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Real Madrid superstar Toni Kroos' official return to Germany's national team has left fans ecstatic.
Kroos has been pondering coming out of retirement from international football ahead of Euro 2024. The European competition takes place in his homeland and he holds a good relationship with manager Julian Nagelsmann.
The 34-year-old retired from international football in July 2021 to concentrate on club football with Real Madrid. He'd earned 106 caps, scoring 17 goals and providing 19 assists, and was part of Die Mannschaft's side that won the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Kroos is now back in Germany's national team after being called up by Nagelsmann for upcoming friendlies. They face France on March 23 and the Netherlands on March 26.
The former Bayern Munich man has been rolling back the years at the Santiago Bernabeu this season. He's registered one goal and seven assists in 37 games across competitions, still a vital asset for Carlo Ancelotti.
Nagelsmann suggested Kroos was enticed by the prospect of appearing at Euro 2024 when speaking earlier this season. Germany's boss said (via GOAL):
"Toni is a great person who says his opinion clearly - and a very successful footballer... I think playing Euros at home is an attractive prospect for all German players. It depends on him, his performances and on other players."
Kroos joins a Germany squad that have turned a corner under Nagelsmann after Hansi Flick's unsuccessful short reign. He'll link up with Real Madrid teammate Antonio Rudiger and former Bayern teammates Manuel Neuer and Thomas Muller.
One fan claimed Kroos is better than Barcelona legends Andres Iniesta and Xavi combined:
"He is better than prime Xavi and Iniesta combined. No one can tell me otherwise."
Another fan reckons the Madrid playmaker has been proving that age is just a number:
"Deserved. Dude playing like he is 24."
One fan dubbed him:
"Bro really is timeless!"
Here's how fans on X (formerly Twitter) reacted to Kroos' return to international football:
Barcelona icon Xavi named Real Madrid's Toni Kroos as his 'successor'
Xavi is often acknowledged as one of the greatest playmakers in La Liga history. He registered 58 goals and 130 assists in 505 games in the Spanish top flight with Barcelona, winning eight titles.
The current Blaugrana boss left Barca in 2019 and joined Qatar side Al-Sadd. But, on the way out of Camp Nou, he tipped Real Madrid's Kroos as his successor on the pitch (via GOAL):
"I think that Kroos is the engine of Real Madrid. He has a way of playing that reminds me a lot of myself. He is like my successor on the field."
Kroos lived up to Xavi's glowing assessment by becoming one of Madrid's most successful midfielders. He's bagged 22 goals and 71 assists in 300 La Liga games, winning three titles. The midfield partnership he forged with Luka Modric and Casemiro is touted as one of the most formidable in Spanish football history.
