* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 20:59, 8 November 2025 (UTC)
Sergio Ramos García (Spanish pronunciation:[ˈseɾxjoˈramosɣaɾˈθi.a];[A] born 30 March 1986) is a Spanish professionalfootballer who plays as acentre-back for andcaptainsLiga MX clubMonterrey. Widely regarded as one of the greatest defenders of all time, he is known for his aerial abilities, leadership, and goalscoring abilities, having scored more than 100 goals forReal Madrid.[3][4][5]
Born inCamas in the Spanishprovince of Seville, Ramos played inSevilla's youth academy and spent two seasons with the senior team, before moving to Real Madrid in the summer of 2005. He went on to become a mainstay for the club, winning 22 major honours, including fiveLa Liga titles and fourUEFA Champions League titles. He was vital to all of the Champions League winning campaigns, as he was named in the competition’s Team of the Season each time. Out of contract with Real Madrid, he signed for Ligue 1 clubParis Saint-Germain in July 2021, spending two seasons at the club and winningLigue 1 twice, before returning to Sevilla for one season.
In the summer of 2005, Ramos was purchased by Real Madrid for €27 million, a record for a Spanish defender.[12] He was the only Spanish player brought in duringFlorentino Pérez's first stint as Real's president.
During his first seasons, Ramos played as centre back, being also used as an emergencydefensive midfielder on occasion. However, with the arrival ofChristoph Metzelder andPepe in the2007–08 season, he was again relocated to right back. In his first four seasons at Real Madrid, Ramos displayed a goalscoring instinct unusual to many defenders, netting more than 20 goals overall. He also received the first nine of his 24 red cards for the club, including four inhis debut season. His first red card came after two bookable offences in a 1–0 away loss toEspanyol on 18 September 2005.[14]
On 4 May 2008, he assistedGonzalo Higuaín in the89th minute againstOsasuna in an eventual 2–1 away win, the match that sealed the club's 31st league championship. On the final day of the season, he scored twice in a 5–2 home win against already relegatedLevante: one through a header, and another an individual effort; these goals taking his league tally for the2007–08 season to five.[16]
On 24 August 2008, Ramos scored in the2008 Supercopa de España second leg againstValencia, making the score 2–1 in an eventual 4–2 and 6–5 aggregate win. The victory came despite Real Madrid playing with only nine men for a long period of time afterRafael van der Vaart andRuud van Nistelrooy were sent off. Although Ramos experienced a slight dip in form during the early part of the2008–09 season, he returned to his best and on 11 January 2009, scoring an acrobatic volley in a 3–0 triumph atMallorca.[17] He continued his scoring run the following week in a 3–1home win against Osasuna.[18]
Ramos was named in bothFIFA andUEFA's 2008Team of the Year, adding the FIFPro Team of the Year 2007–08 accolade. He also finished 21st in the European Player of the Year nomination for 2008.[19]
At the start of the2009–10 season, Ramos was appointed as one of Real Madrid's four captains. Because Pepe had suffered a serious knee injury during this campaign, Ramos was often deployed as central defender. He scored four goals in 33 league matches; and, on 21 February 2010 he played his 200th official match forLos Blancos againstVillarreal (150 in the first division). Despite these personal highlights, Real Madrid finished the campaign without picking up any silverware.
Ramos in action for Real Madrid in October 2010.
