Xavi has showered praise on his former Barcelona teammate, Ivan Rakitić, and his former Real Madrid rival, Luka Modrić, as Croatia prepare a semifinal against England in the FIFA World Cup.

“They are two of the most complete midfielders in the world, two modern footballers,” Xavi gushed, “they have it all.”

“Rakitić is one of the best signings Barca have made in their history,” Xavi went on to say. “Every day he gets better, he knows how to adapt to what the team needs, and in every moment he lives a footballing maturity that is extraordinary.”

He said the same went for Modrić: “He would have been good for Barça also, they are authentic monsters with the ball.”

For France, Xavi praised Antoine Griezmann because “he knows how to move back to help the team create play.” He said he loved Belgium’s dynamism with Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard. Finally, he said England have made strides in that they are now better at playing with the ball and building from the back.