IT WAS the day that Croatia will always remember. More than 500,000 people came out on the streets of Zagreb to welcome home the Croatian National Football Team after its epic story in Russia. After a magnificent month and reaching the finals in Moscow, Croatia lost a match against France but experienced an unprecedented hero's welcome. Croats were coming out on the streets and were hugging, the whole world was writing about us, and thousands of foreign journalists reported live from Ban Jelacic Square in Zagreb.

Despite losing to France 4:2, the generation of Luka Modric coached by Zlatko Dalic achieved the greatest success in history, out-topping the seemingly unsurpassed World Cup bronze won in France 20 years earlier.

From Zagreb Airport to Ban Jelacic Square, the bus with the football players was traveling as much as six hours, pushing their way through cordons of football supporters, who were greeting and recording them, and the football players did the same.

They finally arrived at their destination at sunset, setting an even more spectacular scene when they started lighting flares, with patriotic songs coming from the speakers. 

The players were taking turns in front of the microphone, greeting the cheerful crowd, and singing songs.

Modric: This is our dream

"We made our dream come true", said Luka Modric, and continued greeting supporters, thanked them, and started singing with the support of the audience. Of course, the World Cup best player and certainly then the favorite player on the planet received the loudest ovation.

On their way from Zagreb Airport to the main square, the players were celebrating with supporters, knocking down beer after beer, so they arrived at their destination fairly hammered.

"We're drunk as a skunk. Congratulations to the boys, and you too. You are the world champions," said Mateo Kovacic.

Dalic: Above all, Croatia!

Zlatko Dalic got in front of the supporters, and then the players lifted him and threw him in the air a couple of times.

"I have no words. We didn't play for ourselves in Russia, we played for our families, for you, for the entire country, for all the Croats in Bosnia, in the diaspora, for our war veterans. If it weren't for them, this checkerboard wouldn't be here. We aren't the champions of the world, but we still are runners-up. You recognized that we did our best," said the coach and added: 

"These boys were proudly wearing this uniform. We did our best, and you did too. Above all - Croatia!" 

Thompson shared the spotlight with the players who were driving together from Zagreb Airport, and sang "Lijepa li si" on the main square, before getting a special request from Modric.

"We have one more special wish, Marko Thompson to sing "Geni kameni." And they sang "a capella," the players and supporters together.

Today, exactly two years later, we together remember the spectacle where, thanks to Luka Modric and his teammates, Zlatko Dalic and his staff, all Croats were proud to be Croats.