In an emotional post, veteran Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric announced on Thursday that his time with the club is up. The Croatian was expected to sign a contract extension, but surprisingly, he was not offered a new deal by the club and hence an end of an era is upon the Los Blancos. Modric will make his final appearance at Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday in the concluding La Liga game of the season against Real Sociedad. However, he will remain a part of Real Madrid until the end of the Club World Cup, which is scheduled to start in June 2025.
Luka Modric's Legacy Will Last Forever
Having spent 13 successful years in the Spanish Capital, Luka Modric's legacy as a Real Madrid player will last forever. Back in 2012, he was labelled as the "worst signing" made by the club, fast forward to 2025, the midfield maestro is leaving as Real Madrid's most decorated player. For the record, Modric has won 26 trophies with the club. The number could be augmented if Real Madrid go on to win the forthcoming Club World Cup.
As his stature as a footballer is unparalleled, Luka Modric has received heartfelt congratulatory messages from his current and former Real Madrid teammates. Thus, from Cristiano Ronaldo to Kylian Mbappe all came forward to give Modric their best wishes.
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Rafael Nadal Sends Best Wishes for Luka Modric
Moreover, since football is a universally followed sport and Real Madrid's influence is in every corner of the world, the spree of wishes came across superstars from different sports. In the process, 22-time Grand Slam winner and a popular fan of Real Madrid, Rafael Nadal, also wrote a post for the outgoing Madrid legend.
Nadal took to the photo-sharing platform Instagram to dedicate a few words for Luka Modric.
He shared two pictures in which he and Modric are in the same frame and wrote the following message as a caption: "How lucky we have been to be able to enjoy you for so long. Thank you for all these years being an example on and off the field. Congratulations on an incredible career at Real Madrid. I wish you all the best in the future!"
Luka Modric's departure will leave a huge void at Real Madrid, and since he is arguably the greatest midfielder of his generation, it could take a substantial amount of time for Florentino Perez and the Madrid management to groom his replacement.