Iceland vs Croatia, World Cup 2018: Ivan Rakitic and Luka Modric’s perfect partnership still flying under the radar

In one of his first games for Sevilla, Ivan Rakitic played against Barcelona. "In the first half, I found it hard to get involved… because Barca take the air out of their opponents,” he said. He’s now part of that oxygen-denying machine, but at this World Cup he has shown Barca is not the only unit Rakitic can excel in.

A marriage of Barca and Real has sent Croatia into the second round with a game to spare, Rakitic and Luka Modric forming perhaps the best central midfield partnership in Russia, the one that pulled apart an admittedly brittle Argentina. Most of the focus in the aftermath was understandably on Leo Messi and the state of things in Argentinean football, but the men who inspired the latest crisis deserve some praise too.

Modric already has plenty. A player who receives constant acclaim but still you’re left with the vague sense that he’s underrated, the brilliant goal against Argentina ensured that he will get the requisite amount of glory when it all shakes out.

But then there was Rakitic. Naturally he has been playing a supporting role in this Croatia midfield: there are few, if any players in the world who would do anything else next to Modric. But as an example of the unsung, tireless work he has done at this World Cup, watch the chance that Messi missed just before Modric’s goal.

In the six yard box, the ball fell to Messi and a lift over the keeper would have righted a heavily listing ship, but before he could do that the ball disappeared from his toes, like Indiana Jones using his whip to relieve that guy of his sword. It was Rakitic, at the feet of his clubmate, who had saved Croatia.

And then, at the other end, there was Rakitic again to seal the victory, taking advantage of the Argentinean shambles to score the third. He has spoken before about being a box-to-box midfielder: he took the idea to its extremes against Argentina.

Naturally, teammates will always offer public praise, but the way that some of Rakitic and Modric’s colleagues have talked about them at this World Cup suggests they really do mean it. "I think these are their best performances for Croatia during a major tournament," said Vedran Corluka.

“I think they are the best midfield pairing at [the World Cup].” Ivan Perisic agreed: “Everyone knows our midfield players have big roles in the big Europe's biggest clubs. They are obviously world class.”

Jose Mourinho, who the shrewd among you will have spotted is not Croatian but is a voice worth listening to, said they were “the best in the world.” Those words are notable because usually Mourinho there is a subtext, something behind his words that means he’s saying them for his own ends, somehow. But there seems to be no agenda: this is just an observer recognising quality when he sees it.

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We could go on. Searching for a player’s motivation when you don’t know them intimately is a tricky business, but in a recent Player’s Tribune piece Rakitic suggested that his youth as a child of Croatian descent, born and raised in Switzerland, drove him to succeed for his country.

“I think about my dad and that moment a lot when I step onto the field for Croatia,” Rakitic wrote. “I know my father would like to be where I am, standing in my boots. I know so many Croatians would like to, as well. To be able to play for your country and defend your colours … there are no words to describe it.”

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Rakitic and Modric have formed a brilliant duo, evidence that two individuals who usually operate in wildly different systems can come together and be just as good for their country. “I think we are still showing the world what we can do,” Rakitic wrote. “Our qualifying match against Greece was the best we’ve played in like five or six years. I just told the guys in the dressing room, “Let’s keep going like this.” Luka Modrić and I just looked and each other like, Wow, why have we not done this before?”

They’re certainly doing it now.