Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric has announced he will leave the club this summer, prompting an outpouring of tributes from current and former teammates including Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappe.

The 39-year-old Croatian captain revealed on Thursday via Instagram that he will end his 13-year association with the Spanish giants after the FIFA Club World Cup campaign this summer. His final appearance at the Santiago Bernabeu will come on Saturday when Real Madrid host Real Sociedad in their last La Liga match of the season.

"The moment has arrived. The moment I never wanted to come, but that's football, and in life everything has a beginning and an end," Modric wrote on Instagram. "I arrived in 2012 with the hope of wearing the jersey of the best team in the world and the ambition to do great things, but I couldn't have imagined what came next."

The 2018 Ballon d'Or winner has enjoyed a remarkable career at Real Madrid, winning 28 trophies including six Champions League titles and four domestic championships since joining from Tottenham Hotspur in 2012.

Stars Pay Tribute

Former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo was among the first to respond, writing: "Thanks for everything, Luka! It's an honor to share so many moments with you at the club. Wishing you success in whatever comes next."

Real Madrid's newest star Kylian Mbappe, who will now miss the opportunity to play extensively with Modric, shared: "Brate, I was lucky enough to be able to play and share the locker room with you this season. I saw closer what GREATNESS really means... Before to be one of the best players of all time, you are a wonderful person. You wrote the history of the best club in the world for more than a decade and won everything. But you won something that have no price: the respect and the admiration of the world. Thank you for everything LEGEND."

Current teammate Jude Bellingham posted an emotional tribute: "The only thing outweighing my sadness right now is the gratitude I feel for having had the honour of being your teammate. So many great memories on and off the pitch that I will treasure forever. Your magic was never a surprise and there's nothing I can say that hasn't already been said about your incredible achievements but your humility, openness and the time you took for every single person in any circumstance has blown me away."

Brazilian star Vinicius Jr. described Modric's football as "art" and thanked him for his daily generosity, while former captain Sergio Ramos called him "a genius, a friend, a brother who has made football an art."

Other tributes came from teammates past and present including Karim Benzema, Toni Kroos, Marcelo, Antonio Rüdiger, Fede Valverde, Eduardo Camavinga, Nacho, Rodrygo, and Arda Güler, all highlighting not just Modric's exceptional talent but his character and leadership.

The Santiago Bernabeu is expected to give Modric an emotional farewell during Saturday's match against Real Sociedad, bringing the curtain down on one of the most successful careers in Real Madrid's illustrious history.