Luka Modrić is preparing to sign a new one-year contract extension with AC Milan, while also lining up a farewell to Croatia duty in early October. His final appearance for Croatia is expected on October 6 against Spain in Split. The two moves sit together neatly, with Milan planning to keep him for another season and the international exit now on a clear timeline.

Milan's case for another year

Ruben Amorim, speaking to football-italia.net, made the club's thinking plain. "I think he's a key player for us, especially at the start, to get more possession. I'm not saying he'll play every game, but we really want to be able to count on him next season," he said.

That is a sensible call. Milan finished 5th in Serie A with 70 points, and their last five league results were LWLLD. This is not a side that is rolling into the summer with everything settled, so keeping a passer who can control the first phase of possession looks like a useful piece of business rather than sentiment.

The extension is expected to keep Modric tied to Milan until June 2027, and he made 37 appearances in his first season, scoring two goals and providing three assists. He was also ruled out for a few games by a fractured cheekbone before returning ahead of schedule.

Croatia's October goodbye

Modric has informed Croatia manager Slaven Bilic that he will step down from national team duties in early October, according to goal.com. His final appearance is expected on October 6 against Spain in Split, which gives the farewell a fixed date rather than a vague end-of-career drift.

Croatia's last five results were LWWLW, including a 2-1 loss to Portugal. That is a decent backdrop for a player choosing his exit, because it shows the team is still competitive while he prepares to step away.

The only real uncertainty is paperwork versus agreement. One report says the extension is in place and another says he is preparing to sign it, but the direction is the same: Modric is staying at Milan, and his Croatia goodbye now has an October date.

Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →