Toronto [Canada], July 2 : Ahead of Portugal's FIFA World Cup round of 32 clash against Croatia, which will also mark a battle between former Real Madrid teammates Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric, the Portuguese head coach Roberto Martinez said that both icons are "above public opinion" and for them "age is just a number".
Toronto fans will get to see two of the greatest contemporary superstars, Luka (40) and Cristiano (41), in action. Despite their advanced ages, they are still incredibly strong.
Cristiano, who featured for Real Madrid from 2009-21, shared the changing room for the club with Modric for years, with the Croatian wearing the club's iconic colours from 2012-25. Both have won multiple La Liga and UEFA Champions League titles with the club and are chasing the FIFA World Cup trophy which has eluded both of them so far. Only one can proceed further in this journey towards World Cup glory.
Speaking ahead of the match, Martinez said as quoted by Goal.com, "We are talking about players who are above public opinion. They are world icons. The longevity they carry makes them special. Luka Modric, at over 40 years old, continues to play many games. It is the same as our captain, Cristiano Ronaldo."
Cristiano has looked pretty off colour this tournament other than his brace against Uzbekistan, not able to score against DR Congo and Colombia, with the match against latter being a goalless draw. Modric has also not found the net in his three appearances so far and has delivered one assist in the tournament. He also completed his 200th international cap in the ongoing tournament.
The Spanish coach was all praises for the former Real Madrid mates, saying that what matters is the importance they have as an example within the dressing room.
"Age is just a number. What matters is what they do and the importance they have as an example in the dressing room. Modric is an example for millions of athletes and new generations of footballers," he said.
For these two superstars, the upcoming match will also be a physical challenge, with high temperatures expected in Canada. Martinez, however, played down any concerns, saying that they faced similar conditions during their Palm Beach stay.
"There are no advantages in the World Cup. Our preparation was to train in Palm Beach with a lot of humidity; here we will also have a lot of heat, but less humidity. The World Cup is demanding, and the team is prepared for everything. We must be prepared for everything. We know Croatia very well, they also know our strengths, it is going to be a competitive game, with the importance of it being a knockout game in the World Cup," he signed off.