ANDREJ KRAMARIC’S World Cup ended in tears as he hobbled off injured.
The Croatian striker was offside when he received the ball and tried a cross from the right during the second half of the third-place play-off with Morocco.
ReutersAndrej Kramaric went off injured in the World Cup third-place play-off[/caption]
APHe was tended to by medics on the pitch[/caption]
GettyHe was visibly emotional as he headed to the sidelines[/caption]
However, in delivering the ball in, the striker damaged his knee and immediately went down with no contact from the defender.
And as play carried on, he gingerly made his way back to the centre circle but sat back down on the turf awaiting treatment and was eventually helped off the field by medics in floods of tears.
Clearly emotional, the former Leicester man was spotted with ice strapping on his hamstring on the bench.
Kramaric, 31, plays his club football for Hoffenheim in Germany following his struggles at the King Power.
Die Kraichgauer return to Bundesliga action away at Union Berlin on January 21.
Hoffenheim sit 11th in the table with Kramaric scoring three of his 106 goals for the club this season.
But he was clearly concerned about his fitness as he limped off for the final time after seven appearances at Qatar 2022.
Kramaric scored both of his goals at the winter World Cup in the 4-1 comeback win over Canada which ultimately proved crucial in sending Croatia through to the knockouts.
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Zlatko Dalic’s side then beat Japan and Brazil on penalties to reach the semi-finals – but came undone against Argentina to drop into the bronze medal match.
Croatia led 2-1 midway through the second half when Kramaric went down and was replaced by Nikola Vlasic.
Superb goals from Josko Gvardiol and Mislav Orsis either side of Achraf Dari’s equaliser put the Europeans in front.
And that is how it ended as they repeated their third-place finish of 1998.
Kramaric joined in the celebrations on the pitch after full-time – carried around thanks to a piggy-back from Borna Sosa.