Luka Modric confirms Real Madrid departure after Club World Cup; final home game on weekend

Real Madrid captain Luka Modric has announced that he will depart from the esteemed Spanish club following the conclusion of their FIFA Club World Cup campaign this summer. The 39-year-old Croatian midfielder, who was awarded the Ballon d'Or in 2018, is set to play his final match at Real Madrid's iconic Santiago Bernabéu Stadium when the team hosts Real Sociedad this Saturday in their last La Liga fixture of the season.

"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," Modric said on Instagram.

"I arrived in 2012 with the hope of wearing the jersey of the best team in the world and the ambition to do great things, but I couldn't have imagined what came next," he said.

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Luka Modric (@lukamodric10)

"Playing for Real Madrid changed my life as a footballer and as a person.

"I'm proud to have been part of one of the most successful eras of the best club in history."

Since joining Real Madrid from Spurs in 2012, he has racked up an impressive 28 trophies, which include six Champions League titles and four domestic championships.

Real Madrid is set to kick off their Club World Cup journey against Al-Hilal from Saudi Arabia on June 18, and they'll also be up against Mexico's Pachuca and Austria's RB Salzburg in the group stage.

This season, Modric has made a mark with two goals and six assists across 34 matches in La Liga, although Real fell just short of the title, finishing behind Barcelona. He played a crucial role in every match as Carlo Ancelotti's team advanced to the Champions League quarter-finals, where they were ultimately defeated 5-1 on aggregate by Arsenal. Last year, Modric signed a one-year contract extension, which will come to an end at the conclusion of this season.

Saturday's match will mark Ancelotti's final game in charge of Real, with Bayer Leverkusen's Xabi Alonso reportedly lined up to take over the reins.

Despite spending much of this season coming off the bench, Modric will depart as Real's most decorated player, having made 590 appearances, scored 43 goals, and provided 95 assists.

In his last season, Modric led Real to two more trophies, bringing his total to 28 titles and surpassing Nacho Fernandez as the club's most successful player.

His impressive collection includes six Champions League titles, six FIFA Club World Cups, five European Super Cups, four La Liga championships, two Copa del Rey victories, and five Spanish Super Cups over his 13 seasons with the club.

After guiding Real to a Champions League victory over Liverpool in 2018 and leading Croatia to the World Cup final that same year, Modric became the first player since 2007, aside from Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, to win the Ballon d'Or.

He also holds the record as the oldest player to represent Los Blancos in La Liga and their oldest goalscorer, having netted in a 2-1 victory against Valencia at the age of 39 years and 116 days, breaking Ferenc Puskas' record. Currently, Modric is the third longest-serving player in a Spanish top-flight team, trailing only Oscar de Marcos of Athletic Club and Koke from Atletico Madrid.

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