“Better than Xavi and Iniesta”, “He’ll be a coach soon” - Football world pays tribute to Toni Kroos as Real Madrid midfielder announces retirement

Football fans on social media have paid their tributes to Toni Kroos after the Real Madrid star announced his retirement from football. The Germany midfielder will hang up his boot following Euro 2024 which will be played in his home country this summer.

Kroos is set to end his playing career on a high. The 34-year-old midfield maestro has helped Los Blancos win the La Liga title and the Supercopa de Espana in his final season at the Santiago Bernabeu.

He also has a chance to win the UEFA Champions League to round up his club career when Real Madrid face Borussia Dortmund in the final at Wembley Stadium on June 1.

Football fans on X (formerly Twitter) paid their respect to the retiring midfielder. Some fans stated that the Real Madrid star was a much better midfielder than Barcelona legends Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta.

Others, meanwhile, claimed that Kroos could one day end up as a coach just like former Real Madrid star Xabi Alonso.

Here are a few fan reactions from the social media platform:

"Retiring with a better football legacy than Iniesta and Xavi combined." (from @LarwehTuffseed)

"You’re better than XAVI and Iniesta." (from @TonnisGad)

Toni Kroos has represented two of the biggest clubs in European football in the form of Bayern Munich and Real Madrid.

Kroos represented Bayern Munich on 205 occasions in his illustrious career and went on to contribute 24 goals and 49 assists across all competitions. He won every possible trophy whilst in Bavaria.

Toni Kroos formed part of the Bayern Munich squad which lifted the treble in 2013 under the management of Jupp Heynckes. They defeated German rivals Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League final at Wembley Stadium towards their treble.

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Toni Kroos has been an integral member of Real Madrid's modern-day success

Toni Kroos joined Los Blancos from Bayern Munich in the summer of 2014 for a fee of around €25 million. He has since been a valuable member in his side's success under the management of Zinedine Zidane and Carlo Ancelotti.

As things stand, Kroos has made 463 appearances for Real Madrid and has gone on to contribute 28 goals and 98 assists. Whilst in Spain, Kroos has won a plethora of trophies both domestically and on the European stage.

Toni Kroos has won four La Liga titles, one Copa Del Rey, four UEFA Champions Leagues, three UEFA Super Cups, and four FIFA Club World Cup titles whilst donning the famous white jersey.

It is also worth mentioning that Kroos has also had a successful international career with Germany. He has so far earned 108 caps for Die Mannschaft and scored 17 goals.

Toni Kroos was part of the Germany squad which lifted the FIFA World Cup in 2014, defeating Argentina in the final in Rio De Janeiro.