Luka Modrić says Croatia must 'play without fear' against Italy to avoid elimination

Luka Modrić has ordered his Croatia teammates to banish "fear" as he tries to keep his European Championship dream alive.

Modrić, the 2018 Ballon D'Or winner as the world's best player, is near the end of a glittering career. Having agreed to a one-year extension at Real Madrid after helping the team lift the Champions League yet again, it would be no surprise if he retired from international duty at the end of this tournament, having amassed a record 177 appearances for Croatia.

Global sentiment before Euro 2024 was of the unanimous opinion that we should enjoy Modrić while we can, revel in his silky skills and extraordinary vision. But Croatia's campaign has turned into anything but a nostalgic joy ride.

Instead, heading into Monday's final Group B clash with Italy in Leipzig (3 p.m. ET on FOX), the 2018 World Cup runner-up and 2022 bronze medalist is in a battle to avoid an early trip home.

"We will play without fear," Modric told reporters. "If we do what we know, we can face any opponent confidently. We have no choice. We must beat Italy, and we can only make it if we play like we did against Albania in the second half."

Croatia was caught up in a whirlwind of a Spain performance in losing its opening game, but the expected rebound against Albania did not pan out as hoped, Croatia conceding in the final moments of injury time, leading to a 2-2 draw.

Nothing other than a victory against Italy is likely to suffice in terms of qualifying for the next stage and Modric is well aware of his own odd history with the Euros.

While the team has performed superbly at the last two World Cups, the continental championship has brought mostly disappointment.

In 2008, the first Euros Modric competed in, the group looked set for a semifinal spot when it led Turkey in the final minute of extra-time, only to concede a late goal and then crash out on penalties, with Modric missing his kick. Since then, it has not progressed past the round of 16.

"It will be tough against Italy, they are a well-organized team with an excellent coach," he added. "We've known since the beginning that the final game would be decisive. Perhaps it would have been as such even if we had beaten Albania."

The challenge could hardly be greater. Italy is not only the defending champion but has its own spot in the knockout round to fight for — and its own point to prove.

The Azzurri's 1-0 defeat to Spain was a tough one to take, with the scoreline not accurately reflecting Spain's overwhelming dominance.

"There are certain matches that decide whether it is a great and glorious tale or a tale to forget," Italy head coach Luciano Spalletti told a press conference on Sunday. "The glory of your tale ultimately comes down to days like this.

"We chose a squad of players who we believe want to be involved in this kind of challenge and have the mentality to meet it. When you play for Italy you are going to have games like this.

"I expect to see that we learned a great deal from the other night, even though it was painful and even though we played badly."

Martin Rogers is a columnist for FOX Sports. Follow him on Twitter @MRogersFOX and subscribe to the daily newsletter.