"Seemed like there were 2 of him on the pitch" - Real Madrid legend Toni Kroos names ex-Chelsea star as toughest opponent

Former Real Madrid star Toni Kroos has named Chelsea hero N'Golo Kante as the toughest adversary he ever faced on a football pitch. The France international is widely regarded as one of the finest midfielders of his generation, having starred in title-winning sides for club and country.

Kroos had a chat with Romario TV where he answered different questions about his hugely successful professional career, which ended in 2024. When posed with the question of his toughest opponent, the Real Madrid legend quickly remembered his Chelsea counterpart and named him.

“Most difficult opponent? I’d say Kante, it seemed there was two of him on the pitch", he said (via @MadridXtra on X).

For much of his top-flight career, N'Golo Kante has been hailed as a player with more than two lungs, a nod to his incredible ability to cover large spaces on the pitch. Kroos' reason for naming him as his toughest opponent is of a similar origin, as he said the midfielder always seemed to have a clone of himself on the pitch.

Now with Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia, Kante shot to limelight in the 2015-16 season as he helped Leicester City emerge as shock Premier League champions before moving to Chelsea at the end of the campaign. He helped the Blues to win the league in the 2016-17 season and won the FIFA World Cup with France in 2018.

Kroos and Kante faced off on ten occasions as opponents, with the Frenchman winning half of their encounters and Kroos winning three. Kante famously won the Man of the Match award in both legs as his Chelsea side overcame Real Madrid in the semi-finals en route to winning the UEFA Champions League in 2021.

Chelsea eyeing move for Real Madrid star: Reports

Chelsea are weighing up a move to re-sign Real Madrid defender Antonio Rudiger on a permanent basis in the summer, as per reports. The Blues are keeping tabs on the Germany international as they look to strengthen their backline ahead of the 2026-27 season.

A report from Diario AS has named the Blues among the sides looking to sign the experienced defender as a free agent at the end of the season. He has also been linked with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Galatasaray as possible destinations if he leaves the Bernabeu.

Enzo Maresca's side have seen their lack of experience cost them on occasion this season, and the club appears to be interested in addressing this issue with a signing at the back. Rudiger left Stamford Bridge for the Bernabeu after his contract expired in 2022, and could make the same move in the opposite direction next summer.

Edited by Sulayman Salahudeen