World Cup 2018 final: France vs Croatia – maestros Modric and Pogba ready for ultimate midfield battle

Here we are. The final round. A long-winded tournament with umpteen twists and turns has finally brought us to the end of a sumptuous tournament. All pretenders have fallen by the wayside as France – one of the tournament’s most-fancied teams – faces off against dark horses Croatia.

Facing off from both ends are arguably two of the best central midfielders of the world – Paul Pogba and Luka Modric. The flashy challenger against the reigning king. The fate of the match could very well be decided by which of them pulls the strings better.

Modric – the most important Galactico?

Luka Modric - then and now (Reuters)

Both have a lot riding on this match. Modric has without a doubt picked up enough laurels along the way. The Croatian has four Champions League medals with Real Madrid, perhaps becoming the most important Galactico with Ronaldo’s departure for Juventus.

Modric has at times appeared simply superhuman during Croatia’s run to the World Cup final, his prowess on the ball an indictment of those who rejected him, like Arsene Wenger and other Premier League ‘pundits’, who claimed he was too slightly built to boss a midfield.

He has a chance to do something the so-called GOATS of his generation – Ronaldo and Messi – failed to do, lead their nation to a World Cup glory. And what an achievement it will be for tiny Croatia, a country formed only in 1991 in the backdrop of the Yugoslavia War.

The beautiful thing about Modric is despite his absolutely spell-binding footballing ability, is the fact he remains a man for the team. Croatia hasn’t won a single game during the regular time at the World Cup knockout rounds. They beat Russia and Denmark on penalties, before beating England in extra time.

No footballer has covered more ground at the World Cup. Modric has covered mind-boggling 63km – one-and-a-half times the length of a standard marathon.

At times he has appeared defeated, famished after another gruelling runout but kept on going, fuelled by what one assumes is simply will.

His stats are surreal. He has made the most passes by an outfield player – 41, the fourth most key passes (14), completed 13 take-ons and scored 2 goals.

He has defended as well as he has attacked, making 3 interceptions and creating two chances. And lest we forget, he is almost 33, an age where footballers start to slow down and lose stamina and a yard of pace.

Arguments are also being made, that irrespective of the final result, Modric should win the Ballon d'Or. For the last decade, the trophy has been shared between Messi and Ronaldo, and while many expected Neymar Jr to be the one knocking on the door, Modric has definitely made his case.

Few would argue against it, given his vast accomplishments that it’s time the Ballon d'Or went to a new player. From surviving bombs, criticism, and his grandfather’s shooting, young Luka has come a long way.

Paul Pogba – the mature one

Paul Pogba (Reuters)

This World Cup has seen the emergence of a new Paul Pogba, a 2-0 version of his flashier self if you will. Pogba, for what it’s worth, has always been the lightning stick for criticism. His price-tag, his ostentatious hairstyle, dabbing, social media posts, even his religion has all been held time and again against him to denounce him. The criticism has been harsh for someone his age. Lest we forget, he is only 25, and has already represented his nation in a Euro final, his club Juventus in a Champions League final.

Pundit Graeme Souness, who probably has a special compartment of his mind only for the Frenchman, had even asked for Didier Deschamps to drop him. It’s something his club manager did earlier in the season, preferring young Scott McTominay, who we are led to believe is better at following orders.

Yet Pogba, has often shown what he is capable of when he’s in the mood, as evidenced in a second-half man-of-the-match performance against Man City when he helped United comeback from two down to win 3-2. Even taciturn Roy Keane, who is a miser with praise, has admitted that Paul Pogba has been ‘excellent’.  

Amid rumours that his agent Ranioli has ‘offered’ him to Barcelona, Paul Pogba has shown in the road to the final that he’s capable of playing a very different role. In a team with a plethora of attacking talent with Griezmann and Mbappe, Pogba has shown a mature side.

He has been mature, forming a crucial foundation along with N’Golo Kante (and Blaise Matuidi at times) to give the flying forwards Griezmann and Mbappe something to run onto. He has cut out the flashy skills, instead of putting the hard yard, realising at the age of 25, that the team’s result is more important than his individual performance.  

Even his hair, which often changed colour more often than his goal celebrations, has remained a subdued black, a message perhaps that he is one of the lads.

He has grown as the tournament gone on, barely resembling the midfielder who ran haphazardly all over the pitch at Euro 2016 against Portugal trying to find a winner.

French coach Deschamps, who was called the ‘water carrier’ for his less-than-glamourous defensive midfielder role, has put paid to the rumour that Paul Pogba is ‘un-coachable’.

He has shown the other side of the talented midfielder at this World Cup, the one who is willing to sacrifice for the greater good. One more match, one more disciplined performance and that sacrifice could pay the ultimate dividends – the greatest prize the footballing world has to offer.

Modric, has already won everything there’s to win in club football. His four Champions League medals might never be matched by anyone other than his immediate peers.

For Pogba, at 25, he is just reaching the phase where footballers start to peak. He probably has a decade left at the top, but he can check one massive to-do off his list if France win. Modric might never get that chance again and the only real sad thing is the fact that out of these two midfield maestros, only one of them can take home the gong.