Real Madrid fans bid farewell to a legend of the game, Luka Modric, on the final day of the La Liga season in May, when they take to the Bernabeu for the final time as a Madridista. He has now played his final game for the club, drawing the curtains on a remarkable 13-year stint.

The Croatian has been in the squad since joining Real Madrid in a £30 million move from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2012, when Jose Mourinho insisted the club sign him, stating that he would be essential in their midfield revolution.

At first, it appeared the decision would be regrettable, but 12 years after his disappointing debut campaign, it turns out the club may never spend a better £30 million.

In late 2012, Luka Modrić was voted La Liga's worst signing of the year in a poll conducted by Spanish sports newspaper Marca. He received 32.2% of the votes, narrowly surpassing Barcelona's Alex Song, who also arrived from Arsenal, Spurs' fellow North Londoners, in the summer.

Despite this early criticism, the 2018 Ballon d'Or winner became a pivotal figure in Real Madrid's midfield, contributing significantly to the team's successes in the years that followed, earning a reputation as a legend, and establishing a status as one of the all-time greatest midfielders.

Luka Modrić’s Real Madrid Journey

Modric struggled for both chances and form in his early days. However, in one of his cameos, he scored a sensational goal from 25 yards out against Manchester United in the Champions League, which inspired Los Blancos to a 2-1 comeback win at Old Trafford. That goal, that match, was believed to be the turning point of his career at the club.

He was then given more recognition in the starting XI, and after the arrival of Carlo Ancelotti and the departure of Mesut Ozil in the second season, Modric was fully integrated into the starting XI.

Among the notable highlights of his second season was assisting the last-gasp equalizer for Sergio Ramos' goal in the Champions League final against Atletico Madrid, via a corner kick in the 94th minute of the game.

That night in Lisbon ended with Real Madrid winning the title for the first time since 2002, and for the 11th time, kick-starting what would be an era of dominance in UEFA's premier club competition.

Each season, he solidified his influence. He formed a midfield axis with Toni Kroos and Casemiro that powered three consecutive Champions League titles between 2016 and 2018, winning one league title during that run.

Luka Modric ended the Messi-Ronaldo duopoly as he was awarded the 2018 Ballon d'Or award after a successful season with Madrid and an impeccable FIFA World Cup run with Croatia, where he won the Player of the Tournament as his country lost the final to France.

The recognition saw him become the first player, other than the aforementioned duo, to win the most prestigious award in football since Kaka in 2007.

“I am very honoured and privileged to be here. It is an incredible feeling. Not only because of Cristiano and Lionel, who won in the last ten years, but because of all the great players and talents like Mbappé or Neymar and all the others. For me, that means that I have done something very special on the pitch. That’s why 2018 is a dream for me!” said the Croatian.

Modrić’s longevity became his next masterpiece. From 2018 to 2022, under managers like Julen Lopetegui, Santiago Solari, Zinedine Zidane, and Carlo Ancelotti again, he remained irreplaceable.

Even as Madrid transitioned to youth, with players like Edouardo Camavinga, Aurelien Tchouameni, and Jude Bellingham arriving, he remained a crucial player, as the team continued to conquer domestically and on the continent.

During a quarter-final second leg clash with Chelsea in the 2021-22 Champions League season, with Los Blancos losing 3-0 and heading out of the competition, Modric provided the game-changing moment with a trivela assist to set up substitute Rodrygo for 3-1.

Madrid ended up scoring another as they lost 3-2 on the night, but progressed 5-4 on aggregate, after winning the first leg 3-1 at Stamford Bridge in London. They went on to win the competition that year.

By 2023/24, following Jude Bellingham’s arrival, Modrić accepted a rotational role, prioritizing legacy over ego, and still ended the season with another La Liga title and his sixth Champions League crown. A record, most by a single player.

After Real Madrid's 2-0 win over Atalanta in the UEFA Super Cup at the start of his final season, Luka Modric won his 27th trophy with the club, becoming the most decorated player in their history and overtaking former teammate Marcelo in the process.

He would go on to extend the record by winning his 28th later in the year, with the FIFA Intercontinental Cup success.

With age no longer on his side, he began to catch up on some Real records for veterans. In January 2025, he became the oldest player to score for the club, aged 39 years and 116 days, surpassing Ferenc Puskás's record set in 1966.

He extended his record to 39 years and 167 days when he scored his final goal for the club in a 2-0 league win over Girona in the Santiago Bernabeu on the 23rd of February.

After his final appearance in the loss to PSG, only seven players featured more times than his 597 for Real Madrid. Only Iker Casillas has more than his 134 Champions League appearances for Los Blancos, and his 14 in the Club World Cup is a record.

The 39-year-old scored 43 goals and assisted 95 others in his 13 years with the European giants.

Luka Modric's Individual Awards at Real Madrid 

Luka Modric's first major individual award came in his second season, when he was named La Liga's best Midfielder. He would go on to win it for a second and final time in 2016, after helping Los Blancos to the title.

The following season, he won the Champions League Midfielder of the season in 2017, retaining the crown the following season as Real Madrid completed a three-peat in the competition.

He went one better than his second-place finish in 2016 as he claimed the Club World Cup Golden Ball in 2017. The following summer, Modric won the Golden Ball at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

He scooped the Ballon d'Or, FIFA Best Player, World Soccer Player, and UEFA Best awards in 2018, sealing it with the IFFHS Best Playmaker award in the same remarkable year.

Other Awards and Recognition

Luka Modric appeared in the FIFA FIFPRO World eleven six times, La Liga team of the season on three occasions, UEFA team of the year three times, and IFFHS team of the season three times.

He won the Football Oscar award, for the best Croatian Player, in all of his years with Madrid, including in 2013 and 2025, and the FIFA World Cup bronze ball in the Qatar 2022 edition, where he led his country to third.

It was also during his time at Real Madrid that the legendary Midfielder won ten of his 13 Croatian Player of the Year awards. He was only beaten to the award twice, by Mario Mandzukic and Ivan Rakitic in 2013 and 2015, respectively, having played a vital part in their respective clubs' Champions League triumphs.

Farewell, Luka Modric 

And so, the curtain falls on a remarkable journey. Not in sorrow, but in salute, even after an unusual, horrendous evening in New Jersey, because Luka Modrić has built a legacy stitched in elegance and silverware.

His farewell is not an end, but a chapter closed for another to be written. He is joining another historical club in AC Milan. And wherever he does, the Bernabeu will forever be applauding a man who gave his best years for the club.

Thank you, Luka, they said to the one who arrived as a regular, started as a flop, and finished an all-timer. Good luck in the future, of course, except against Real Madrid.