"Today is officially my last day as a Real Madrid player" - Toni Kroos posts heartfelt message on social media

Real Madrid legend Toni Kroos posted a heartfelt message on social media on June 30, as he's now officially left the club after announcing his retirement. The legendary midfielder is currently playing with Germany at the ongoing EURO 2024. However, he had previously revealed that it would be his last tournament in professional football.

The 2023-24 season concluded with Toni Kroos winning the UEFA Champions League, La Liga, and Supercopa de Espana with Los Blancos. However, his contract at the Santiago Bernabeu will officially come to an end today (June 30). He shared a touching post on his Instagram account to mark the moment, adding the caption:

"Today is officially my last day as a Real Madrid player. Feels weird but I'll always be one of you. Forever grateful.”

The German midfielder played 48 games at Bayer Leverkusen and 205 games at Bayern Munich before making the switch to Madrid in 2014. With the Spanish giants, he played 465 games, registering 25 goals and 99 assists. He won every competition including four La Liga titles, five Club World Cups, and five Champions League trophies.

Toni Kroos' time with Los Blancos has come to an end, but he isn't done with football just yet. Germany are currently in the quarter-finals of EURO 2024, and the legendary midfielder will be hoping to lead them to the trophy. He notably won the World Cup with his country in 2014.

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Real Madrid legend Toni Kroos announced his retirement on May 21

Toni Kroos helped Real Madrid to one more La Liga title, a Champions League trophy, and Supercopa de Espana before his retirement. But he notably announced his decision just over a week before they beat Borussia Dortmund in the continental final.

Many fans will widely believe that Kroos can still perform at the highest level, as he is 34 years old. Speaking to the Athletic, the midfielder explained why he opted to make the decision at this point (via Give Me Sport):

"People said I could easily play a few more years — and maybe that’s the case. But I don’t want to reach the point where people say, ‘Pffff, why is he still playing?’. So I chose the best moment. And the best moment is now."

He also revealed, in an interview with Forbes (via Give Me Sport):

"When you start playing football at the age of six and manage it to some extent until you're 34, it's a very, very serious decision if football has always been at the centre of your life. That's why it's not so easy."

The Real Madrid legend will be looking forward to spending time with his family when he concludes the EURO 2024 journey with Germany.