‘I Hope it Happens’—Luka Modric Wants Real Madrid Return
Luka Modrić has revealed his plans to return to Spain once his playing career is over and hopes to make a comeback at Real Madrid in some capacity.
In the summer of 2025, the midfield playmaker left the Bernabéu as the club’s most decorated ever player (28 trophies, including six Champions League), after 13 seasons.
Rather than retiring, the 40-year-old has continued his career in Italy with AC Milan and was even named in the 2025–26 Serie A Team of the Year at the Gran Galà del Calcio on Wednesday.
The 2018 Ballon d’Or winner is under contract with Milan until next summer, by which time he will close to his 42nd birthday, but has no made plans to hang up his boots just yet.
Modric’s Madrid Return Wish
In an interview with Spanish publication MARCA, Modrić revealed that when he does eventually call it a day, he plans to move back to Madrid—a city he admits he misses and still refers to as “home.”
Asked about the possibility of one day joining the club in a non-playing capacity, Modrić was candid: “I hope so. I’d like to. If I’m honest, I don’t have to hide it. Madrid is my home, and of course I’d like to return someday. But we’ll see how and in what role, if that happens.
“I don’t want to come back just for the sake of coming back and being there for the sake of being there. That’s not who I am. I want to be useful, I want to help Real Madrid. Not just be there and not know why I’m there.
“This is my mentality and this is my way of thinking. Because Real Madrid has given me everything, it has given me so much, and I believe I would only return to do something useful, to do things well and to work not just at Real Madrid, but for Real Madrid.
“But let’s see. It’s my home, I’m a Real Madrid fan now and I always will be. To be honest, of course I’d like to. But we’ll see what life throws at you, you never know.
“My intention is to return to Madrid and live there, but you know how things go. You can never say anything for sure. But I hope, I really hope it happens.”
Mourinho Pivotal in Modrić Transfer
Modrić joined Real Madrid from Tottenham Hotspur for $40 million back in the summer of 2012—during José Mourinho’s first tenure as manager.
The Croatian initially struggled to adapt to La Liga and was even voted the worst signing of the season (also by MARCA). Mourinho left the following summer, while Modrić went on to thrive under Carlo Ancelotti and later Zinedine Zidane.
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However, though working together for only one tumultuous season, Modric credits Mourinho with playing a key role in bringing him to the club in the first place.
“I think Mourinho was the most important thing for my arrival, because he did everything, everything in his power to make me the signing of that summer,” Modrić revealed.
“Negotiations with Tottenham weren’t easy. They were tough and long. And if Mourinho hadn’t been so insistent, perhaps Real Madrid would have withdrawn from the negotiations. But he was persistent and he wanted me. That’s why I think he was the most important factor.
“The only downside was that I didn’t train with him for more than a year. But that’s life. I learned a lot in that year with him, but I would have liked to train with him for longer.”
When suggested by the interviewer that he could still return as a player for Mourinho’s second spell, Modrić replied simply: “It’s late [laughs].”
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