In Real Madrid's 5–0 loss at Barcelona on 29 November 2010, Ramos wassent off after kickingLionel Messi from behind, then pushingCarles Puyol in the ensuing melée.[20] After this ejection, he equalledFernando Hierro's previous record of ten red cards at the club, despite having played in 264 fewer games.[21] On 20 April 2011, Ramos started inthe season'sCopa del Reyfinal, a 1–0 win against Barcelona inValencia. In the subsequent victory procession, while celebrating on the top of the club's bus, he accidentally lost hold of the cup, which fell under the wheels of the vehicle; the trophy was dented as a result.[22]
On 12 July 2011, Ramos extended his contract with Real Madrid until 2017.[23] The following 25 April, in theChampions League semi-finals' second leg againstBayern Munich, he missed hispenalty shootout attempt as Real Madrid lost 3–1;[24] the league campaign ended with them winning, with a record 100 points, after a four-year wait and he was the player with most balls recovered in his team, third overall.[25]
On 9 January 2013, Ramos was sent off for a secondbookable offense midway through the second half of an eventual 4–0 home win overCelta Vigo in the2012–13 Copa del Rey. He subsequently received a four-match suspension, after it was revealed he also insultedreferee Miguel Ángel Ayza Gámez.[26] The following month, mere minutes after scoring the second goal at home againstRayo Vallecano and less than 20 minutes into the first half, he received two yellow cards within one minute in the eventual 2–0 home success, taking his red card tally with Real Madrid alone to 16; and 12 in the league.[27][28]
In late February/early March 2013, due to the absence ofIker Casillas due to injury, Ramoscaptained Real to back-to-back wins over Barcelona in just four days: he netted the 2–1 home winner in the second game, heading home after acorner kick.[29]
On 14 December 2013, Ramos received aclub record 18th red card for Real Madrid in a 2–2 draw at Osasuna,[30] but the suspension was later lifted.[31]
His 19th red card came in a 4–3 home defeat to Barcelona, on 23 March 2014.[14] On 26 April, Ramos scored a header against Osasuna inLa Liga at the Bernabéu, in a counter-attack which he began with a strong tackle. It was his first goal in La Liga in six months, since his volley against Levante on match-day 8.[32] On 29 April 2014, Ramos scored two headers in four minutes in a 4–0 away win against Bayern Munich inthe semi-finals of the Champions League,[33] with the tie ending with a 5–0 aggregate score and Madrid's qualification to thefinal for the first time in twelve years. Ramos' brace against Bayern (4 minutes) was the fastest brace inUEFA Champions League semi-final history at the time.[34]
On 4 May, Ramos scored in the 2–2 draw with Valencia at home inLa Liga with another header, scoring in back-to-back league games.[35] Three days later, Ramos scored his first free-kick for a 1–1 draw away to Valladolid, having scored in three consecutive La Liga matches and scoring four consecutive matches for Real Madrid for the first time.[36] On 24 May, in the Champions League final againstAtlético Madrid, he headed home in the 93rd minute to tie the game 1–1, and Real Madrid went on to win 4–1 inextra-time to claim 'La Decima', their tenth trophy in the competition; he was also chosen by fans asMan of the match.[37] Ramos ended2013–14 with 7 goals, which made it his highest scoring season for Real Madrid at the time.
Ramos started2014–15 season on 12 August 2014 by playing the full 90 minutes in a 2–0 win againstSevilla to win their first trophy of the season, theUEFA Super Cup. He then played the two-leggedSupercopa de España final againstAtlético Madrid withLos Blancos losing 2–1 on aggregate.[38] Ramos scored his first goal of the season on 31 August in week two ofLa Liga, a header in a 4–2 away loss againstReal Sociedad.[39] Ramos scored his 50th Real Madrid goal which came off his knee on 8 November against Rayo Vallecano at the Bernabéu in La Liga as Real Madrid won 5–1.[40]
He scored in both the semi-final andthe final of the2014 FIFA Club World Cup and was voted the Player of the Match in both as Real Madrid won the tournament in Morocco. Ramos was also voted the player of the tournament, winning the Golden Ball.[41][42]
Ramos posing with the European Cup, after the2015–16 season
Ramos agreed a new five-year contract with Real Madrid in August 2015, tying him to the club until 2020. He was also made captain after the transfer of Casillas toPorto.[43] On 8 November Ramos scored his first goal of the season away to Sevilla. In scoring with an overhead kick he was forced to be substituted due to landing on his injured left shoulder.[44]
On 20 December 2015, Ramos captained Madrid to a 10–2 victory overRayo Vallecano, the club's highest scoring La Liga victory in 55 years.[45] The following 13 March, he received his 20th red card for Real Madrid in a 2–1 win overLas Palmas, having earlier scored the game's opening goal with a header from anIsco corner kick. On 2 April 2016, he returned from suspension in a 2–1 victory against Barcelona atCamp Nou, where he was again sent off, receiving his 21st red card and fourth in aClásico fixture.[14]
Real Madrid reached the2016 UEFA Champions League Final, where they facedAtlético Madrid. Ramos once again scored in a final, putting Real ahead in the first half. At the time, he was just the fifth player to score in two different Champions League Finals afterRaúl,Samuel Eto'o, Lionel Messi andCristiano Ronaldo. After a second-half equalizer from Atlético, he then scored a penalty in the shoot-out which resulted in Real Madrid winning 5–3; thus, he lifted his first UEFA Champions League trophy as a captain.[46] According to authorMichael Cox, he also notably "tipped the balance of the game toward Real Madrid" by trippingYannick Carrasco up and stopping a three-on-one counter in stoppage time, with 30 seconds remaining and the score 1–1.[47] He was namedman of the match byUEFA after the game.[46] By winning the final, Real Madrid earned the right to play against the winners of the2015–16 UEFA Europa League,Sevilla, in the2016 UEFA Super Cup.[48] Ramos ended the2015–16 season with three goals in 33 games which was his lowest goal tally and the fewest matches he played in any season at Real Madrid till then, due to ongoing injuries.
