Luka Modrić, the legendary captain of Real Madrid, has confirmed he will leave the club at the end of this season. His final home game will be this Saturday against Real Sociedad at the iconic Santiago Bernabéu.
The 39-year-old Croatian midfielder will officially depart after the FIFA Club World Cup in the USA. Modrić shared an emotional farewell message on social media, saying he never wanted this moment to come but understands it’s a natural part of football and life.
Modrić joined Real Madrid from Tottenham Hotspur in 2012 and became one of the club’s greatest players. Over 13 years, he won an incredible 28 trophies, including 6 Champions League and 4 La Liga titles. In 2018, he won the prestigious Ballon d’Or, breaking Messi and Ronaldo’s long-standing dominance.
This season in La Liga, he played 34 matches, scoring 2 goals and assisting 3 times. Though rivals Barcelona secured the league title, Modrić played every Champions League match for Carlo Ancelotti’s side until their heavy quarter-final loss to Arsenal (5-1 on aggregate).
Modrić had signed a one-year extension last season, which now comes to an end. The Saturday match is also expected to be the last for coach Carlo Ancelotti. Reports suggest Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso will take over and lead the team in the upcoming Club World Cup.
Real Madrid’s FIFA Club World Cup journey begins on June 18 against Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia, followed by group games against Mexico’s Pachuca and Austria’s RB Salzburg.
Modrić leaves as a legend, proud to have been part of the most successful club era in football history.
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