We can all remember the pass. Luka Modric receives the ball on the half-turn, in a little pocket of space between Chelsea's midfield and defensive lines. He doesn't really look up before playing it, into Rodrygo's path at the far post. And then there's the execution: outside of the foot, into stride, Rodrygo tucks it away. Real Madrid salvage their Champions League quarter-final, make it all the final and lift the trophy. That gorgeous assist was one of many turning points along the way.
Modric was 35 when he played that teasing ball, and back then, it was just further evidence that he really was ageless. Madrid's Toni Kroos-Modric-Casemiro midfield was coming to its end, but the Croatian clearly still had a few years left in him.
Modric did remain a key cog in Los Blancos' midfield for two further seasons, playing the big games while keeping his ageing body ticking over in the lesser ones. But now, things have changed. Modric looks tired, and he can't be counted on in the same way. And in a season during which Madrid's midfield has collapsed, so too has the 2018 Ballon d'Or winner.
Modric is by no means a liability, but the eye test confirms what the stats suggest: he is old, and he would do well to leave Madrid while he still has enough football in him to depart with dignity.
