"You are a wonderful person, thank you for everything": Mbappé pays heartfelt tribute to Modric on his departure from Real Madrid

Few players have garnered as much unanimity as Luka Modric. This Thursday, the 39-year-old Croatian midfielder announced his departure from Real Madrid this summer, following the Club World Cup (June 14 to July 11). This provided an opportunity for many of his teammates to pay tribute to him on social media, ahead of what promises to be an emotional moment on Saturday at the Santiago Bernabéu (4:15 p.m., hosting Real Sociedad) for his final home game.

Real Madrid's top scorer this season, Kylian Mbappé, wrote a lovely message on his Instagram account for the 2018 Ballon d'Or winner. " I was lucky enough to be able to play and share the locker room with you this season. I saw up close what greatness means... Before being one of the best players of all time, you are a wonderful person," praised the captain of the French team, who beat Croatia, led by Luka Modric, in the 2018 World Cup final.

" You wrote the history of the best club in the world for over a decade and you won it all. But you won something priceless: the respect and admiration of the whole world. Thank you for everything, legend, " added the former Paris Saint-Germain striker, paying a heartfelt tribute to the famous number 10, who will leave Real Madrid with six Champions Leagues, four La Liga titles, and two Copa del Rey trophies in his pocket.

In addition to Mbappé, a wave of tributes flooded social media, with the Madrid club launching the hashtag #GraciasLuka. " The only thing that outweighs my sadness is the gratitude I feel for having had the honor of being your teammate ," said England's Jude Bellingham. " Luka Modric, a legend forever ," summed up his former French teammate Raphaël Varane. " Thank you for every piece of advice, your football was an art ," thanked Brazilian Vinicius, also using the term " legend ." It seemed like an obvious way to describe the maestro Luka Modric, who has one of the greatest achievements in the history of world football.