Luka Modric has announced he will leave Real Madrid when his contract expires at the end of this season.
The 39-year-old posted on Instagram that he will play his last game at the Bernabeu on Saturday, when Madrid host Real Sociedad in their final La Liga match of 2024-25.
Modric appeared to confirm his participation in the Club World Cup within his statement, with the tournament in the United States taking place from June 14 to July 13.
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The 186-time Croatia international’s priority was to stay at the club but, following talks this week, it has been decided he will depart.
“I am leaving with a full heart,” he said. “Full of pride, gratitude, and indelible memories. And although, after the Club World Cup, I will no longer wear this shirt on the pitch, I will always be a Real Madrid fan.”
Modric has played 590 times for Madrid since joining from Tottenham Hotspur in 2012, scoring 43 goals and winning 26 trophies. Among those trophies are four La Liga titles, while he has also helped his side to a record-levelling six Champions League trophies.
Following Madrid’s Champions League victory in 2017-18, as well as his leading role in Croatia’s run to the World Cup final in Russia, Modric won the Ballon d’Or, becoming the first player other than Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi to do so since Kaka in 2007.
The Athletic reported in June 2024 that Modric took a decrease in salary to sign a one-year extension, after taking on a secondary role with his appearances often coming as a substitute.
His 26-trophy haul is a record tied with Nacho Fernandez, who left the club last summer in a move to Saudi Arabia’s Al Qadsiah.
Modric became the oldest player to represent Madrid in La Liga, surpassing the record previously held by Ferenc Puskas. In January, Modric also overtook Puskas as Madrid’s oldest goalscorer at 39 years and 116 days, as he scored the equaliser in Madrid’s 2-1 win over Valencia.
Modric with his Ballon d’Or in December 2018 (Gabriel Bouys/AFP via Getty Images)
Modric is the third longest-serving player of any team in the Spanish top-flight, behind Oscar de Marcos of Athletic Club and Koke of Atletico Madrid.
This season, Modric has made 23 starts and 25 substitute appearances across La Liga and the Champions League, as his side end the campaign without a major honour for the first time since 2020-21. His exit also follows that of head coach Carlo Ancelotti, whose appointment at Brazil was confirmed last week.
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‘From Mourinho to Ancelotti, Modric has always been key to Madrid’
By Guillermo Rai, Real Madrid correspondent
With Modric’s exit comes the departure of a member of what has surely been the best midfield in Madrid’s history. Together with Toni Kroos and Casemiro, the Croatian won four Champions League titles and led one of the best periods in the club’s history.
Despite his longevity, Modric always showed a competitive spirit that has been maintained until the end and is considered an example of ‘silent’ leadership within the dressing room.
The midfielder was always willing to sacrifice himself depending on the circumstances but what everyone will remember most is his quality and technique, which made him the Ballon d’Or winner in 2018.
That accolade was the most high-profile recognition Modric received, but probably the most important thing is that he has been key all these years, no matter who was on the bench: from Mourinho to Ancelotti.
(Top photo: Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images)
