What Spain fans did as Toni Kroos left the pitch for one last time is going viral

Spanish fans paid their respects to Toni Kroos after his final match as a professional footballer on Friday.

Toni Kroos ended a 17-year career in professional football on Friday night as hosts Germany were knocked out of the 2024 European Championships by Spain.

Despite coming back from a 1-0 deficit with a goal in the final second of normal time, Friday night was to end in heartbreak for Germany after a 119^th minute winner for Spain knocked them out of the Euros.

With Germany no longer in the tournament, Kroos has played his last football match one month after finishing his club career by winning the Champions League final with Real Madrid.

And despite their side being the team that dealt the final blow to the German midfielder, the Spanish fans respectful reaction to Kroos was incredible.

Toni Kroos played his last ever professional football match on July 5, losing to Spain at Euro 2024. (Image: Getty)

A video posted by Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenburg shows that, rather than gloat, the Spanish fans applauded Kroos and sang to him as he approached them to show his appreciation.

Of course, having spent a decade with La Liga champions Madrid, many of the Spanish fans will be acutely familiar with the midfielder who is a legend at the Bernabeu, and will have been eager to thank him for what he has done for the club.

The 37-year-old won an incredible 23 major trophies with Madrid, including six Champions League titles and four La Liga championships.

But, in May he took to Instagram to explain that after the conclusion of the Euros, he would officially be retiring.

Alongside photos of his career at Madrid, he wrote: “This decision means that my career as an active footballer will end this summer after the Euro championship.

“As I have always said: Real Madrid is and will be my last club. I am happy and proud that, in my mind, I found the right timing for my decision and that I could choose it by my own.

“My ambition was always to finish my career at the peak of my performance level. Now on, there is only leading thought: a por la 15 [winning Real Madrid’s 15th Champions League title]!”

Toni Kroos won the Champions League in his final club football match in June. (Image: Getty)

Kroos previously retired from international football in July 2022 but returned to the German team for the 2024 Euros, which are taking place in his home country, after a conversation with manager Julian Nagelsmann.

“I’ll be playing for Germany again from March. Why? Because I was asked by the coach and I’m up for it,” Kroos said in an Instagram post.

“I’m sure that much more is possible with the team at the European Championship than most people think right now.”

The midfielder has 114 caps for his national team and was part of the German side that won the 2014 World Cup, defeating Argentina 1-0