Modric surpasses Al-Mutawa and chases Messi's record

Luka Modric added another milestone to his international career, scoring in Croatia's 2-1 victory over the Czech Republic to become the oldest player to score for the Croatian national team – a testament to his continued presence despite his age. Modric played in the match in Prague, bringing his international appearances to 203 and further cementing his place on the list of players with the most international caps, surpassing Kuwait's Bader Al-Mutawa, who has 202. The former Croatian captain is now closing in on Argentina's Lionel Messi, who has 207 international appearances, while Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo holds the world record with 234. Modric has a real opportunity to close the gap with Messi in the coming period, especially since Croatia still has matches in the UEFA Nations League group stage, giving the AC Milan player a chance to add to his tally. If he remains in the coaching staff's plans and participates in upcoming matches, Modric could reach 206 international caps in the near future, putting him just one game away from equaling Messi's record, before potentially surpassing it in subsequent matches. The former Real Madrid and current AC Milan star continues to write a new chapter in his international career, having transformed from simply captaining the Croatian national team into a record-breaker, as he approaches joining a select group of players with the most international appearances.