Ramos started in the2016 UEFA Super Cup inTrondheim, scoring Real Madrid's equalizing second goal of the match in the 93rd minute, and hence bringing the game into extra-time. Real Madrid were the eventual 3–2 winners, with Ramos being namedman of the match.[49] On 3 December 2016, he scored his fourth Clásico goal, an equalizer against Barcelona in a 1–1 draw at theCamp Nou in the 90th minute, extending Madrid's unbeaten run to 33 games.[50] One week later, he scored another late goal, this time in the 92nd minute, to help Madrid claim a 3–2 victory against Deportivo La Coruña.[51]
On 15 January 2017, Ramos scored an own goal late in the game against Sevilla which levelled the scores at 1–1. Eventually Real Madrid lost the match 2–1 in stoppage time, thus ending their unbeaten streak at 40 matches.[52] A week later, he scored both goals in a 2–1 win overMálaga, registering his 50th goal in La Liga.[53] On 11 February, in a 3–1 victory againstOsasuna, Ramos played his 500th match with the club.[54] In theUEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg, Ramos scored an important equalizing header againstNapoli in a 3–1 away win as Real Madrid qualified to the quarter-final after winning 6–2 on aggregate. On 12 March, Ramos scored another late header winner for Real Madrid, this time againstReal Betis at theSantiago Bernabéu in a 2–1 win, taking his goal tally to 10 for the season – scoring double digit goals in a season for the first time in his career. Ramos' winner put Real Madrid back at the top of theLa Liga table.[55]
On 23 April 2017, Ramos was sent off for the 22nd time in his Real Madrid career and fifth time in an El Clásico, after a straight red card for a two-footed challenge on Lionel Messi during a Barcelona counter-attack in their 3–2 home defeat.[56] Real Madrid won their 33rdLa Liga title, giving Ramos his fourth league title overall and first as captain.[57][58] They went on to win their first league and European Cup double since 1957–58 season, as the team defeatedJuventus in the2017 UEFA Champions League Final. This also made Ramos the first player to captain a team to back-to-back European Cups in theUEFA Champions League era.[59] His ten goals in2016–17 made it his then-highest scoring season.[60]
On 20 August 2017, in Real Madrid's first game of the2017–18 La Liga, he received his 23rd career red card. It was his 18th in La Liga, a joint highest record. He went on to break that record, seeing his 19th La Liga red in a 0–0 draw withAthletic Bilbao.[61] Ramos scored his first goal of the season on 13 September in theChampions League, scoring a bicycle kick againstAPOEL on match-day 1.[62] InLa Liga, Ramos scored four goals, including two penalties – against Leganes and Sevilla. During the2017–18 UEFA Champions League, he made eleven appearances, while scoring one goal, when Madrid won their third consecutive and 13th overall Champions League title.[63] Ramos' performance inthe final, however, was met with criticism;[64] a challenge onMohamed Salah resulted in the Egyptian dislocating his shoulder and missing the rest of the game,[65] and he hit Liverpool keeperLoris Karius in the head with his elbow, the goalkeeper later being diagnosed with concussion.[66][67] Ramos later denied that he intentionally hit Karius, saying thatVirgil van Dijk pushed him into Karius.[68] Ramos became the first player to captain a team to three consecutive Champions League triumphs, having now lifted the Champions League in every season as captain.[69]
Ramos began the2018–19 season scoring a penalty in an eventual 4–2 loss to Atlético Madrid in the2018 UEFA Super Cup. Taking the penalty ensured Ramos would be the team's new penalty taker with the departure ofCristiano Ronaldo.[70] On 26 August 2018, Ramos scored another penalty in Real Madrid's 4–1 away win againstGirona, making him the only player along withLionel Messi to score in each of the last 15La Liga seasons.[71] One week later, Ramos scored his third penalty of the season, against Leganes in a 4–1 win at the Santiago Bernabéu – his first goal at home since March 2017.[72]
