Real Madrid legend Luka Modric set to break 58-year-old record held by Ferenc Puskas during LaLiga clash against Celta Vigo
Real Madrid captain Luka Modric is set to break a record at the club. If he features in Los Blancos' next match, he will become the oldest player to play for the club.
Modric, who is 39, joined Real Madrid from Tottenham Hotspur in 2012 for a reported €30 million. He has been a mainstay for Merengues ever since, making 546 appearances for the club.
The Croatian playmaker has been a key player for the club during his 12+ year stay in Spain. He has won six Champions League titles and lifted four LaLiga trophies in a hugely successful period in the club's history.
The midfielder is currently their second-oldest player, moving ahead of Paco Buyo last season. The current holder of the record - Ferenc Puskas - was 39 years, one month and seven days old when he last played for Real Madrid in 1966.
The Hungarian great joined the LaLiga club as a 31-year-old and spent eight years at the club, setting the record 58 years ago in his final appearance. Here's the five oldest players to have played for the club:
The midfielder has scored 39 goals and provided 88 assists in 546 appearances across competitions for the Madrid outfit.
Luka Modric will be 39 years, one month, and 10 days when Los Blancos travel to Celta Vigo. If the Croatian plays, he will break Puskas' 58-year record and etch his name in the club's history books.
"We are having trouble" - Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti on his side's start to the season
Real Madrid have encountered a challenging start to the 2024-25 season. They are currently second in the LaLiga table with just six wins in nine matches, trailing table-toppers Barcelona by three points.
The defense of their Champions League title also began on a stuttering note as they lost 1-0 to Lille after beating VfB Stuttgart in their UCL opener.
Manager Carlo Ancelotti expressed his concern at his side's form so far, admitting that they need to fix things quickly. The Italian told the press after the game (via GOAL):
"It's difficult to evaluate the game, everything went quite badly. It was difficult for us to do everything. The feeling is that we are having trouble generating, creating, and possession has been slow, with few ideas, today it is obvious that things have not worked out."
"The sadness is because the feeling has not been good, you can lose because this is sport, but today we did not give a good feeling. I am worried. We have all the resources to learn and improve, we have to fix things quickly," he added.
Real Madrid will resume their LaLiga campaign on Saturday, October 19, against Celta Vigo before facing Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on October 22.