Rise of a Football God

(GROUP E:)

(Croatia vs Saudi Arabia)

(Venue: Estadio Guadalajara, Mexico)

(Date: June 24th, 2026)

(Time: 19:00)

On the same time that Nigeria took on Canada and ripped them apart through Sam's hattrick, Croatia also took on Saudi Arabia in a game that could potentially decide their FIFA World Cup run.

Against Saudi Arabia, the Croatians were ruthless.

They won convincingly 3-0.

After being shackled in so many ways for the first 2 games of his country's FIFA World Cup campaign, Luka Modric finally exploded in their matchday 3, this time against Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia proved stubborn in the first half, a first half where Luka Modric helped his team dominate the midfield battle, but Saudi Arabia's defense held stubbornly, resulting in the first half ending in a goalless draw.

20 minutes into the second half, it was seemingly following the same script as the first half till Luka Modric rolled back the years with a vintage second half performance.

He opened the scoring in the 67th minute of the game, lashing into a loose ball outside the box in a volley, sending it straight towards the top right corner.

The goalkeeper almost caught it, but due to the bend on the ball, it managed to evade his grasp in agonizing fashion, giving Croatia the lead.

Just 3 minutes later, a perfect 28-pass sequence from Croatia resulted in the 2nd goal in the 70th minute to make it 2-0.

It was the perfect team goal.

And then in the 84th minute, Luka Modric rolled back the years again, receiving the ball after stopping a Saudi Arabian counterattack before playing a lethal trivela pass with the outside of his boot, sending it round the defense and in front of the striker to tap home, making it 3-0.

It was a vintage midfield performance.

Luka Modric won the man of the match award.

And with that victory, Croatia rose to 4 points, level with Canada on 3 points. And still yet, it was not enough.

Croatia landed 3rd spot due to goal difference.

It was agonizing, but considering that the first knockout stage game would be in the round of 32, they still had a chance of qualifying with their 4 points if they made it among the best 3rd-placed nations in the group stage.

…

The next day after Croatia vs Saudi Arabia, Spain took on New Zealand in a Group F encounter in USA.

(GROUP F:)

(Spain vs New Zealand)

(Venue: SoFi Stadium, USA)

(Date: June 25th, 2026)

(Time: 15:00)

If Nigeria vs Canada was chaos and emotion, and Croatia vs Saudi Arabia was footballing genius from a single veteran midfielder, then this was order.

A lesson in control.

Spain, already high on confidence after back to back wins came into this fixture aiming to cement their dominance in Group F.

New Zealand, bold and physical, had everything to fight for, qualification still mathematically possible.

But from the moment the first whistle blew, it became clear that this was Spain's game.

The first half was control and conviction.

Spain started with ruthless efficiency. Manager Luis De La Fuente's 4-3-3 was crisp and fluid, dictating tempo from the o utset.

Pedri and Gavi started, pulling the strings in midfield like seasoned maestros, while Nico Williams and Dani Olmo stretched the field wide.

They got an early goal in the 9th minute of the game.

It was an elegant move beginning deep in Spain's half. Rodri to Gavi, Gavi to Olmo, and then a cutback found Pedri ghosting into the box, where he calmly slid the ball into the bottom right corner.

Pure Spanish poetry on the canvas of the pitch.

9 minutes, 1-0.

New Zealand, to their credit, didn't back down. Chris Wood, their experienced frontman, hustled with determination, drawing fouls and giving his teammates breathing space to attack.

And then, his hard work paid off in the 28th minute.

It came from a corner kick and Spain failed to clear. Winston Reid flicked the ball on, and Chris Wood rose high to nod in the equalizer.

The stadium erupted.

1-1. Game on.

But Spain answered immediately.

Dani Olmo scored in the 35th minute.

It was a lightning-quick response. Pedri played a diagonal switch to Nico Williams, who brought it down with one touch and whipped in a low cross.

Olmo, arriving late, tapped it in to make it 2-1 to Spain.

The first half came to an end 2-1.

Spain emerged for the second half with even more focus. Their one-touch passing began to break down New Zealand's shape. The All Whites dropped deeper with each passing second, too deep.

And then, in the 51st minute of the game, Gavi, the engine of the midfield got his name on the scoresheet.

A slick move saw Lamine Yamal and Pedri combine at the top of the box. Gavi arrived and struck a looping shot that deflected past the goalkeeper, making it 3-1.

The game was slipping away from New Zealand.

Luis De La Fuente rotated late in the game, bringing on Ferran Torres and Mikel Merino. But Spain didn't ease up.

In the 78th minute, Ferran Torres got his name on the scoresheet.

Spain hit on the counter, Williams breaking free on the right. After a delicious run, his cut-back pass found Ferran, who smashed it low into the far corner. Textbook finish.

The game came to an end 4-1 in Spain's favor. It was total Spanish domination.

Spain finished the group stage undefeated, top of Group F.

New Zealand's campaign ended with heart, but outclassed on the day.

Pedri won the man of the match award with his 1 goal and 1 assist display, 92% passing accuracy, 7 progressive passes, and 3 successful take-ons.

He was everywhere. The heartbeat of this Spanish side. The bridge between midfield and attack. The conductor of Spain's tactical symphony.

Spain were pushing themselves out as among the clear favorites for the trophy already.

During the post-match interview, a few important people shared their minds.

Luis De La Fuente was happy in front of the media. "This was not just a win. It was identity. It was Spanish football played the way it should be".

Chris Wood, the New Zealand striker also had a few words to say.

"We gave it all. But Spain… they play a different kind of football. That's the level we aspire to".

The FIFA Analyst Desk also had their say.

"Spain have reminded the world. They are not rebuilding, they are ready".