The Weekly Take, Issue 318: It Hasn't Come Home - in Part Because of These Two

The final of Euro 2024 saw Spain take on England at the Olympiastadion in Berlin. Spain lived up to their status as pre-match favourites with a 2-1 victory to clinch an unprecedented fourth continental title and third in the past five editions of the tournament.

Although Spain were largely in control of the match throughout the first half, it wasn’t until shortly after the half-time break that La Furia Roja scored the opening goal. Nico Williams got on the end of Lamine Yamal’s pass after Yamal had made his way through a cluster of England’s players. England would go on to score the equalizer in the 73rd minute via substitute Cole Palmer. Just a few minutes after having replaced Kobbie Mainoo, Chelsea attacking midfielder Palmer scored from just outside the penalty area to pull the Three Lions level.

With just four minutes left in regulation time, Mikel Oyarzabal, the Real Sociedad winger who came off the bench to sub in for captain Álvaro Morata, finished off Marc Cucurella’s cross to secure the title for Spain. From the very beginning of this tournament, Spain had been playing at a level clearly above every other team sans Germany - and this superiority once again showed itself in the final. There’s every chance that Spain will enter the 2026 World Cup as the pre-tournament favourites.

As for England, this was clearly a blown opportunity. Having taken advantage of a relatively easy bracket, all they really needed to do was outplay Spain over the course of a single match. While some of England’s players did step up on the big occasion, many certainly did not - including, once again, Bukayo Saka and Harry Kane.

Apart from an outstanding showing in the quarterfinal match against Switzerland, Saka had an underwhelming tournament on the whole. This has become a recurring theme throughout the Arsenal winger’s admittedly young career thus far - when the lights have been brightest and the pressure highest, the Londoner has more often than not come up short.

During Arsenal’s most recent Premier League run-ins, Saka has frequently underperformed during high-stakes scenarios. While it was his play that was a large contributor to the Gunners’ presence in the title race to begin with, his declined performance down the stretch has also been a big reason why the North London club have lost both of the last two Premier League titles to Manchester City. In international play, there’s of course his iconic penalty miss in the shootout of the Euro 2020 final against Italy. Saka also turned in a dismal performance in England’s 2022 World Cup quarterfinal loss against France.

At this point, with Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden having ascended to genuine superstar status and Palmer’s recent breakout, it’s worth questioning if Saka should even retain his spot in England’s starting 11 at all. England cannot afford to risk yet another no-show under pressure if they’re seriously pushing for a World Cup title in two years’ time.

On that note, we now come to Harry Kane. Amidst all the jokes and memes about how England’s all-time leading goalscorer has never won a trophy of any sort, there’s perhaps a kernel of truth. Like Saka, Kane has consistently wilted under the brightest spotlights despite his usually elite level of play. This was never shown more dramatically than via his game-losing penalty miss against France in the World Cup.

Kane turned in yet another dud on the big stage. The only thing of note the Bayern Munich striker did was incur a yellow card in the first half. He proceeded to cut a silent figure throughout the rest of the match, eventually being substituted by Ollie Watkins early in the second half - after which England started playing noticeably better.

It might now even be worth asking a question which not too long ago might’ve sounded borderline blasphemous: is it possible that benching Kane might end up being the catalyst that takes England to the mountaintop? It’s likely too soon to tell, but is he actually holding them back in some way?

Despite being somewhat top-heavy, there’s no question that England have the star power to win a title. However, at this level, the intangibles make all the difference - and when two of a team’s key starters seem to lack them in the way that Bukayo Saka and Harry Kane do, it’s not likely to “come home”.

The Weekly Take, Issue 317: A Quarterfinal Exit Doesn't Tell the Whole Story

Since the beginning of this year’s European Championships, it has been obvious that by far the two best teams to this point have been Spain and Germany. As such, it was exceptionally unfortunate that the bracket paired them against each other in the quarterfinals, thus ensuring that one of the two would be knocked out of the tournament much earlier than what ought to have been the case.

