Luka Modric, the iconic Croatian midfielder and 2018 Ballon d’Or winner, announced on Thursday, May 22, 2025, that he will be leaving Real Madrid after the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup, concluding a highly decorated 13-season tenure with the Spanish giants.
The 39-year-old, who is Real Madrid’s most successful player in terms of trophies won, will play his final La Liga match at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday, May 24, against Real Sociedad. His contract was due to expire on June 30, but his participation in the newly expanded 32-team Club World Cup in the United States, running from June 14 to July 13, will mark his final act for the club.
“The time has come. The moment I never wanted to come, but that’s football, and in life everything has a beginning and an end,” Modric wrote in an emotional statement on Instagram. “On Saturday I will play my last match at the Santiago Bernabeu. Playing for Real Madrid changed my life as a football player and as a person. I am proud to have been part of one of the most successful eras of the best club in history. Although, after the Club World Cup, I will no longer wear this shirt on the pitch, I will always be a Madridista.”
Real Madrid issued a statement expressing their “gratitude and affection to the man who is already one of the greatest legends of our club and of world football.” The club confirmed Modric’s involvement in the Club World Cup and announced they will organize a tribute for him during Saturday’s La Liga fixture. “Modric joined Real Madrid in 2012 and has been an essential player in one of the most brilliant eras in our history. In the thirteen seasons in which he has defended our shield, he has won 28 titles,” the club added. “Modric is one of only five players in the entire history of football to have won six European Cups and is the player with the most titles in the 123 years of Real Madrid’s history.”
Since his arrival from Tottenham Hotspur in 2012 for approximately €35 million, Modric has made nearly 600 appearances for Real Madrid. He was a pivotal figure in securing their 10th Champions League title in his second season and was central to the Zinedine Zidane-led team that achieved three consecutive Champions League triumphs from 2016 to 2018. His stellar performances for both club and country, including guiding Croatia to the 2018 World Cup final, saw him break the Lionel Messi-Cristiano Ronaldo duopoly to win the Ballon d’Or, the Best FIFA Men’s Player award, and the UEFA Men’s Player of the Year award in 2018.
“I arrived in 2012 with the illusion of wearing the shirt of the best team in the world… but I couldn’t imagine what came next,” Modric reflected. “We have won everything and I have been very happy… Real Madrid will always be my home. For the rest of my life.”
Luka Modric’s departure signals the end of a significant era for Real Madrid, as one of modern football’s most celebrated midfielders prepares to close his chapter with the club.
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