Luka Modric confirms departure from Real Madrid after Club World Cup

Real Madrid captain Luka Modric has confirmed he will leave the Spanish giants following their Club World Cup campaign this summer.

The 39-year-old Croatian midfielder, who won the Ballon d'Or in 2018, will play his final match at the Santiago Bernabéu on Saturday when Madrid host Real Sociedad in their last La Liga fixture of the season.

Taking to Instagram, Modric shared an emotional farewell: "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 joined Real Madrid from Tottenham Hotspur in 2012 and went on to become one of the club’s most decorated players, winning 28 trophies, including six UEFA Champions League titles and four La Liga championships.

Reflecting on his 12-year spell, he said: "I arrived in 2012 with the hope of wearing the jersey of the best team in the world and the ambition to do great things, but I couldn't have imagined what came next."

"Playing for Real Madrid changed my life as a footballer and as a person. I'm proud to have been part of one of the most successful eras of the best club in history."

Real Madrid will begin their Club World Cup campaign on 18 June against Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia and are set to face Mexico’s Pachuca and Austria’s RB Salzburg in the group stage.

This season, Modric made 34 appearances in La Liga, contributing two goals and six assists, though Real Madrid finished second behind rivals Barcelona.

He also featured in every Champions League game as Madrid reached the quarter-finals before being eliminated by Arsenal, 5-1 on aggregate.

His one-year contract extension signed last year is set to expire at the end of the season, bringing an end to a legendary chapter in the Croatian’s storied career at the Bernabéu.