Despite losing the World Cup Final to favourites France back in July, Croatia emerged from the competition having solidified their place as one of the most exciting, dynamic, and cohesive national teams in world football on the biggest stage of all.
The silver-medal position shouldn’t be maligned, with Croatia achieving their best ever result at a World Cup competition.
On the back of this success, 32 year-old striker Mario Mandžukić has announced today that he has played his last match for the Croatia national team after 11 years.
Mandžukić retires as the second highest scorer for the national team with 33 strikes- only three goals behind legend Davor Šuker- and as the ninth-highest appearance maker.
Mandžukić also holds the dubious honour of being one of two players to score for both teams in a World Cup match. He redeemed his opening howler in the most recent World Cup Final by scoring the second of Croatia’s two goals in their 4-2 loss to Les Bleus.
The Croatian has also enjoyed a prolific club career, beginning his professional path at hometown club NK Marsonia Slavonski Brod, before earning moves to Dinamo Zagreb, Bundesliga sides Wolfsburg and Bayern München, Atlético Madrid and eventually current club Juventus.
In total, Mandžukić has scored almost 180 goals at club-level.
The news comes in a busy week for icons of the game withdrawing themselves from competitive international call-ups. As previously reported by The Sportsman, fellow World Cup stars Andrés Iniesta and Gerard Piqué and David Silva have all announced their retirement from the Spain team.
