Croatian midfielder Luka Modric, who will turn 39 next September, is aiming to surpass legendary Ferenc Puskas to become the oldest player to play for Real Madrid.
Modric officially renewed his contract with Real Madrid for another season. When he turns 39 on September 9, this Croatian midfielder is approaching the record of the oldest player to play for the Spanish Royal team. The current record belongs to Ferenc Puskas, who played for Madrid at the age of 39 years and 38 days in the first leg of the cup quarterfinals against Betis in Seville (lost 2-3) on May 8, 1966.
If there is no serious injury or unexpected event, Modric can overcome Puskas on the weekend of October 19-20, in the 10th round of La Liga match away from Celta Vigo. Even in La Liga alone, Modric has surpassed Puskas since last season. According to Opta data, in the final round against Betis, Modric played at the age of 38 years and 259 days, higher than Puskas’s 38 and 233 days.
However, considering the entire La Liga tournament, Modric is still far from absolute records. The oldest player to ever play in this tournament is Harry Lowe, who appeared for Real Sociedad at the age of 48 years and 226 days in March 1935. Second is former Betis player Joaquín, with the age of 41 years and 318 days.
What Modric wants is that the moment of overcoming Puskas will take place in a more positive context than his Hungarian predecessor. In his final season at Real Madrid, Puskas played in a low-key match against Betis in Seville, three days before Madrid’s sixth European Cup final in Brussels. This led to the club only sending the reserve squad and assistant coaches to Villamarín, while the official players and coach Miguel Munoz traveled to the Belgian capital the day before. Puskas, who was only a substitute at that time, was assigned to start the match against Betis. According to journalist Alfredo Relaño on Marca in 2015, Puskas’ performance was described as “a shadow” on the field.
In the second leg with the strongest squad, Real Madrid canceled the celebration of winning the C1 Cup (now the Champions League) after being eliminated by Betis (2-2) after a 30-minute extra time and 3 extra rounds of 10 minutes. another minute, because at that time there was no penalty shootout.
Modric’s contract extension was predicted before the Champions League final on June 1, after the player accepted the club’s terms. However, this deal was considered unlikely for much of the season, after Modric lost his official role under coach Carlo Ancelotti and expressed his dissatisfaction with having to accept a substitute role.
From an irreplaceable position in the 2022/23 season, Modric becomes a regular substitute in the 2023/24 season. Except for a few matches to replace Toni Kroos, Modric regularly plays the role of substitute for the German player. However, his influence on the Real Madrid squad continues to increase as the season progresses. Modric’s desire to play at the highest level, even if his playing time is significantly reduced, combined with the final offer from Real Madrid helped him have one more season at the club.
The difference in approach to the end of their careers between Kroos and Modric was evident. Kroos bid farewell to the team, while Modric opened a new chapter. If nothing changes, he will surpass Ferenc Puskas to become the oldest player to play for Real Madrid.
