career to an end. Modric has been ruled out for the remainder of the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":3698,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3699","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-soccer"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/play-live.eu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3699","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/play-live.eu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/play-live.eu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/play-live.eu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3699"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/play-live.eu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3699\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/play-live.eu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3698"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/play-live.eu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3699"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/play-live.eu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3699"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/play-live.eu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3699"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}