Toni Kroos Announces His Retirement
Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos announced on Tuesday that he will retire from football after representing Germany in this summer's European Championship. Initially considering retirement in 2022, Kroos decided to continue playing for another season, but he has now chosen to end his illustrious career this summer. Throughout his tenure with Real Madrid, Kroos has been pivotal to the club's success. Since joining in 2014, he has won 22 trophies, including four Champions League titles with Madrid, another with Bayern Munich, and four LaLiga titles. Known for his role as a central midfielder, Kroos has been instrumental in setting the tempo of matches.
Kroos began his career at Bayern Munich, starting in the youth ranks and making his first-team debut in September 2007. He was part of the Bayern squad that won the Champions League in 2013 before transferring to Real Madrid the following summer. At Madrid, he formed a legendary midfield trio with Luka Modric and Casemiro, contributing significantly to the club's consistent success. Over ten seasons, Kroos has made 463 appearances for Madrid, winning four European Cups, five Club World Cups, four European Super Cups, four LaLiga titles, one Copa del Rey, and four Spanish Supercopas. In addition to his club success, Kroos has had a distinguished international career with Germany. He played a key role in Germany's victorious 2014 World Cup campaign and was considered one of the tournament's standout players, narrowly missing the Player of the Tournament award to Lionel Messi. Kroos is highly regarded in Spain, beloved by Real Madrid fans and the club itself, even as he retires young. A club statement released on Tuesday morning thanked the German for his integral contribution to one of the most successful periods in the club’s 122-year history.
The statement read: “Real Madrid would like to express its gratitude and affection to Toni Kroos, a player who will go down in Real Madrid history as one of our club and international football’s greatest legends.” There were reports in Spain that Kroos would be offered a new contract, along with fellow veteran Luka Modric. However, the 2014 World Cup winner, who came out of international retirement to play at Euro 2024 in his home country, has decided to call time on his career after the tournament. At 34, Kroos will hang up his boots after a trophy-laden decade at the Bernabéu. Reflecting on his career, Kroos wrote on Instagram: “July 17th, 2014 – the day of my presentation at Real Madrid, the day that changed my life. My life as a footballer – but especially as a person. It was the start of a new chapter at the biggest club in the world. After 10 years, at the end of the season, this chapter ends.” Kroos has a chance to make his final mark on the sport by playing in the UEFA Champions League Final and participating in the Euros. The German star will hope to retire on a high note and enjoy his well-earned retirement.