On 25 December 2018, Ramos played his 400th La Liga match for Real Madrid in a 2–1 loss at home to Levante, becoming only the tenth Real Madrid player to reach this milestone.[73] After a run of poor results and the sacking ofJulen Lopetegui, Ramos scored his first goal for Real Madrid in two months through aPanenka, against Real Valladolid inSantiago Solari's first2018–19 La Liga game in charge ofLos Blancos.[74] Two weeks later, on 11 November, Ramos scored another Panenka against Celta Vigo – making them the 25th different team he scored against in La Liga.[75] This was Ramos' third Panenka from his last four penalties, with the inventor of the penalty,Antonín Panenka, saying Ramos was the best 'imitator' of his penalty technique.[76] With five goals in the first three months of the season, Ramos had his best goal-scoring start to a season at Real Madrid.[77] In the2018 FIFA Club World Cup, Ramos played in both Real Madrid's semi-final againstKashima Antlers and the final againstAl Ain. Ramos scored a header inthe final as Real Madrid won 3–1 to claim their third consecutive FIFA Club World Cup.[78] Ramos became the first player to lift three consecutiveFIFA Club World Cups while also becoming the first defender to score in two Club World Cup Finals.[79]
On 9 January 2019, Ramos scored a penalty in theCopa del Rey game againstLeganés, which was his 100th career goal, excluding 2 goals for Sevilla'sreserve team.[80] To celebrate the goal, Ramos chose to show the number 100 with his fingers.[81] On 24 January, Ramos scored a brace against Girona in theCopa del Rey quarter-final first leg in a 4–2 home win.[82] It was Ramos' fourth brace for Real Madrid and his first in the Copa del Rey.[83] Three days later, Ramos scored his 10th goal of the campaign with a header against Espanyol in a 4–2 away win, which was also his 60thLa Liga goal.[84] With ten goals to his name, Ramos equalled his highest-scoring season at Real Madrid which he set in2016–17.[85]
On 6 February 2019, Sergio Ramos was playing inthe Clásico for the 40th time. Three days later, in theMadrid Derby against Atlético Madrid, Ramos scored his eighth penalty of the season and his 11th goal in all competitions – making it his best goal-scoring season at Real Madrid.[86] Four days later, in the 2–1Champions League Round of 16 first legaway win overAjax, Ramos became just the seventh player to play 600 matches for Real Madrid.[87] In the match against Ajax, Ramos was booked for what seemed to be a needless challenge in the 90th minute. The booking meant that Ramos would miss the second leg against Ajax at the Santiago Bernabéu due a suspension of accumulating yellow cards. This sparked controversy after Ramos hinted to journalists in a post match interview that the yellow card was deliberate, which violatesUEFA's rules.[88] Two and a half weeks later, UEFA opened a disciplinary investigation regarding this matter and decided to give Ramos a two-game ban, meaning he will also miss both the Champions League Round of 16-second leg against Ajax and the quarter-final first leg were Real Madrid to qualify.[89] Due to Real Madrid's elimination by Ajax, the suspension carried onto the next season and Ramos missed the first Champions League game of the 2019–20 season againstParis Saint-Germain.[90]
On 17 February, Ramos played his 601st match for Real Madrid, against Girona in La Liga, equalling the record of Real Madrid legendsFernando Hierro andPaco Gento.[91] Ten days later, Ramos played in his 41st El Clásico, in the Copa del Rey semi-final second leg at home. This was Ramos' 602nd match for Real Madrid, taking up to him fifth in Real Madrid's all-time appearances list.[92] On 2 March, Ramos played in the La Liga El Clásico at the Bernabéu, making him equal the all-time record of Paco Gento,Manolo Sanchís andXavi by playing in 42 Clasicos.[93] On 5 March, Real Madrid were eliminated from the Champions League by Ajax after being thrashed 4–1 at the Santiago Bernabéu (aggregate 5–3 for Ajax).[94] Ramos did not feature due to being suspended after forcing a yellow card in the first leg, thus facing criticism for doing so.[95] Moreover, Ramos faced even more criticism as he was caught with a camera crew in the stands, filming for his newAmazon Prime documentary.[96] Ramos took to hisTwitter andInstagram accounts to discuss the controversy surrounding his actions in which he admitted forcing the yellow card against Ajax in the first leg 'was an error and I take the blame 200%'. Regarding filming the documentary, Ramos claimed there were 'certain commitments' made prior and he did not imagine the game would pan out as it did.[97] Ramos picked up a calf injury at the start of April which saw him miss the rest of the campaign and the final eight La Liga matches.[98]
Ramos playing for Real Madrid in 2019
