Rakitic says he played with fever

Ivan Rakitic revealed he was suffering with a fever in the days leading up to Croatia's 2-1 semifinal win over England at the World Cup.

Losing the 30-year-old would have been a big blow for Zlatko Dalic's Croatia, but the former Sevilla and Schalke player said he would have done everything possible to play.

"Last night I had a fever, almost 102 [degrees]," he said. "I was lying in bed finding the strength to play and it was worth it. I would play a final without a leg if necessary."

Rakitic added that hype surrounding the England team on social media did not go unnoticed by Croatia.

"They thought they were already in the final, with all the things uploaded on [social] networks," he said.