The first half ended goalless, but six minutes after the break, substitute Dani Olmo opened the scoring for Spain. However, just when it may have seemed that Spain were all set to make it to the last four, Florian Wirtz scored Germany’s equalizer to send the match to extra time. A fairly evenly-matched extra time eventually culminated in Mikel Merino’s winning goal, a header from Olmo’s cross, with barely any time left.

Despite being eliminated on home turf in the last eight, this tournament represented a significant step forward for Germany. Ever since winning the World Cup in 2014, Die Mannschaft had been experiencing a significant decline. Following a semifinal appearance at Euro 2016, Germany went on to be knocked out in the group stages of both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups with a last-16 exit at Euro 2020 in between.

Despite having run into a difficult bracket, the foundation for a title run at the 2026 World Cup is clearly in place. This is a Germany team that looks nothing like the ones which wilted in the spotlight during the three most recent major international tournaments. From the tournament opener against Scotland all the way up until Merino’s winning goal, Germany looked like a team which could genuinely have won it all.

Perhaps the most important reason why Germany will remain title contenders for quite some time to come is the fact that they already have their superstar of not only the future, but the present - one around whom this entire team can be built and who, even at his young age, looks primed to go on to become one of the all-time greats. Florian Wirtz picked up where he left off following his ascension to genuine Ballon d’Or contender status after having spearheaded Bayer Leverkusen’s historic domestic Double-winning season. At just 21, Wirtz is not only already Germany’s best player; he’s likely at least six or seven years from his true peak. Wirtz is the sort of generational star that any team intent on seriously challenging for a World Cup title needs - and considering the fact that Germany as a whole are on the rise, this could very well happen as soon as 2026 when world football’s showpiece event comes to North America.

On the topic of Bayer Leverkusen, their rapid rise has undoubtedly been a great boon for the German national team. Jonathan Tah and Robert Andrich have both been solid throughout the tournament on the back of their own breakout seasons. Of course, the bulk of the credit for Leverkusen’s success - and thus Leverkusen’s contributions to Germany’s national team - ironically have to go to a Spaniard. It’s clear that without Xabi Alonso, Germany would not be where they are now.

The same can be said of Julian Nagelsmann, who has coached Germany since September 2023 after replacing Hansi Flick. While Nagelsmann’s stint in charge of Bayern Munich didn’t exactly end in glory, it’s now evident that how it ended at the Allianz Arena was an outlier. Nagelsmann has proven that he still has it, playing a major role in turning Germany’s fortunes around and thus proving why he’d first amassed all that hype when he was coaching Hoffenheim and RB Leipzig years ago.

Of course, there’s still some way left to go. Having not made it deep in a tournament for so long, there are still questions about how Germany will fare under pressure once they do reach a semifinal or even final - and that element could come into play even more in the coming years with many of their veterans likely to hang it up soon. There’s also the question about how the rest of the young talent around Wirtz will develop - apart from Jamal Musiala, there don’t seem to be any names that jump off the page right now. That being said, Euro 2024 has proven beyond any doubt that Germany are indeed back.

The Weekly Take, Issue 316: End of an Era?

Before Euro 2024 began, if anyone had been told that one of the round of 16 matches would’ve been France vs Belgium, most people would have expected a hotly-contested match with France coming out on top, likely dispatching Belgium with an impressive performance.

However, although France did beat Belgium, their victory would’ve convinced absolutely no one that Les Bleus have what it takes to claim a record-tying third continental championship. Even though France won 1-0 to advance to the quarterfinals, that one goal was an own goal scored by Belgium’s veteran centre-back Jan Vertonghen.

Through four tournament matches thus far, France not only have a paltry total of three goals to their name; they have not scored a goal from open play via one of their own players. Both open-play goals in France’s column up to this point have been own goals; the other occurred during the group stage via Austrian defender Maximilian Wöber. France’s only other goal so far was a penalty scored by Kylian Mbappé against Poland.

