Retirement isn’t on Luka Modric’s mind just yet. At 39 years old, the Croatian maestro continues to shine, as he recently did at the Santiago Bernabéu with a stunning goal against Girona. With just four months left on his contract, renewal talks are back on the table.

His goal is clear: stay one more year at Real Madrid and bid farewell to professional football with Croatia at the 2026 World Cup. If that happens, it would be his fourth World Cup, and he’d enter the tournament at 40 years old, just three months shy of turning 41, with Canada, the United States, and Mexico hosting the event.

A Grand Farewell with Real Madrid

An undisputed Real Madrid legend, Modric is the club’s most decorated player and continues to play a vital role under Carlo Ancelotti. He has embraced this final stage of his career without frustration over reduced playing time, savoring every start and making an impact whenever he steps onto the pitch.

His latest goal against Girona was a perfect example: a chest control following a clearance and an unstoppable volley into the top corner. A goal that adds to his 43 strikes in a Madrid shirt, many of them coming from long range and with both feet. Modric hadn’t scored at the Bernabéu in over a year, with his last home goal securing a win against Sevilla. His strike against Girona keeps Madrid firmly in the LaLiga title race.

A Path to History

Very few outfield players have remained active in LaLiga at 40 years old. Some who have done so in recent years include Joaquín Sánchez (70 matches), Jorge Molina (43), Amedeo Carboni (37), and César Rodríguez (27), along with goalkeepers Diego López (38) and Carlos Fenoy (26).

Since turning 39 in September, Modric has played 20 matches, proving that he’s still going strong. If everything goes according to plan, his farewell to football will come in 2026, after leaving an everlasting mark on Real Madrid and Croatia.