Former Real Madrid star Toni Kroos has shown his support for the club’s next generation by publicly endorsing Kylian Mbappe and Federico Valverde as worthy successors to his and Luka Modric’s iconic shirt numbers.
Kroos, who retired from professional football last summer, made a gesture on Instagram that caught the attention of Madridistas worldwide.
In a story shared on his official account, Kroos reposted a fan-made photomontage that perfectly captured the past and future of Real Madrid.
The image featured Kroos alongside Modric with Mbappe and Valverde pictured beneath them.
The detail that stood out most was the shirt numbers: Mbappe wearing ‘10’ and Valverde wearing ‘8’, symbolically inheriting Modric’s and Kroos’s numbers.
For Real Madrid fans, this was more than just an Instagram post. It was a silent but powerful message from Kroos, signalling his approval of the generational shift now underway at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Mbappe, the newly appointed number 10, has already been positioned as the team’s attacking leader since his arrival.
Valverde, meanwhile, has long been a key figure in midfield, embodying the energy, discipline, and winning mentality that defined Kroos and Modric’s partnership for over a decade.
This subtle gesture from Kroos can be seen as a symbolic passing of responsibility, trusting these two players to carry forward the same standards of excellence that made Real Madrid dominant both in Spain and in Europe.
Even in retirement, Kroos continues to show a strong emotional connection with the club and its supporters.
This public show of confidence in Mbappé and Valverde reflects his belief that the team’s future remains in safe hands.
While no words accompanied the shared image, the message was clear that the golden era may have passed, but the next chapter is already in motion, and Kroos believes his successors are ready to write it.