France somehow failed to top Group D - something which they should easily have accomplished. The level of play that they’ve shown thus far is not even close to what got them to the World Cup final less than two years ago. Unless they find a way to get back to the level which they’re clearly capable of playing, France’s ceiling in this tournament is the semifinals at best - where they’ll almost certainly be picked off by the winner of the Spain/Germany quarterfinal.

The way things are going right now, France will soon be going out with a whimper to end one of the most successful eras in the national team’s history. Players such as Dayot Upamecano, Marcus Thuram, Antoine Griezmann, and Olivier Giroud have been well below their usual standards - at least as far as international play is concerned. While their current level might be enough to get them through their quarterfinal match against a Portugal team who have been equally unimpressive thus far, that’s almost certainly not going to be enough against either of the two teams most likely to win it all as of right now.

This is a team full of players who are clearly out of sync with each other. Misfires in front of goal, sub-optimal decision-making, misplays under no pressure, and most notably of all, tactical errors - all have typified what has been what would’ve been a campaign to forget had it not, somehow, been for France’s actual results.

Going back to the point of tactical errors, something that has been common across many teams in this tournament and the reason why so many have underperformed is the general strategic ineptitude that has, for one reason or another, plagued a large number of coaches and threatened to halt what would be potential title contenders in their tracks. France are no exception; Didier Deschamps has gotten it wrong on multiple occasions.

The decision not to bench Griezmann for the match against Belgium was questionable indeed. Though the Atlético Madrid winger is one of France’s all-time legends, he’s clearly well past his prime - and it has been obvious. Griezmann has been arguably France’s worst player in this tournament and turned in another lacklustre showing against Belgium. While it would be an unpopular decision on the surface, if Deschamps again refuses to drop Griezmann for the quarterfinal against Portugal, it could very well be a call that comes back to haunt him.

Upamecano has been thoroughly unimpressive from day one of the tournament and served up another dud against Belgium; he too ought to be dropped. It’s even worth questioning if France should be playing a 4-3-3 at all, as they have in their past two matches. Even their rare bright spots like Mbappé and N’Golo Kanté have been played out of position because Deschamps has inexplicably switched to a 4-3-3.

All of this being said, it’s not out of the question that the quarterfinal against Portugal ends up being France’s turning point. However, based on everything that has been shown until now, that would seem rather unlikely. Not only that - the answer to the question of whether Deschamps will even remain in the national team’s dugout by the time the 2026 World Cup rolls around might be hanging in the balance right now and perhaps hinge on whether he actually can and does turn it around.

The Weekly Take, Issue 315: Memphis Blues

 Following a dismal season in which he only scored five league goals and concluded with his departure from Atlético Madrid, Euro 2024 was an opportunity for Dutch striker Memphis Depay to prove that he still has what it takes to succeed at the highest level - at the very least, with regard to international play. After all, Memphis is the Netherlands’ second-highest goalscorer ever and turned in some solid performances up front during the Oranje’s most recent major tournament: the 2022 World Cup.

Instead, Memphis has thus far done the opposite. His contributions to the Netherlands’ 2-1 victory over Poland were scant to say the least. Memphis was then even worse in the subsequent match against France. Apart from a single shot which was saved and led to a disallowed goal following a VAR check, Memphis might as well have been absent altogether - such was his overall lack of output at Red Bull Arena.

Memphis’ two showings in Germany so far have been characterized by errant finishing, loss of possession, and an absence of situational awareness. He has turned into a mere shell of the player who just three years ago notched a whopping 17 international goals over a calendar year and seemed to be set up for a great next few years following his move to Barcelona. That outcome, however, could not have been further from what actually transpired.

Apart from the World Cup in Qatar almost two years ago, the last time Memphis was even a serviceable starter-level player was the 2021-22 season, his first and only full season at Barça. The decline in Memphis’ level of play - first for club, then for country - has been obvious for some time now. It’s clear at this point: Memphis doesn’t have “it” anymore and having turned 30 a few months back, almost certainly never will again - players who experience late-career revivals are outliers.

