Why did Modric and Casemiro swap shirts at half-time of FIFA World Cup quarterfinal clash?

The pair were teammates at Real Madrid for nine years before Casemiro moved to Manchester United in the summer

Modric and Casemiro swapping shirts at half-time. | Photo Credit: GETTY IMAGES

Brazil’s Casemiro and Croatia’s Luka Modric were seen exchanging shirts at half-time of the FIFA World Cup quarterfinal clash at Education City stadium on Friday.

While it’s common for players to swap shirts at the end of a game, the swapping of shirts at the break, when the score was level at 0-0, was an unusual sight.

The pair were teammates at Real Madrid for nine years before Casemiro moved to Manchester United in the summer.

Modric and Casemiro were part of a fabled midfield trio, alongside Toni Kroos, at Los Blancos where they won 18 trophies, including four Champions Leagues.

This was the first time the duo faced off against each other in a competetive game.