Real Madrid’s Toni Kross, who is widely regarded as one of the best midfielders of his generation, is walking away from professional soccer.
Kross announced his decision on social media, saying he will retire after he finishes his campaign at EURO 2024 with Germany’s national team.
“As I have always said: Real Madrid is and will be my last club. I am happy and proud, that in my mind I found the right timing for my decision and that I could choose it by my own,” Kross wrote in a statement shared on Instagram.
Toni Kross made his professional debut with Bayern Munich in 2007. He played with the Bundesliga giants until 2014 when he made a transfer to Real Madrid. While with Real, Kross established himself as a key player for the club, making 463 appearances and helping Los Blancos win four La Liga titles and four UEFA Champions League trophies. He will have a chance to add to his list of achievements in June as Real is scheduled to play Borussia Dortmund in this season’s UCL finals.
Kross was also an integral part of Germany’s national team in the past decade and was part of the group that lifted the 2014 World Cup. He announced his retirement from international football in 2021 but returned to the national side in February after being approached by new head coach Julian Nagelsmann.