Ramos' first goal of the season was a header in his firstChampions League match of the campaign, againstClub Brugge on 1 October at home. The goal came at a vital time as Real Madrid were 2–0 down by half-time but were able to make a comeback after another header byCasemiro. This was also Ramos' first Champions League goal in two seasons.[99] On 30 October, Ramos scored from the penalty-spot in a 5–0 home victory overLeganés, continuing his run of scoring in 16 straight La Liga seasons, again equalling Messi.[100] One week later, on 6 November, Ramos scored his first penalty in the Champions League, which came againstGalatasaray in a 6–0 home win. It was another 'Panenka' style penalty and also meant that Ramos scored in two Champions League group matches in the same season for the first time.[101] On 18 December, Ramos played in his 43rd El Clasico, claiming the all-time appearance record for this historic fixture.[102]
On 12 January 2020, Ramos scored the winning penalty in ashoot-out against Atletico Madrid in theSupercopa de España final inJeddah as Real Madrid won 4–1 on penalties after a 0–0 draw afterextra time. This was the first time in Ramos' career that he scored a winning penalty in a shoot-out.[103] The 2020 Supercopa title was Ramos' 21st trophy with Real Madrid.[104] A month later, Ramos scored another header in La Liga, this time away toOsasuna as Real Madrid won 4–1 to maintain top position in the table.[105] Ramos' goal atEl Sadar meant that he had scored in 20 different La Liga stadiums.[106] This was Ramos' first La Liga goal of 2020, meaning he was the only player to score in La Liga in each of the last 17 calendar years – dating back to 2004.[107]
On 26 February 2020, Ramos equalled the record of red cards received in the UEFA Champions League. With four red cards, he shares the unwanted record withZlatan Ibrahimović andEdgar Davids.[108] This dismissal came in a 2–1 home defeat toManchester City in the Round of 16 first leg, for atactical foul on City strikerGabriel Jesus.[108] Four days later, Ramos featured in Real Madrid's 2–0 win over Barcelona at home in La Liga to leapfrog them into first place.[109] This was Ramos' 21st consecutive Clasico in all competitions and his 30th in La Liga with Real Madrid.[110]
When La Liga restarted after a three-month hiatus due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, Ramos scored in Real Madrid's first game back againstEibar on 14 June at theAlfredo di Stéfano Stadium in a 3–1 win.[111] He also scored the first goal at this stadium in its inaugural match in May 2006.[112] Ramos' goal began with him winning the ball back from Eibar's attack a few meters outside Madrid's own penalty area and ran 70 meters across the pitch to find the pass fromEden Hazard to score his first La Liga goal from open play in over five years.[113] On 21 June, Ramos scored a penalty for Real Madrid in their 2–1 win against Real Sociedad at theAnoeta, which was the 20th consecutive penalty he converted for club and country (including shoot-outs).[114] Three days later, Ramos scored a free-kick against in a 2–0 win over Mallorca at the Alfredo di Stefano to become La Liga's all-time highest scoring defender with 68 goals, surpassingRonald Koeman's 67 with Barcelona.[115] Ramos' free-kick was also his eighth La Liga goal of the season, making it his most prolific league campaign to date and his tenth in all competitions – hitting double figures for a third season.[116] On 28 June, Ramos featured in the 1–0 away league win against Espanyol, heading the ball down right outside the Espanyol penalty area toKarim Benzema who eventually assisted Casemiro to score the winner right before half-time.[117] This was Ramos' 645th match for Madrid, moving him up to fourth in the club's all-time most appearances list joint withSantillana.[118]
On 2 July 2020, Ramos scored his fifteenth consecutive penalty for Real Madrid in the 79th minute which proved to be the winner in a 1–0 home win againstGetafe – opening up a four-point advantage at the top of La Liga.[119][120] This was Ramos' ninth league goal of the season – equaling the record set byArgentine international defenderEzequiel Garay in2006-07 while playing forRacing Santander for a defender with the most goals in a single La Liga season.[121] The penalty against Getafe meant that Ramos had equalled his best goal scoring season (11 goals) which was set the previous season. Ramos had now scored in four out of six of Madrid's matches since the restart, more than any other player.[122] Moreover, the goal was his 100th career club goal, and his 70th in La Liga.