Toni Kroos discusses Cristiano Ronaldo's decline since leaving Real Madrid

Toni Kroos has been a pivotal player for Real Madrid, contributing significantly to their La Liga and Champions League triumphs. However, at the end of the season, he made a surprising announcement that sent shockwaves through the football community: "I will retire after the European Championship."

Many believed Kroos would extend his contract with Real Madrid, much like Croatian captain Luka Modrić, whose contract also expired at the end of last season. Instead, Kroos chose to retire, concluding a decade-long, illustrious career with the Spanish giants.

Kroos played his final minutes for the German national team, exiting in the quarter-finals of the European Championship, alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, who at 39, still shows no signs of hanging up his boots. Lionel Messi continues to play for Inter Miami and Argentina as well.

"They have been dependent on success their entire careers; there's no end to it," Kroos said about Ronaldo and Messi. "They decided not to retire at their peak, like 95 percent of players, but to enjoy football a bit longer, and that's a good path. If they are happy with it, then that's great, but it's also clear that for Cristiano Ronaldo, nothing has been the same as it was at Real Madrid." The German midfielder noted that Ronaldo has not won the Champions League or Ballon d'Or since leaving Madrid in the summer of 2018.

Kroos also touched on Luka Modrić, who extended his contract with Real Madrid for another year.

"I think he wants to make the most of it until the end. That was never my idea, but it's nice if he has the opportunity to play for another year. He has accepted his role of playing less, but I would never have done that. He sees it differently; he can still play at a good level and stay at Real. There's no single right path," Kroos concluded in an interview with German journalist Philipp Knopp.