13 seasons with Real Madrid and thousands of happy memories. Although it is not possible to list all of Luka Modric's best moments - who is considered one of the best midfielders, not only in the history of Real Madrid but also in the history of football - we have tried to collect some of them.
Luka Modric gave Real Madrid 13 years. He came when he was already 26, and stayed in the most star-studded team in the world until he was 39. Almost 600 matches and 28 trophies. Now, let's remember his most significant moments in this brilliant journey.
The first trophy with Real Madrid
The quest for glory began in August 2012. At the very end of the summer, Luka was signed from Tottenham, giving the Londoners 22.5 million euros after difficult negotiations. Just two days after the transfer, he played in the victorious match of the Spanish Super Cup against Barca (2:1). The first trophy in Real came just 36 hours after the transfer.
The start of his career in Madrid was difficult. Modric did not fit well with Jose Mourinho's system, which is why he often sat on the bench. At the end of 2012, his transfer was voted as the worst of the season. Now, it is simply impossible to believe. How wrong they were!
First El Clásico assist
Despite everything, Modric found moments to shine in his first season. In March 2013, he made his first assist in El Clásico. He crossed from a corner to Sergio Ramos, who scored the winner in the 82nd minute. Real Madrid won that game 2-1.
A little later, Luka showed himself in the Champions League. He equalised the score in the return match of the quarter-finals against Alex Ferguson's Manchester United, scoring a beautiful long-range strike. Real Madrid eventually went further, and were eliminated only in the semi-finals by Borussia Dortmund.
First UCL title
Despite everyone's prejudices, it turned out that he could do much better. In the 2013/14 season, Carlo Ancelotti took over the club. Modric immediately became one of the main players in his team. The perfect duo was born that season. The first moment of unconditional greatness was in the Champions League final of that year.
Real Madrid reached the finals of the UCL for the first time in 12 years. However, by the end of the game, they were losing 0:1 to Atletico Madrid. However, Modric crossed from a corner, and Ramos scored when the scoreboard showed those same 92:48. Real Madrid heroically returned to the game, and in overtime, they crushed a stunned Atletico. The scoreboard was showing 4:1. The 10th Champions League for the club and the first for Modric, but far from the last.
As a Madridista since 2008, this was my first Champions League victory too. First for Modric, first for Ancelotti, and first for me. I remember that day very clearly. I was on my knees, crying tears of joy, celebrating the victory. I was just a 17-year-old fan at the time, and it was my birthday. It was a wonderful and strange coincidence that my first Real Madrid shirt was also given to me as a birthday present that year. I guess that's one of the best things about celebrating your birthday at the end of the season.
While writing this article, I realised that both Ancelotti and Modric said goodbye to Real Madrid on May 24, the same day they won their first Champions League with Real Madrid 11 years ago.
More UCL titles
In the 2015/16 season, Zinedine Zidane arrived and made the Champions League victories flow. Real Madrid won the first one with him in charge in another Madrid derby (1:1, 5:3 on penalties). There is a second Champions League for Modric!
A year later, they won their third UCL title in the 2010s. In the 2016/17 season, Real dominated both in Spain and Europe. Modric won La Liga for the first time in his career. And in the final, he and his team left Juventus no chance. The best defense in Europe conceded four goals, and Cristiano Ronaldo scored once thanks to an assist from Modric.
First Croatian to win the Ballon d'Or
No one else has won two Champions Leagues in a row. However, that was not nearly enough for Real Madrid. They won a third UCL title in a row in the 2017/18 season. It was Modric's fourth UCL title. He was named the best player of that season, and thanks to the silver with Croatia at the World Cup in Russia, he won the Ballon d'Or. Who else deserved it more than him?
Luka became the first player in 11 years to beat both Leo Messi and Ronaldo in the voting for the award. Who would have thought that it would be a Croatian who would break their long-standing hegemony? Modric was also the first Croatian to win the Ballon d'Or.
Dark times & Reborn
Indeed, it was still difficult without Cristiano at Real Madrid. In the first season after his departure to Juventus, Los Blancos were trying to recover from this loss. Then they gradually began to become better and better, and won La Liga 2019/20. Modric then assisted Karim Benzema in the championship match against Villarreal.
People thought this was Luka's last great achievement at Real Madrid. They could not be more wrong. In 2021, when Zidane left the club for the second time, Modric was already 36. Everything seemed more difficult for him, even though it was Ancelotti who replaced Zidane again.
However, people forgot that this was Real Madrid. These madmen did it again. In the 2021/22 season, Real Madrid won the Champions League again, the 14th in the club's history and the fifth for Modric. Luka saved the team in the quarterfinals against Chelsea. The Londoners seemed to be playing better, created more chances, and were leading 3-0 in the return match. But Modric made a perfect assist with a through pass to Rodrigo. Madrid eventually went further.
Sixth and last UCL title for Modric
After these years, it seemed that Real Madrid could win the Champions League under any circumstances, and it was right. Two years later, in the 2023/24 season, they proved it again. Despite many injuries during the season, they won the 15th Champions League in the club's history.
The sixth UCL title for both Modric and Toni Kroos. It is also important to add that Modric and Dani Carvajal are the only ones who played in all of Real Madrid's Champions League finals in this period.
Let's not forget that Real Madrid also won two more La Ligas in Ancelotti's second run. Modric also played a crucial role in these. He assisted Jude Bellingham in the autumn Clasico last season. It seems that Modric assisted all of Madrid's strikers. Both those who are now finishing their season with the Saudis and the youngest stars.
Beautiful collection of trophies
A record six Champions Leagues and four La Ligas are just the tip of the iceberg for Modric's Real Madrid trophy haul. In total, he has won 28 cups in the white shirt, an all-time record.
Modric is now forever in the history of the most famous club in Europe. Of course, he is the oldest player in the history of Real and also the most experienced goalscorer. In January, he scored against Valencia when he was already 39 years old.
The great journey from a controversial transfer to the Ballon d'Or and the status of the most decorated player in Real Madrid. It seems that only Luka Modric was capable of it.
An emotional farewell
It is, indeed, one of his best moments with Real Madrid. You might wonder why this is so. But today, when we saw that love in the eyes of the fans, those tears, we witnessed once again how Modric and Ancelotti are loved by everyone.
I think it is one of the most beautiful and important moments for a football player to feel this love and to remember once again what he achieved in his career. As difficult as it was to be his last game, he stood in front of the fans at the Santiago Bernabeu for the last time, said goodbye to the place that had been his home for the last 13 years, and to his team and fans who were his family.