Toni Kroos aiming to win UCL in final Real Madrid appearance

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Toni Kroos announced his retirement this week. The Real Madrid midfielder will play one last game for the club he has played for for the last ten years.

That final game will be the UEFA Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund on June 1. Kroos will attempt to win his fifth Champions League title against Dortmund and 15th overall for Real Madrid.

Although Kroos won’t technically retire from football until after the Euro 2024 tournament, his club career will come to an end: win, lose, or draw following the Dortmund game.

Once the final whistle blows, one of Real Madrid’s all-time greats will walk off the pitch never to wear the famous white shirt in a competitive match again. According to reports, the Real Madrid locker room was shocked by Kroos’ decision.

Along with fellow midfielder Luka Modric, Kroos was expected to sign a new contract. However, Kroos stated during his retirement announcement that he wants to retire at his peak.

At 34, Kroos will walk away from football, having won more trophies than most football players dream of. After coming through the Bayern Munich youth team, Kroos spent 18 months on loan at Bayer Leverkusen, where he honed his skills.

After a successful spell at Leverkusen, Kroos returned to Bayern and became an instant starter for Jupp Heynckes, making 37 appearances in all competitions.

The midfielder was a regular at the Allianz Arena for four seasons, winning two German titles and two German Cups. Those trophies went along with an additional league and cup trophy before Kroos’ loan at Leverkusen.

Kroos rose to the footballing world’s attention at Bayern, but it wasn’t until his move to Real Madrid that the midfielder became one of the best players in the world.

Madrid paid £20 million for Kroos in 2014. It was a paltry fee at the time, with Bayern willingly selling a player just moving into his prime.

Kroos left Bayern because he felt undervalued by the club. Having come through the youth team, he felt the club prioritised other big-name players. The midfielder nearly joined Manchester United rather than Madrid.

The German previously stated that he agreed to join David Moyes’ Manchester United in 2014. However, the deal was cancelled after Moyes’ sacking and the arrival of Louis van Gaal. The cancelled transfer paved the way for Kroos’ move to Madrid.

How different would football be for all three parties had Kroos signed for Man United? Arguably, Kroos’ career would have ended with fewer trophies and less fanfare. There is no doubt Kroos’ trophy cabinet would be lacking had he signed for United.

In 10 seasons with Madrid, Kroos has helped the club win four La Liga trophies, one Copa del Rey, three Supercopa de Espana, and four Champions League trophies. There are also three UEFA Super Cups and five FIFA World Club Cups.

Although not a prolific goal scorer or creator of goals, Kroos’ ability to play incisive passes from a deep-lying position made him one of the best in the game. He has appeared in 463 matches for Real Madrid, scoring 28 goals and assisting 98.

Of those 463 games, Kroos played central midfield in 365 of them. There, he was most prolific, scoring 26 times and assisting 75 goals.

On June 1, Kroos has the chance to end his illustrious Real Madrid career by winning the Champions League final. It would be a fitting way for a classy player to finish his club career.