In fact, benching Memphis for the remainder of the tournament is a step that Ronald Koeman needs to seriously consider. Although an opening-day win followed by a draw against one of the leading title contenders on paper appears to be a solid start, Koeman’s first crack at a major tournament coaching his country’s team is likely go off the rails if the team doesn’t elevate their general level of play thus far - and a large portion of the blame for their relative underperformance can be directed at Memphis.

There are several options to be considered if Memphis is indeed to be benched. Perhaps Cody Gakpo could be moved to centre-forward, opening up a spot in midfield for either Joey Veerman or Georginio Wijnaldum. Giving Donyell Malen or Wout Weghorst the start at the sharp end of the pitch is another viable option. Nevertheless, based on how Memphis has been playing at this tournament, one of those - or perhaps something else which also involves dropping Memphis from the starting 11 - might be just what the Netherlands need.

Going even further, when considering Memphis’ recent track record at club level, it becomes even more apparent that Memphis is only a starter due to “legacy”, not because he genuinely deserves to be part of the starting 11 right now. Could part of it be the fact that Memphis is just five goals short of tying Robin van Persie as the Netherlands’ all-time leading international goalscorer? Perhaps - but this is not the time to play a clearly underperforming player just to chase a record (which, the way he’s been playing over the last few years, will likely never arrive anyway).

Koeman has to make the big call here. Memphis has been an anchor for the Netherlands so far - and not in the sense of “anchoring the team”, but as in “weighing them down and stunting their progress”. It’s unlikely that they will make a deep run if they start Memphis the whole time.

Finally, think back to the 2022 World Cup. Remember that in the earliest matches of the tournament, eventual champions Argentina struggled after starting the underperforming Lautaro Martínez up front. As soon as the Inter striker was replaced by Julián Álvarez, the Albiceleste’s campaign truly took off and culminated in a first world title in 36 years. Does this mean that the Netherlands will win Euro 2024 by benching Memphis Depay? Not necessarily - but to have a chance, they must at least try it.

The Weekly Take, Issue 314: A Hot Start to the Quest for Four

Ever since winning their third continental title at Euro 2012, Spain have generally struggled in tournament play. Over the three World Cups and two European Championships since then, La Furia Roja have advanced beyond the round of 16 on just one occasion. Heading into Euro 2024, Spain were generally regarded as a potential dark horse pick capable of going deep but not necessarily likely to win an unprecedented fourth title.

That being said, Spain clearly showcased their title credentials in their opening Group B match, beating Croatia 3-0 with a dominant performance. All three goals were scored in the first half with Álvaro Morata opening the scoring in the 29th minute, this was soon followed by Fabián Ruiz extending Spain’s advantage. In first-half stoppage time, Dani Carvajal made it three to round off a 45 minutes that proved why Spain cannot be overlooked when it comes to being title contenders.

There should be no question that Spain have arrived at the tournament with a point to prove. This was an extremely impressive performance from almost every single member of Spain starting 11 - arguably Rodri and his surrendered penalty notwithstanding; even then, Unai Simón saved Bruno Petković’s spot-kick.

That, in fact, is a good place to start. Spain’s defensive unit, goalkeeper Simón included, turned in a clinical performance that will surely make any opposing attacking player think twice upon further viewing. Despite having a sizeable chunk of possession in the final third, there wasn’t anything Croatia could do to create a truly notable goalscoring opportunity in the second half. The Spanish backline of Carvajal, Robin Le Normand, Nacho, and Marc Cuccurella kept their Balkan opposition’s attacking threat stifled almost at all times. While it remains to be seen how they’ll hold up against more potent attacking threats in later rounds, this was certainly a good sign for the rest of the tournament.

Further up front, Lamine Yamal lived up to all the hype surrounding his debut in a major international tournament. At just 16, the Barcelona winger has just had a season in which he has clearly established himself as not only the future of the Catalan club as well as his national team, but before too long perhaps the present as well. It was from a cross sent in by Yamal from which Carvajal scored Spain’s third goal and throughout the entire match, Yamal posed a significant danger to Croatia’s defense. There’s every possibility that during this tournament, Yamal will cap off a truly remarkable season with a standout showing in Germany. To say that Yamal’s future is bright would be a colossal understatement.

