Luka Modric made history by becoming the oldest player for Real Madrid while also providing the assist for the winning goal in a 2-1 win against Celta Vigo in La Liga on Saturday.
At 39 years and 40 days old, Modric broke the previous record held by Ferenc Puskas since 1966 by four days. He came on as a substitute in the second half after Celta had equalized.
The Croatian midfielder quickly made an impact by sending a perfect pass to Vinícius Júnior, who scored the winning goal in the 66th minute at Balaidos Stadium.
“It was a hard-fought game,” said Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti. “But we knew how to hang in there and got three important points thanks to a great pass by Modric. Luka always gives us something.”
Kylian Mbappé put Madrid ahead with a long-range goal in the 20th minute, but Williot Swedberg equalized for Celta in the 51st minute from a cross by Óscar Mingueza.
That’s when Ancelotti turned to Modric to help the defending champions regain control.
When asked about Modric’s legacy at the club, Ancelotti said, “There is nothing else to say about a fantastic game; he is a great professional with character. Real Madrid has been, and is, lucky to have him.”
Modric holds the record for the most titles in Real Madrid’s history with 27, which includes six Champions League titles and four Spanish league titles.
This victory was not easy, as Celta put up a strong fight. Thibaut Courtois made crucial saves against shots from Swedberg and Jonathan Bamba, and Celta substitute Anastasios Douvikas nearly scored an equalizer in stoppage time.
“We leave with a bittersweet feeling,” said Celta midfielder Fran Beltran. “We took the game to Real Madrid and played better than them at times.”
Ancelotti’s team remains unbeaten after 10 rounds in La Liga, tying with Barcelona in points as they prepare to face Sevilla on Sunday.
Madrid also has a busy week ahead, with a home match against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Tuesday, followed by their first clasico of the season against Barcelona next weekend.
