Toni Kroos: Real Madrid’s unsung superstar proving he is far from finished among new wave of Galacticos

Thomas Muller shouted – loudly. He’d seen Toni Kroos’ pass before anyone else, and could only watch as his international team-mate threaded a defence-splitting ball that took three Bayern Munich players out of the game, and set up Vinicius Jr for an easy finish.

That moment – one that sent Muller into a near-comical fit of rage – was emblematic of Kroos’ season in Madrid white. He is assisting at his best rate in three years, while pinging the ball around with the same vigour that made him one of the best midfielders in Europe for so long.

Kroos, once assumed to be on his way out of the Spanish capital, is a player reborn this season, and central to Los Blancos’ pursuit of a domestic-European double. Manager Carlo Ancelotti has made Kroos indispensable, a regular in a well-balanced midfield and a crucial part of a team that is two wins away from a 16th European Cup.

‘Moment of transition’

This all looked highly unlikely just over a year ago. The 2022-23 campaign was a difficult one for Madrid as Barcelona, though flawed as a side, ran away with La Liga, while Los Blancos’ Champions League hopes were ended in comprehensive fashion by a rampant Manchester City.

There were question marks all over the pitch, but Kroos was singled out by fans and his manager alike as a potential problem. In January 2023, Ancelotti even seemed to suggest that both Kroos and his long-time midfielder partner Luka Modric should prepare for a “moment of transition.” It was all very cryptic, but the message was clear: Kroos might be on his way out.

Such a decision would have made sense, too. Kroos had just one year left on his contract, while the arrival of Jude Bellingham – which was well on the way to being finalised at the time – figured to usher in a new era for Ancelotti’s side. And with Kroos’ performance levels leaving a lot to be desired, the German could perhaps have few complaints about his time at the top coming to an end.

Fighting back

Perhaps Kroos’ first statement of intent came in an interview last summer. Speaking on his podcast, Kroos fired a warning at Bellingham, shortly after his nine-figure transfer had been announced. “€103m transfer fee? We now also had someone who came for a lot of money and virtually let his career rest,” said the German, referencing Eden Hazard’s failed time in Spain.

Those were fighting words, but the 34-year-old backed them up with performances on the pitch. Ancelotti tweaked his tactics last summer, allowing Kroos to play with some freedom, and he spent most of pre-season pinging the ball around. He even earned praise from Bellingham, who applauded a devastating through ball against AC Milan in an August friendly.

Kroos only started two of Los Blancos’ first five games, though, as Ancelotti preferred a Federico Valverde-Aurelien Tchouamnei-Eduardo Camavinga midfield three. But once given his chance, Kroos became a regular. He name to the line up for the Madrid derby against Atletico on September 24, and has never really fallen out of it since.

Tactical tweaks

Kroos, certainly, deserves the plaudits for staying in the side, but he’s also been helped by some tactical innovation from his manager.

Ancelotti was forced to get creative when Bellingham arrived from Borussia Dortmund last summer. With no obvious striker following the departure of Karim Benzema, the manager opted to utilise Bellingham as an attacking midfielder, with a trio sitting in behind him. That has evolved over the course of the season, as Madrid now play in something that resembles a 4-2-3-1, or 4-4-2 with a trendy box midfield.

Kroos has thrived within that system. Playing on the left side of a deep duo, with one of Tchouameni, Camavinga or Valverde alongside him, the German can sit in his preferred spaces and orchestrate from deep. His declining athleticism – something so often exposed last campaign – has been rendered near-irrelevant.

Kroos is no longer a complete midfielder, but he remains a tempo setter, and pass-master in full.

Kroos, the creator

But, in the right circumstances, Kroos has been able to get forward, too. His assist against Bayern was the kind of incisive pass he has been playing all season – guided balls between the lines into Madrid’s advancing forwards.

The numbers suggest much of the same. Kroos is in the 99th percentile among midfielders for progressive passes and passes into the final third, according to FBRef. He is in the 93rd for shot-creating actions, and 96th for key passes. Piece it all together, and Kroos is having his best creative season since 2020 – with seven assists in La Liga.

With more clinical finishing up front – Vinicius and Rodrygo have squandered their fair share of chances – he could easily have double-digits. Modric might have been phased out, but Kroos has picked up the mantle and then some.

Out of retirement

Back at home, meanwhile, Germany are preparing to host the European Championship, and there have been rumblings since last year that some of their retired veterans – Kroos among them – could be coaxed out of retirement to take part in the tournament. That process only accelerated once Julian Nagelsmann took charge in September, and in early 2024, it was announced that Kroos would be returning to the international fold ahead of this summer’s tournament.

The midfielder made his much-anticipated Germany return in March, starting twice as he was deployed alongside Bayer Leverkusen’s Robert Andrich in a commanding double pivot. The Euros hosts won both of their fixtures, knocking off first France, then the Netherlands, and Madrid’s maestro assisted in both games, playing all-but one minute.

It would all seem to have the German set up for a big summer. After a dire few years, the national team look to be turning their fortunes around at the right time, with Nagelsmann having implemented a new philosophy while exciting young talents could see them make some noise on home soil. Kroos will undoubtedly be central to that effort.

Embracing the new Galacticos
Back at Madrid, and almost 18 months on from his incendiary comments about Kroos’ future, Ancelotti’s point of view has changed. “Toni Kroos, no words for him. He’s a top player. He’s crucial for us,” he said after Los Blancos’ 2-2 Champions League draw with Bayern.

Kroos, in just over a year, has gone from washed-up to indispensable, from old man to reliable veteran. Though he is still to sign a new deal, he is expected to renew for another 12 months. Other veterans such as Modric and Nacho are set to depart as free agents, leaving Kroos as the elder statesman in a star-studded Madrid dressing room that is set to add Kylian Mbappe, Endrick and potentially Alphonso Davies to its ranks in 2024-25.

Ancelotti is set to have the most-talented squad in world football at his disposal next season, with the vast majority of his players 25 or under. Kroos, at 34, projects to be outlier, but right now, he is simply too good to lose. He may no longer be the complete midfielder he once was, but he has been reimagined, refined, and perfected for this Madrid system. Los Blancos would be nowhere without him.