From a tactical standpoint, Croatia played directly into Spain’s hands. As Croatia pushed forward, they ended up being left vulnerable at the back, allowing Spain to create goalscoring opportunities. Spain’s first goal was an example of this: it came off a counter-attack from a botched long ball forward by Croatia. Cucurella took possession and played it to Rodri who in turn tapped it to Fabián. Finally, Fabián put Morata through on goal; Morata duly finished it off. Sequences similar to this one did take place on multiple occasions during the match and could easily have resulted in further goals.

While it’s true that Croatia aren’t really regarded as contenders to win it all, this match clearly showed that Luis de la Fuente’s team can’t be written off by any means. Despite not having the sheer star power of France, England, or even Germany, this Spain team boasts a deep, cohesive squad that on their day can stand up against anyone. Perhaps the major thing that might hold them back would be their recent tournament history. However, it must also be kept in mind that in the majority of the tournaments to date, the title hasn’t gone to the team most favored to win it all.

The shadow of Spain’s legendary team of 2008-12 - perhaps the greatest international football team of all time - has continued to loom large over every Spain team since. However, this current team seems to have everything needed to finally emerge from that iconic squad’s shadow and craft a legacy of their own. Could that happen at this very tournament? Early signs are definitely promising.

The Weekly Take, Issue 313: End-of-Season Special: Top 10 Moments of the Season

Another European club football season is now done and dusted. Though Euro 2024 is just ahead, there’s still more than enough time to look back on another memorable season full of highlights and compelling storylines.

These are what I consider to be the top 10 moments of the 2023-24 European club football season:

Jude Bellingham signs for Real Madrid (June 14, 2023)

It isn’t often that a transfer fee of €103 million ends up being an absolute steal. Yet, this was exactly the case with Jude Bellingham’s transfer from Borussia Dortmund to Real Madrid. Off the back of an impressive 2022-23 season which saw the Englishman win the Bundesliga Player of the Season award at just 19 coupled with an outstanding showing for England at the World Cup, Real swooped in to bring Bellingham to the Santiago Bernabéu. However, not even Real themselves could have foreseen Bellingham taking it to another level.

Bellingham won La Liga’s Player of the Season award by a landslide, was the clear best player of a Real team that won a league and Champions League double, and even finished joint-third in La Liga’s goalscoring rankings—a remarkable achievement for a midfielder. As such, he’s now a Ballon d’Or contender at the age of 20 and could potentially seal it by leading England to the Euro 2024 title.

Harry Kane signs for Bayern Munich (August 12, 2023)

Bellingham’s compatriot Kane is undoubtedly the greatest player in the history of Tottenham Hotspur. However, after years of carrying the North London club only to invariably fall short, Kane appeared to have all but ended his career trophy drought by signing for Bayern. After all, at the time of Kane’s signing, Bayern had won the league for 11 consecutive seasons.

Remarkably, not even this would come to pass. In a season marked by dysfunction, Bayern lost to Real in the Champions League semifinals, were soundly beaten to the Bundesliga title by Bayer Leverkusen, and were even upset by 1. FC Saarbrücken in the DFB-Pokal. As such, despite a brilliant individual season in which he won the European Golden Shoe for the first time with 36 league goals, Kane’s “trophy curse” continues.

Inter Milan 5-1 AC Milan (September 17, 2023)

This Derby della Madonnina sent a message and then some. Inter backed up their underdog run to last season’s Champions League final with a statement victory against their cross-town rivals and then-reigning Serie A champions early in the season.

The result set the tone for the rest of the Serie A campaign. No team ended up even coming close to the Nerazzurri who won the Scudetto by a massive 19-point margin, reclaiming the league title they last won in the 2020-21 season.

