"He can play football and go home without showering" - Juan Roman Riquelme claims 'incredible' Real Madrid superstar is similar to Roger Federer

Argentina legend Juan Roman Riquelme has compared veteran Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos with tennis legend Roger Federer.

Kroos, 34, has been a stalwart in the Los Blancos midfield since arriving from Bayern Munich in the summer of 2014. Currently in the final six months of his contract, the former Germany international is the epitome of lazy elegance, arguably the football equivalent of Federer.

The recently retired Federer - widely renowned as one of the best players of all time - stood out in an era of powerhitters. The Swiss maestro - with his signature singlehanded backhand - was poetry in motion and hardly let out a sweat - literally - as he went about carving his niche in tennis history.

Lavishing the same high praise on Kroos, former Argentina international Riquelme said (as per Albiceleste Talk via TNT Sports AR):

"Kroos is the closest thing to Federer. He can play football and go home without showering. It's incredible. He plays with the ball. He doesn't go to ground. He doesn't get dirty. He doesn't sweat."

Kroos has made 449 appearances across competitions for Los Blancos, contributing 28 goals and 96 assists. That includes a goal and seven assists in 32 outings across competitions this season.

Meanwhile, Federer called time on his illustrious career in 2022 at the Laver Cup team event at the O2 in London. His list of accolades include a record 237 consecutive weeks at No. 1, 20 Grand Slam singles titles (#3 all time) and 28 Masters 1000 titles (#3 all time), among others.

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What's next for Real Madrid?

Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti

Real Madrid are in the midst of a superb campaign. Having won their first trophy of the season at the Supercopa Espana last month, they exited the Copa del Rey in the Round of 16 but are flying high in La Liga.

With a 4-0 vanquish of Girona at home in a top-of-the-table league clash last weekend, Ancelotti's men are five points clear at the top. In midweek, they won 1-0 at RB Leipzig in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 first leg, having won all six group games earlier in the season.

Los Blancos next take on Rayo Vallecano away on Sunday (February 18) in the league, hoping to stay clear of the chasing pack. They close out the month with a home game with Sevilla in La Liga on February 25.