Luka Modrić Leads Croatia to Victory as World Cup Preparations Heat Up

At the Stadion Anđelko Herjavec in Varaždin, the familiar conductor took up his role again. Luka Modrić, 38 years old and still dictating Croatia’s rhythm, stepped up with the kind of finish that has underpinned a generation of Croatian football.

Croatia edged Slovenia 2-1 in a lively friendly, a result that mattered less than the message: this team is sharpening its tools for England on 17 June.

Modrić opened the scoring with a trademark piece of precision. Drifting into space on the edge of the box, he met a loose ball and drove it low and true, the sort of strike that looks simple only because he makes it so. Croatia settled, the crowd relaxed, and for long spells it felt like a controlled rehearsal.

Slovenia refused to play the supporting role. The visitors grew bolder as the second half wore on, pushing Croatia deeper and finally breaking through in the 83rd minute when Andraž Šporar levelled the match. A friendly suddenly felt like something more serious. Croatia, briefly, looked rattled.

Then came the response.

Deep into stoppage time, in the 93rd minute, Mario Pašalić found the winner. It was the kind of late strike that coaches quietly love in June: tired legs, frayed concentration, yet still the instinct to surge, to arrive, to finish. The goal restored the lead and, with it, a sense that Croatia’s competitive edge remains intact as England loom on the horizon.

Estupiñan lights it up as Ecuador cruise

Thousands of miles away, another World Cup hopeful sent out its own signal. Ecuador brushed aside Guatemala 3-0, a scoreline that reflected their control and their growing confidence.

Pervis Estupiñan was everywhere. The left-back surged up and down his flank, a constant outlet, and then crowned his night with a stunning third goal. Spotting the goalkeeper off his line from distance, he lifted the ball over him with audacious calm. It was a defender’s goal in name only; the technique belonged to a playmaker.

The win does more than pad the record. It feeds belief heading into Ecuador’s World Cup opener on 15 June against Ivory Coast, a fixture that will demand exactly the kind of energy and incision they showed here.

Bartesaghi steady as Italy’s experimental side grinds it out

For Italy, the tone was different but no less important. In an “experimental” line-up under coach Baldini, Davide Bartesaghi was handed another start and again stayed on for the full 90 minutes as Italy beat Greece 1-0.

This was not a night of fireworks, but it was a night of answers. Bartesaghi’s durability and discipline gave Baldini more evidence that he can be trusted when the matches truly bite. The narrow win wrapped up Italy’s latest friendly run, following another tight victory over Luxembourg.

Three games, three very different stories. One common thread: World Cup preparations are no longer theoretical. The auditions are ending. The real questions start on 15 and 17 June.