Real Madrid captain Luka Modric, the 2018 Ballon d’Or winner, will leave the club after their Fifa Club World Cup campaign this summer. The 39-year-old Croatian midfielder announced his departure on Instagram, stating, “The moment has arrived. The moment I never wanted to come, but that’s football, and in life everything has a beginning and an end.”
Final Match at Bernabeu
Modric will play his last game at Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu Stadium against Real Sociedad on Saturday, marking the end of his final La Liga match this season.
Illustrious Career at Real Madrid
Since joining from Tottenham in 2012, Modric has won 28 trophies, including:
- 6 Champions League titles
- 4 La Liga titles He reflected, “I arrived in 2012 with the hope of wearing the jersey of the best team in the world… but I couldn’t have imagined what came next. Playing for Real Madrid changed my life as a footballer and as a person.”
This Season’s Performance
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In the 2024-25 La Liga season, Modric recorded:
- 2 goals
- 6 assists
- 34 appearances Real Madrid finished second behind Barcelona and reached the Champions League quarter-finals, losing 5-1 on aggregate to Arsenal.
Club World Cup and Contract
Real Madrid’s Club World Cup campaign begins against Al-Hilal on June 18, with group stage matches against Pachuca and RB Salzburg. Modric’s one-year contract extension, signed last year, expires after this tournament.
Ancelotti’s Exit and Alonso’s Arrival
Saturday’s match will also be Carlo Ancelotti’s last as Real Madrid’s manager, with Bayer Leverkusen’s Xabi Alonso reportedly set to take over.
Modric expressed pride in his tenure, saying, “I’m proud to have been part of one of the most successful eras of the best club in history.”