Jürgen Klopp announces departure from Liverpool (January 26, 2024)

In what came as an absolute bombshell to the Kop faithful and beyond, Klopp confirmed that he would be ending his almost nine-year stint as Liverpool’s head coach at the end of the season.

As the years pass, Klopp’s legacy at Anfield will only grow stronger. The German will be remembered as the man who revived the Reds and made them a bona fide powerhouse once again. Though Klopp’s time in the Liverpool dugout might not have yielded as many trophies as some fans might have liked, both the statistics and quality of play speak for themselves—and he did, of course, bring the Champions League title to Merseyside in the 2018-19 season.

Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 Bayern Munich (February 11, 2024)

If ever there was a match for which the underlying message was “show us what you’ve got”, this was it. Leverkusen were top of the Bundesliga and still unbeaten; however, many had picked out this match against perennial league juggernaut as a potential L and the match where everything would start to unravel.

Instead, Die Werkself rose to the occasion. Xabi Alonso’s team completely outplayed their more illustrious Bavarian opponents in every facet imaginable. Not only was this match proof that Leverkusen had what it took to go all the way; it also set the stage for what was to come soon.

Bayer Leverkusen 5-0 Werder Bremen (April 14, 2024)

Leverkusen would go on to clinch their first-ever Bundesliga title in style by absolutely taking Werder apart at the BayArena. Fittingly, the victory was sealed via a hat-trick scored by Florian Wirtz - already Leverkusen’s best player at just 21 and by far this season’s biggest breakout star.

To make things even more exciting, with just over a month remaining in the season, Leverkusen had not lost even one match in any competition. Not just the league - all competitions. Leverkusen were now in place to put the final touches on one of the greatest seasons, if not the single greatest season, in European club football history.

Kylian Mbappé announces departure from Paris Saint-Germain (May 10, 2024)

What had been one of world football’s biggest “open secrets” was finally made official. Mbappé would be set to wrap up seven seasons at the Parc des Princes at the end of his 2023-24 campaign. Although Mbappé did not specify the club for which he’d sign after leaving his hometown team, it was all but known that he would be headed for Real Madrid.

That ended up being exactly what would transpire. Less than a month after Mbappé’s announcement, Real signed the French striker on a free transfer. Mbappé will now form one of the most potent attacking forces not just today, but of all time by teaming up with Bellingham, Rodrygo, and Vinícius Júnior.

Bayer Leverkusen 2-1 Augsburg (May 14, 2024)

Prior to this season, an unbeaten league season in one of Europe’s four major football leagues had only been done nine times before with just four of those coming after 1932. It had also never happened in the Bundesliga. Having already clinched the league title a month earlier and still unbeaten heading into the final matchday, this was Leverkusen’s opportunity to elevate their legacy to the loftiest heights.

As they’d done in every other league match before this one, Die Werkself wouldn’t be beaten. It was a routine 2-1 victory - but also so, so much more than that. Leverkusen had now entered uncharted territory for a German club. While they would end up falling just short of an unbeaten season in all competitions by losing in the Europa League final, Bayer Leverkusen’s 2023-24 season will surely be one talked about even decades from now.

Manchester City 3-1 West Ham (May 19, 2024)

Staying on the topic of historic achievements, no club had ever won four consecutive Premier League titles up until this season. All Manchester City had to do on the last matchday was beat West Ham to arrive at an accomplishment that up to that point had eluded every English club ever.

As was expected, City had no trouble seeing off the Hammers at all. Phil Foden’s two goals that opened the scoring capped off his breakout season in which he picked up the Premier League Player of the Season award. As City get ready for what will be Pep Guardiola’s final season coaching them, the prospect of City not making it five in a row is almost unfathomable.

Real Madrid 2-0 Borussia Dortmund (June 2, 2024)

Borussia Dortmund’s underdog run to their first Champions League final since 2013 was brought to an anti-climactic end. Real Madrid made it two Champions League titles in the last three seasons, six in the last 11, and a record-extending 15th overall with a comfortable victory over their German opponents.

