The Serbian sports portal Sportal published an article paying deep tribute to Croatian national team players Luka Modrić and Ivan Perišić following their performance in the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup against Portugal. Despite Croatia's 1-2 defeat, both players shone, with Perišić scoring a goal. In the text, author Miloš Simanović criticizes the practice in Serbia where players over 30 are often considered old and written off from the national team too early, citing the examples of Nemanja Vidić, Nemanja Matić, and Dušan Tadić.