Real Madrid have a long history of housing the world’s best players. Glittering among the club’s evergreen gold, however, is a certain trio that led the team to back-to-back UEFA Champions League titles.
The combination of Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Casemiro will go down in history as one of the greatest midfield trios of all time.
Their era ended when the Brazilian opted to leave Real Madrid for Manchester United two years ago, although Los Blancos soon found able reinforcements to carry forward the legacy of the defensive midfielder.
Casemiro has his say
Speaking to the media in a recent interview (h/t The Madrid Zone), Manchester United star Casemiro was asked who the best midfielders he has played are.
“Best midfielder I’ve played with? Toni Kroos & Luka Modrić,” he said without a second thought, picking from the list of greats he has shared the field with.
While Casemiro made a strong start to life in England, injuries have hampered his participation this season. He only has eight league appearances to his name in 2023-24 with one goal to his name.
The two legends in Madrid
Kroos and Modric, meanwhile, have stayed put at Real Madrid despite the influx of young talents and continue to weave their magic when given the opportunity.
The Croatian star is seen to be in his final year at the club, with parties in Saudi Arabia and the United States interested in his transfer.
Kroos, meanwhile, has a more uncertain future with both a renewal and an exit talked about with equal weight.
In either case, Los Blancos are nearing the end of an era, and a special one in that. The only silver lining is that the upcoming generation appears worthy of taking over the mantle.