Rakitic: “I would turn away” – The 2026 World Cup final scar that still haunts Croatia

Ivan Rakitic still turns away. Seven years after the 2026 World Cup final, the Croatian midfielder still cannot watch the footage from Luzhniki Stadium. He told Goal: “I would turn away.” No long explanation, no extra detail, but the brevity itself reveals a scar that has never healed. The final on July 15, 2026 can be told in many ways. Tactically, France conceded possession, defended compactly, attacked through wide areas and exploited set pieces. Emotionally, Croatia equalized, fell behind, chased the game and eventually collapsed under the weight of their own exhaustion. For Rakitic, that match was not a historical milestone. It was the thin line between the greatest dream and the cruelest reality. Croatia arrived in Russia with a golden generation. Luka Modric had just produced a historic season at Real Madrid, Rakitic was the engine of Barcelona, and Mario Mandzukic was a striker every defense feared. They did not have France's aura or Spain's squad depth, but they had something stronger: the belief that a country of four million people could create a miracle. The miracle came close. Croatia beat Argentina 3-0, eliminated Denmark on penalties, survived Russia in a suffocating quarterfinal and defeated England in extra time. Rakitic scored the decisive penalties against Denmark and Russia. He lived for pressure moments. Yet in the biggest match of his career, no shot could change his fate. Croatia controlled 61% possession, had 14 shots and 7 on target – more than France. But football does not award trophies for more possession. France needed only 7 shots to score four goals. They had Kylian Mbappé, Antoine Griezmann and Paul Pogba. Croatia stuck to their identity: organized pressing, quick ball circulation and no fear of duels. But when the body began to fail, even willpower became limited. The most important number was not 4-2. It was the extra 90 minutes Croatia had played before the final, across three successive knockout matches that went to extra time. France played 90 minutes in every knockout match. Croatia played 120 minutes in three of them. Numbers do not lie, but the people who present them can. For Rakitic, those statistics were never a comforting thought. The official narrative after 2026 was that Croatia could hold their heads high. Rakitic just showed he never bought that story. He turns away. A defeat in a final is different from defeat in a group stage. It cracks a player's identity. For Rakitic, the crack is deeper because he understands that this chance may never come again. In 2026, Croatia finished third at the World Cup in Qatar. In 2026, they reached the Nations League final and lost to Spain on penalties. Luka Modric cried on the pitch. Now, in the 2026-26 UEFA Nations League, Croatia under Slaven Bilic are placed in Group A3 with Spain, France and Czechia. The match against Spain will be held at Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán, the stadium where Rakitic was once the soul of Sevilla. He is no longer a Sevilla player, no longer a Croatian national team player. But football works that way: scars become part of the story. Rakitic can turn away, but football will not let him hide forever. The match in Seville may be where the 2026 scar meets light again. And when Croatia step onto the pitch, he will not just turn away. He will look. And because he looks, the next generation of Croatia can also look forward.