Luka Modric, one of the most decorated and beloved players in Real Madrid history, has announced he will depart the club following this summer’s FIFA Club World Cup in the United States. The Croatian midfielder confirmed his decision via Instagram on Thursday, bringing an end to a legendary era in the Spanish capital.
Modric, 39, joined Real Madrid from Tottenham Hotspur in 2012 for a reported €35 million and has since become the club’s most successful player, amassing 28 trophies, including a record six UEFA Champions League titles and four La Liga crowns across nearly 600 appearances. His final match at the Santiago Bernabéu will be against Real Sociedad on Saturday, where the club plans to honor his monumental contribution.
“The time has come. The moment I never wanted to come, but that’s football,” Modric wrote. “Playing for Real Madrid changed my life as a football player and as a person… Although, after the Club World Cup, I will no longer wear this shirt on the pitch, I will always be a Madridista.”
A cornerstone of Madrid’s golden generation, Modric was instrumental in delivering La Décima—Madrid’s elusive 10th Champions League title—in just his second season. Under Zinedine Zidane, he became the heartbeat of a side that dominated Europe with three consecutive Champions League titles from 2016 to 2018.
Modric’s crowning individual achievement came in 2018, when he broke the Messi-Ronaldo duopoly to win the Ballon d’Or after guiding Croatia to their first-ever World Cup final. That same year, he also received the Best FIFA Men’s Player and UEFA Men’s Player of the Year awards.
“I arrived in 2012 with the illusion of wearing the shirt of the best team in the world and with the ambition to do great things, but I couldn’t imagine what came next,” Modric said. “We have won everything and I have been very happy.”
Real Madrid confirmed that Modric will be part of their squad for the newly expanded 32-team Club World Cup, running from June 14 to July 13 in the U.S. His contract, originally set to expire on June 30, has been extended for that purpose.
In a statement, the club said:
“Real Madrid would like to show its gratitude and affection to the man who is already one of the greatest legends of our club and of world football.”
“Modric is one of only five players in football history to win six European Cups and is the player with the most titles in Real Madrid’s 123-year history.”
Though his on-field role has gradually diminished in recent seasons, Modric’s legacy is etched in Madrid folklore as one of the finest midfielders of his generation—and a symbol of professionalism, elegance, and winning mentality.
“We’ll see each other again,” Modric said. “Real Madrid will always be my home. For the rest of my life.”
