Captain Luka Modric plans to keep playing international football until at least the Nations League finals in June next year after helping Croatia to a third-place finish at the World Cup.

The Real Madrid midfielder, 37, started as his country beat Morocco 2-1 on Saturday to secure third place.

Asked after the game if he aimed to be at the European Championships in 2024, Modric said: “We’ll see.

“I need to go step by step, I am enjoying the national team.”

Modric started all seven of Croatia’s World Cup games in Qatar, playing for 656 minutes out of a possible 690, and believes he still has plenty to offer his country.

“I still feel I can perform on a high level,” he added on Bein Sports.

“I want to continue at least until [the] Nations League. That will give me time to think about Euro 2024.”

Croatia’s third-place finish follows on from their appearance in the final at the last World Cup in Russia in 2018, underlining their ability to surprise on the international stage.

Age means a number of the current squad are unlikely to feature when the 2026 tournament comes around, but boss Zlatko Dalic insisted there is plenty to be optimistic about for the future.

“This is the last World Cup for some of my players due to their age,” Dalic said. “But we have young players in our team and there is a great hope for Croatia. We have many young players on the bench.

“The older players instil confidence in them. Croatia has nothing to fear for the future. Is this the end of an era? I believe not, we have the League of Nations and Euros in 2024. I believe Croatia has a fascinating future.”