Luka Modric to leave Real Madrid at the end of the season
Where does Modric rank among Real Madrid greats?
The former Spurs midfielder has announced he will leave Real Madrid this summer following the conclusion of their Fifa Club World Cup campaign.
Author | Jack L
The 39-year-old Croatia international, who won the Ballon d’Or in 2018, will make his final appearance at the Santiago Bernabéu when Real host Real Sociedad in their last La Liga fixture of the season on Saturday.
Modric joined Real from Tottenham Hotspur in 2012 and has enjoyed a glittering 13-year spell in Spain, collecting 28 trophies including six Champions League titles and four La Liga crowns.
Real Madrid begin their Club World Cup campaign on 18 June against Saudi side Al-Hilal, with group stage matches also lined up against Pachuca of Mexico and Austria’s RB Salzburg.
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This season, Modric has made 34 league appearances, contributing two goals and six assists as Real finished second to Barcelona in the title race. He also featured in every match of their Champions League run, which ended in the quarter-finals with a 5-1 aggregate defeat to Arsenal.
The midfielder signed a one-year contract extension last summer, which expires at the end of this campaign. Saturday’s fixture is also expected to mark the end of Carlo Ancelotti’s tenure as head coach, with Xabi Alonso of Bayer Leverkusen reportedly lined up as his replacement.
Modric’s remarkable legacy
Despite being largely used as a substitute this season, Modric departs as Real Madrid’s most decorated player, having made 590 appearances, scoring 43 goals and registering 95 assists.
His full honours list for the club include six Champions Leagues, six Club World Cups, five European Super Cups, four La Liga titles, two Copa del Rey trophies and five Spanish Super Cups. His final season saw him captain the side to two further titles, taking his personal total to 28 and surpassing Nacho Fernández as the club’s most successful player.
In 2018, Modric helped Real defeat Liverpool in the Champions League final before leading Croatia to their first World Cup final, achievements that saw him break the decade-long Ballon d’Or duopoly of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
He is also the oldest player to appear and score for Real in La Liga, finding the net against Valencia at the age of 39 years and 116 days, breaking Ferenc Puskás’ long-standing record.
Modric is currently the third longest-serving player in Spain’s top division, behind Athletic Club’s Óscar de Marcos and Atlético Madrid’s Koke.
In April, the Croatian midfielder also became a minority shareholder and co-owner of Championship club Swansea City.
