Five Champions Leagues and a World Cup. Why is Toni Kroos a football legend?

The legendary German midfielder, Toni Kroos, has announced the conclusion of his illustrious career following the current season. The footballer proclaimed that, as intended, Real Madrid shall be the final destination in his journey. His culminating tournament will be the Euro 2024, hosted in his homeland, Germany.

Dailysports invites you to reflect on why Toni Kroos is indeed a true football legend.

Bayern Munich

Commencing his career at Bayern Munich, Kroos made his debut in the Bundesliga against Energie in 2007, entering the fray as a substitute for Ze Roberto in the 72nd minute. Within moments of his appearance, Kroos orchestrated an assist to Miroslav Klose, and later, in the 89th minute, delivered yet another decisive pass, contributing to Bayern's commanding 5-0 victory. A mere 17 years, 8 months, and 22 days marked his debut.

However, on January 31, 2009, Kroos was loaned to Bayer Leverkusen, debuting on February 28 against Hannover. He remained with Leverkusen until the culmination of the 2009-10 season. Post the FIFA World Cup in South Africa, he returned to Bayern Munich. His first Bundesliga match post-return was against Wolfsburg at the Allianz Arena, where, on the 9th minute, Kroos provided a goal-scoring pass to Thomas Muller.

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In total, he spent seven years at Bayern Munich, during which he secured numerous accolades including the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup, three Bundesliga titles, and two DFB-Pokal triumphs, accumulating a total of 11 titles during his tenure.

Real Madrid

On July 17, 2014, the official website of Real Madrid announced Kroos's transfer to the club. Although the transfer fee was unofficially estimated at 25-30 million euros, Kroos signed a six-year contract worth 12 million euros annually. Adorned with the number 8, previously worn by Kaka, Kroos made his debut for the "Galacticos" on August 12, 2014, in the UEFA Super Cup match against Sevilla (2-0). On August 25, he delivered his first assist for the club, setting up Karim Benzema in a match against Cordoba. On November 8, he scored his maiden goal for Real Madrid, striking against Rayo Vallecano following a Cristiano Ronaldo assist.

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Throughout his tenure at Real Madrid, Toni Kroos amassed an extraordinary collection of trophies, showcasing impeccable football prowess. Since his arrival in 2014, Kroos never dropped below a 92% pass accuracy rate in La Liga. His statistical prowess is staggering:

• 92% (2014/15);
• 94% (2015/16);
• 92% (2016/17);
• 93% (2017/18);
• 93% (2018/19);
• 94% (2019/20);
• 94% (2020/21);
• 95% (2021/22);
• 95% (2022/23);
• 95% (2023/24).

During his decade-long tenure with the "Whites," Kroos secured 22 titles, including four UEFA Champions League trophies, four La Liga titles, four UEFA Super Cups, five FIFA Club World Cups, one Copa del Rey, and four Supercopa de España triumphs.

Germany

Kroos's inaugural international tournament was the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, though he played a peripheral role in the German squad. He appeared in three matches during the knockout stage against Argentina and Spain, as well as in the victorious 3rd place match against Uruguay. Similarly, he was not a key figure in Germany's Euro 2012 campaign but featured in all group stage matches, often as a late substitute. However, in the semi-final against Italy, he played the entire match.

The pinnacle of Kroos's international career was the triumphant 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, where he started in every match, playing the full 90 minutes in all seven games. He was duly recognized with inclusion in the tournament's symbolic Best XI.

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Following this, he participated in three more major tournaments: Euro 2016, Euro 2020, and the 2018 FIFA World Cup. His last appearance for the German national team was in the Euro 2020 Round of 16 match. A few days later, he announced his retirement from international football.

However, on February 22, 2024, he declared his return to the German national team ahead of the Euro 2024, hosted in his homeland. This tournament will indeed mark the culmination of the legendary German midfielder's illustrious career.