Ancelotti

His coach at Real Carlo Ancelotti says characteristically: "I think he can continue. He feels fresh, very motivated in every training session. I believe it will continue. He is a fantastic footballer, with incredible skills. He is lucky to have never had a major injury in his career. At 37, he is still one of the best midfielders in Europe."

For his part, Luka Modric emphasizes: "There was always, a lot of skepticism towards me, about my qualities, my style of play and my physique. People said I was too weak to reach the top level. But this adversity did not bother me. On the contrary, it motivates me even more", the short Croatian football player had declared at one point, saying meaningfully: "I'm not afraid of anything, I may be shy but I'm not afraid".

In Doha, fans know they will be watching one of the best midfielders of the 21st century live. In fact, Modric, who is Real Madrid's third player in shirt sales (behind Vinicius and Karim Benzema), has found fans, even in Qatar, where everyone is dressed in Croatia's away shirt and idolizes him at every opportunity.

And in West Bay, where the mission of the Croatian national team has been catalyzed, an entire building has been covered for several days by a giant photo of Modric. So how can he not be both ambitious and optimistic about this year's course of his national team....