Kroos, multiple world champion
The German picked up his sixth Club World Cup in Saturday’s win against Al-Hilal; he has five with Real Madrid and the one in 2013 with Bayern Munich.
One, two, three... up to six Club World Cup winners medals adorn Toni Kroos’ mantelpiece. The German sealed his own unique sextuple with Saturday’s victory against Al-Hilal. The 5-3 win in Rabat made him the record holder - the first player to count his CWC triumphs on two hands. Kroos, who was a winner with Bayern in 2013, has now overtaken four of his Real Madrid team mates - Nacho, Carvajal, Modric and Benzema were all involved in Madrid’s victories in 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2023, but the German midfielder already had one winners’ medal in his collection before he joined from Munich.
At 33 years old, Kroos maintains his impeccable run in a competition in which he is the most successful player. Six editions, eleven games, all of them as a starter and he has won all of them. In 2013, he started in Bayern’s victories against GZ Evergrande (0-3) and Raja Casablanca (1-0). By the end of that season, he had swapped Munich for Madrid and was back in another Club World Cup almost as soon as he arrived, benefiting from Madrid’s victory in Lisbon against Atleti. He played 73 minutes in the semi-final against Cruz Azul (0-4) and the full 90 minutes in the comfortable 2-0 victory against San Lorenzo. It was a similar tale in 2016, with 72 minutes played against América (0-2) and the 120 minutes that Zidane’s men needed to avoid being surprised by Kashima Antlers in the final (4-2). A year later he was rested in the semi-final against Al Jazira (1-2), but started and completed the final against Grêmio (1-0). He made it five wins from five in 2018, also as a starter against Kashima (90′, 1-3) and Al Ain (70′, 4-1).
In Rabat, he picked up his sixth title, with a first class performance - 93% accuracy in passing (86/92), 28 of them in the last third of the field (more than anyone), with 12 successful long passes (out of 15) and solid defensive work: 3 interceptions, 2 tackles, 3 out of 4 in confrontations... An all-round match for Kroos who was rewarded with the record. A record which is even more remarkable when you consider that Real Madrid is club to have won the competition the most time with eight titles - and Toni has six. Madrid won three Intercontinental Cups (1960, 1998 and 2002) before FIFA changed the format of the competition. Behind Madrid are Bayern and AC Milan, both with four, Barça with three... All of them behind a Kroos who returns to Madrid as a standalone World record holder.
The player, whose contract with Madrid expires in June, did not want to be drawn on his plans for the future, saying after Saturday’s final, “There are different things that you have to think about if you want to continue or not. I’m thinking about it. It won’t take many more months, but a decision hasn’t be made yet. We are very calm and there is a good, serious relationship between the club and myself - there is no nonsense between us. I am very calm.”