Luka Modric, the talented Croatian midfielder for Real Madrid, has reached another milestone in his career by breaking into the top 10 players with the most appearances in the club’s history. With 561 matches, he’s now tied with legends like Pirri and Míchel, while also scoring his first goal of the season in an exciting win against Valencia at Mestalla.

Modric played a key role in the team’s comeback, coming on in the 80th minute to replace Dani Ceballos. Even though Real Madrid were down a man after Vinícius Júnior was sent off, the Croatian scored the equalizer in the 85th minute, further cementing his importance under Carlo Ancelotti.

Real Madrid's all-time ranking

The player with the most appearances in Real Madrid’s history is still Raúl González with 741 matches, followed by Iker Casillas (725) and Manolo Sanchís (710). Among foreign players, only Karim Benzema has more appearances than Modric, with 648 games.

Now, Modric has the chance to surpass Pirri and Míchel in the upcoming matches, such as the Copa del Rey or the Spanish Super Cup. His next target is José Antonio Camacho with 577 matches, and then moving on to legends like Paco Gento (600), Fernando Hierro (602), and Carlos Santillana (645).

A brilliant legacy

Modric’s achievement is even more remarkable considering he joined the club at 26 years old in 2012, coming from Tottenham for €35 million. Since then, he’s built an incredible trophy cabinet, including:

• 6 Champions Leagues
• 5 Club World Cups
• 6 UEFA Super Cups
• 4 La Liga titles
• 2 Copa del Rey trophies
• 5 Spanish Super Cups
• 1 Intercontinental Cup

If he decides to renew his contract and stay until he’s 39, Modric has every chance to climb even higher on this prestigious list.