Ranking the 5 greatest players who retired at Real Madrid in history
By Kian Long
3. Toni Kroos
Toni Kroos is the most recent example of a great player to retire at Real Madrid, having retired in 2024. However, even putting the recency bias to one side, Toni Kroos is an all-time great at Real Madrid.
The Germany midfielder was signed from Bayern Munich in 2014 and he arrived in the Spanish capital with a lot of pedigree. It is easy to assume that this would work out in Kroos' favour but sometimes, it jeopardises new arrivals with impossible-to-maintain standards.
That said, Toni Kroos exceeded all expectations because not only did he match the standard he'd set of himself, he actually blew them out of the park.
In total, Toni Kroos spent an entire decade at the Santiago Bernabeu before retiring at the club in 2024. He won four Liga titles and five Champions Leagues. In fact, in his last game in a Real Madrid jersey he provided an assist, won the Champions League and received a standing ovation from the crowd. Truly, he is a Real Madrid legend.
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