With the victory, Real head coach Carlo Ancelotti claimed his fifth career Champions League title and left no doubt whatsoever that he’s the greatest of all time. Vinícius Júnior, who scored Real’s second goal, made himself the front-runner for the Ballon d’Or with just Euro 2024 and the Copa América 2024 to go. Finally, legendary midfielder Toni Kroos, who had announced his impending retirement prior to the match, was able to exit on the highest note possible.

The Weekly Take, Issue 312: An All-Time Great Gets the Dream Career Finish

After a 17-year career, one of the greatest midfielders of all time has ended his club football career on a high note - with another Champions League title to his name.

On May 21, Toni Kroos announced his upcoming retirement at the age of 34 via a post on Instagram. The German midfielder’s last matches would be for his national team at Euro 2024, making his appearance in the Champions League final at Wembley for Real Madrid against Borussia Dortmund his club football swansong. Not surprisingly, this became the biggest underlying storyline heading into the match.

Real ended up clinching their sixth Champions League title in the last 11 seasons and a record-extending 15th overall. Although Dortmund had multiple viable goalscoring chances in the first half, Die Schwarzgelbe weren’t able to take advantage of any of them - and as such, they were made to pay after the break. Dani Carvajal put Real a goal ahead in the 74th minute via a header that fittingly, was delivered by Kroos. Nine minutes later, Vinícius Júnior put the result beyond all doubt after finishing off a chance set up by Jude Bellingham, who’d received the ball in a dangerous position following an error by Dortmund full-back Ian Maatsen.

There can be no question that Kroos has done it all. Seven league titles, four domestic cups, a World Cup title with Germany in 2014, and now - by far the most remarkable statistic of the lot - six Champions League titles. Kroos has been an integral part of the greatest dynasty that football has ever seen.

In stark contrast to the exit of Marco Reus, another German veteran who was ending his own legendary 12-year stint at Dortmund, Kroos went out in a blaze of glory. This was a performance in which the man from Greifswald turned back the clock, resembling the player he was at his absolute peak. Kroos was involved in almost all of Los Merengues’ serious attacking thrusts, making countless key passes and setting up multiple goalscoring opportunities - including the one which ended up being Real’s first goal.

Going back to that day almost a decade ago when Kroos first signed for Real, his stock at the time was already high following the major role he played in Germany’s 2014 World Cup triumph. Kroos was signed from Bayern Munich for the now laughably low fee of €25 million. As such, very few at the time could’ve predicted that Kroos would someday go on to become a club icon and a bona fide legend of the Santiago Bernabéu.

By the end of Kroos’ fourth season in Madrid, he’d been one of the core pieces of a historic Champions League three-peat, been named to the FIFPro World XI and UEFA Team of the Year twice as a Real player, and led La Liga in assists in 2016-17. While already an extremely impressive achievement list, Kroos wasn’t even close to done.

Kroos was a major reason why Real didn’t immediately suffer a severe drop-off following the 2018 off-season departure of Cristiano Ronaldo to Juventus. Alongside Luka Modrić and Casemiro, Kroos would establish himself as one-third of the greatest midfield trios ever. 

After a lean spell which included back-to-back round of 16 Champions League exits as well as a tame elimination at the hands of England at Euro 2020, some thought Kroos would be in terminal decline from that point on. Instead, Kroos had a bounce-back season in 2021-22, playing an important role in Real’s La Liga and Champions League double before capping it off with another of the same this season.

Taking his entire career into consideration, one can go a step further: Kroos retires as the greatest midfielder to ever come out of Germany. Even compared to icons like Günter Netzer, Wolfgang Overath, Lothar Matthäus, and Mesut Özil, Kroos has surpassed all of them. None of them have the combination of peak level of play, statistical achievements, and individual and team accolades that Kroos has - including (but not by much) Matthäus who was the consensus pick for “greatest ever German midfielder” before Kroos.

With Germany’s national team looking stronger than it has been in years, there’s an opportunity for Toni Kroos to sign off his international career on a high note - if not with a Euro 2024 victory, then at least with a deep run. It would be a fitting way to sign off.