Germany National Team
Antonio Rudiger: 7/10
The German national team featured Rudiger from Real Madrid. Not only was he the backbone of the national team, but his performances for the club and through the World Cup qualifiers earned him a starting spot as he ended up playing all the matches in the group stage. Unfortunately, for the second straight time, Germany could not make it past the group stages of the competition though.
The German defender played an imperative role and produced decent performances in all three games. The only problem for Rudiger was his positioning at times, as he continued to drift wide and up the pitch but without the defensive support that he gets at club level.
Real Madrid fans should not be worried though and Rudiger will most probably continue to deliver consistent performances for Real Madrid after the World Cup.
Croatia National Team
Luka Modric: 10/10
The Croatian national team can be summed up in one word, and that is “solid”. They made the best use of their individual talents, worked hard as a team and made it to the semi-finals and from there won the third place game against Morocco. The team was led by none other than Modric, who was spectacular once again.
The captain of the Croatian national team played all seven games in succession. His aura and undeniable quality even at 37 years of age made a difference to the team and in each game they played.
The midfielder stood against all odds, and helped the Croatian national team overdeliver on expectations for the second World Cup running, as they finished third. In 2018, they had been runners up.
A true captain, leader and team player, one would expect Modric to return to Real Madrid and continue to be the club’s maestro in the middle of the park for the second half of the season.