Ivan Rakitic announced that he would no longer play for the national team, of which he is the vice-captain and for which he made his debut in 2007, at the age of 32, after 106 games and 15 goals for Croatia.
“Saying goodbye to the Croatian national team is the most difficult decision in my career, but I felt that this was the moment when I had to break and make that decision. I enjoyed every game I played for my homeland, and unforgettable moments from the World Cup will remain among my favorites. “I am convinced that we still have a great team with a bright future ahead of me. I wish my friends and teammates all the world’s sports luck in the upcoming challenges, and they will have the biggest fan in me,” Rakitic said on Twitter.
Ahead of the senior national team of his native Switzerland, for whose youth teams he previously played, Croatia was chosen by Rakitic. The child of Croatian guest workers from Slavonia and Bosnia became a legend of the Croatian national team and Croatian sports in general, after the most important decision in his professional career.
Rakitic reached the peak in the national team jersey at the 2018 World Cup. According to many, he was the best player in Croatia on the way to world silver, which the national team reached so that Rakitic scored the winning goal in two knockout stages in the penalty shootout.