[123] The win over Getafe was Ramos' 450th La Liga appearance as a Real Madrid player, becoming just the fifth player to reach this milestone.[124] Three days later, he scored another penalty – his 22nd in a row, and his tenth goal of the season in La Liga – in a 1–0 away win overAthletic Bilbao.[125][126] He also became the first centre-back to score 10 goals in a La Liga season sinceFernando Hierro during the1993–94 season.[127] On 19 July, Ramos scored his eleventh league goal in Real Madrid's last La Liga game of the season against Leganes in an eventual 2–2 draw, making it his most prolific season in White with 13 goals across all competitions.[128] At the end of the season, Ramos won his fifth league title with Los Blancos and Real Madrid's 34th overall.[129]
On 27 September 2020, Ramos opened his goal count for the season after netting the winning goal against Real Betis from the penalty spot atBenito Villamarín in a 3–2 league win.[130] One month later on 24 October in El Clasico, Ramos earned and converted a penalty at the Camp Nou in a 3–1 league win – this was his 25th consecutive penalty goal for both club and country (including shoot-outs).[131][132] Ramos' fifth El Clasico goal equaled the record of Ronald Koeman (who was in the other dugout as manager) as the defenders with the most goals in this historic fixture. This was also Ramos' 31st consecutive La Liga Clasico, meaning he has not missed one since joining Los Blancos in 2005 – equalling Raúl and Paco Gento as the players who played in the most league Clasicos.[133] Three days later, Ramos played his firstChampions League match of the season againstBorussia Mönchengladbach, assisting Casemiro's 93rd minute equaliser in a 2–2 draw.[134] This was Ramos' 16th Champions League campaign with Real Madrid, equalling the record of club legend, and former captain and teammate Iker Casillas.[135] On 31 October, Ramos became just the 10th player to play 500 La Liga matches (461 for Real Madrid and 39 for Sevilla), as Madrid beatHuesca 4–1 at the Alfredo Di Stefano Stadium.[136] On 3 November, Ramos scored his 100th goal for Real Madrid in all competitions, in a 3–2 win overInter Milan in the Champions League.[137]
On 14 January, Ramos reportedly took four pain killer injections to his left knee to play against Athletic Bilbao in the2020–21 Supercopa de España semi-final which Real Madrid went on to lose 2–1.[138] This was the last match Ramos would play before opting for a mid-season surgery for the first time in his career for a torn meniscus in his left knee.[139] He was expected to be out for two months and to return in early April, but after a speedy recovery, Ramos started againstElche on 13 March – just over a month after he went under the knife.[140] Real Madrid's 2–1 win over Elche was Ramos' 334th La Liga win (315 with Real Madrid and 19 with Sevilla), equalling the record of Iker Casillas as the players with second–most wins in the Spanish top flight – only behind Messi.[141] Four days later, Ramos played in a Champions League round of 16-second leg for the first time in three years as Real Madrid went on to defeatAtalanta 3–1 at the Alfredo di Stefano (5–3 on aggregate) and qualified for the quarter-finals for the first time since their last Champions League winning campaign in 2018. Ramos scored his 19th consecutive penalty for Madrid in the 60th minute which killed the game, before coming off as a substitute.[142] This was Ramos' 15th Champions League goal, equallingGerard Piqué and former teammateIván Helguera as the second highest scoring defenders in the history of the competition – with only former teammateRoberto Carlos ahead of them.[143]
Due to an injury, Ramos missed his first El Clásico since joining Real Madrid, ending a streak of playing in 31 consecutive league Clásicos.[144] He later missed the second leg of the Champions League quarter-finals against Liverpool, as he tested positive forCOVID-19, although he was also injured.[145] On 5 May, in the Champions League semi-final second leg againstChelsea, his side lost 2–0 and were eliminated from the competition; however, he then sustained an injury in his lefthamstring which forced him to miss the rest of the season; this meant he had played his last game for Real Madrid.[146] Ramos played just 21 matches for Los Blancos in 2020–21, making it his most injury-riddled season, after having played at least 33 matches in each of his previous 15 campaigns at the club.[147]
