Real Madrid captain Luka Modric has officially announced he will leave the club this summer following their FIFA Club World Cup campaign.
The 39-year-old Croatian midfielder, who won the Ballon d’Or in 2018, is set to play his final match at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday as Real host Real Sociedad 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 shared in an emotional post on Instagram.
Since joining Real Madrid from Tottenham Hotspur in 2012, Modric has become one of the club’s most decorated players, collecting 28 trophies including six UEFA Champions League titles and four La Liga championships.
“When I arrived in 2012, I dreamed of wearing the jersey of the best team in the world. I could never have imagined what followed,” he said. “Playing for Real Madrid changed my life, both professionally and personally. I’m proud to have contributed to one of the most successful eras in this club’s history.”
Real Madrid will begin their Club World Cup campaign on June 18 against Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal. They are also scheduled to face Mexico’s Pachuca and Austria’s RB Salzburg in the group stage.
This season, Modric made 34 La Liga appearances, scoring twice and providing six assists. He also featured in every Champions League match as Real reached the quarter-finals, where they were eliminated by Arsenal on a 5–1 aggregate.
Modric’s current contract, signed last year, expires at the end of the campaign. Despite mostly playing off the bench this season, he leaves as the most decorated player in Real Madrid’s history, with 590 appearances, 43 goals, and 95 assists.
His silverware haul includes: 6 UEFA Champions Leagues, 6 FIFA Club World Cups, 5 UEFA Super Cups, 4 La Liga titles, 2 Copa del Rey trophies and 5 Spanish Super Cups.
Modric surpassed Nacho Fernandez to become the club’s most successful player by trophy count.
He also holds the distinction of being Real Madrid’s oldest player and goalscorer in La Liga, having netted against Valencia at 39 years and 116 days, breaking Ferenc Puskas’ long-standing record.
He is currently the third-longest serving player in La Liga, behind Athletic Club’s Oscar de Marcos and Atletico Madrid’s Koke.
In addition to his achievements on the pitch, Modric recently became a minority shareholder and co-owner of English Championship side Swansea City.
Saturday’s match will also mark the end of Carlo Ancelotti’s tenure at Real Madrid, with Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso tipped as his likely successor.
