Ivan Rakitić admits he still cannot watch the 2018 World Cup final

Former Croatia national team midfielder Ivan Rakitić has admitted that the pain of the defeat in the 2018 World Cup final against France remains difficult for him. As reported by MARCA, the experienced footballer stated that despite the years that have passed, he has never watched the highlights of the decisive match and would look away even if the video were played now. This is reported by Goal.com reports .

In the 2018 World Cup final held at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, Croatia faced France and suffered a 2-4 defeat. Ivan Rakitić, who played the full 90 minutes, was one of the key figures for the 'Vatreni', who reached the World Cup final for the first time in their history.

A historic result and unforgettable pride

Having achieved comeback victories in three consecutive matches during the knockout stage to reach the final, the Croatian team earned worldwide recognition. At an event in Seville, the former midfielder recalled those times, emphasizing that for a small nation with a population of less than four million, this result was a source of immense pride.

“It was a very difficult test at the time. To this day, I haven't watched a single highlight of that final. Within ten minutes after the defeat, we felt immense pride because Croatia is not Spain; we have a very small population, but we managed to win the love of the whole world, even that of France,” Rakitić emphasized.

New challenges ahead

Although Ivan Rakitić did not hide his desire to have lifted the trophy, he added that the global respect and messages of support from around the world provided him with comfort. Currently, the Croatians are preparing for their next important matches against the backdrop of the player's confessions.

It is known that the Croatia national team will face Spain in the UEFA Nations League. In this match, which will take place at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium in Andalusia, the 'Vatreni' will continue their fight for leadership in their group.