On 16 June, Real Madrid announced that Ramos would leave the club after 16 years.[148] During his farewell event on the next day, Ramos, who had initially asked for a two-year offer, mentioned that he accepted a one-year contract renewal with a salary reduction; however, the offer had expired without his knowledge.[149]
On 8 July 2021, it was announced that Ramos had signed a two-year contract withParis Saint-Germain.[150] He chose to wear the number 4 jersey, withThilo Kehrer switching to the number 24 shirt.[151] Ramos remarked: "I am quite superstitious about it and I love the number 4 because I have worn that number since the start of my career and it has followed me throughout my career and my life, bringing with me much luck and many victories."[151] During the medical examination required to complete the signing, the medical staff at PSG were reported to be impressed by his seriousness and physique, whilst the medical results were noted to be excellent and incredible.[152][153] The staff compared Ramos' physique to that of a 25-year-old (he was 35 at the time).[154]
Due to a series of injury problems, Ramos made his first appearance in a match day squad for Paris Saint-Germain ahead of a Champions League group stage game against Manchester City on 24 November 2021.[155] He made his debut four days later in a 3–1 league victory overSaint-Étienne.[156] On 23 January 2022, Sergio scored his debut goal for the club, helping PSG to beatReims 4–0 in a home league match.[157] Ramos won the2021–22 Ligue 1 in his first season at the club.[158]
PSG started the 2022–23 season by winning the2022 Trophée des Champions inTel Aviv, in which Ramos scored a goal in a 4–0 win overNantes.[159] On 6 September 2022, he made his Champions League debut with Paris Saint-Germain in a 2–1 win over Juventus.[160] On 2 June 2023, Ramos announced that he would be leaving PSG at the end of the season, following the expiration of his contract.[161][162][163] One day later, he opened the score in a 2–3 defeat againstClermont, in his last appearance for the club, as Paris Saint-Germain won their record 11th Ligue 1 title.[164]
On 4 September 2023, Ramos returned to his boyhood clubSevilla after 18 years, by signing a contract until the end of the season.[165] On 17 September, he made his second debut for Sevilla in a 1–0 win over Las Palmas at theRamón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium.[166][167] Three days later, he made hisChampions League debut with Sevilla in a 1–1 draw againstLens.[168] On 21 October, Ramos played against his former club Real Madrid for the first time since he left in 2021, in a La Liga match that ended in a 1–1 draw at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium, helping secure a point from the match.[169]
On 26 November, he was involved in a notable and bizarre incident during a match againstReal Sociedad, in which he received two red cards. He was initially shown a red card after receiving a second yellow card for a late challenge onBrais Méndez. Following this, he appealed for aVAR review, prompting the referee to examine the slow-motion footage. After reviewing the footage, the referee rescinded the second yellow card, and immediately issued Ramos a straight red card.[170]
On 29 November, he scored his first goal for Sevilla following his return in a 3–2 home defeat againstPSV Eindhoven in the Champions League, equaling the record of most goals scored by defenders set by Roberto Carlos and Gerard Piqué, which also marked the 10,000th goal in the competition.[171][172] On 12 December, he broke the record, by scoring his 17th goal with a Panenka-style penalty in a 2–1 away defeat against Lens.[173]
On 25 February 2024, Ramos returned to the Santiago Bernabéu to play against Real Madrid, following his departure from the club in 2021, as his team suffered a 1–0 defeat.[174] Later that year, on 17 June, Sevilla announced that Ramos would not stay at the club for the following season.[175]
On 6 February 2025, Ramos was announced as a new player forLiga MX sideMonterrey, after various days of speculation.[176][177] Ramos chose to wear number 93 instead of his traditional number 4 to honor his 93rd-minute equaliser in the2014 UEFA Champions League final.[178] Ramos was handed the captain's armband on his debut for the club againstAtlético San Luis.[179] On 3 March, he scored his first goal for the club in a 4–2 victory overSantos Laguna.[180]
On 17 March 2025, he was sent off for the 30th time in his career (first with Monterrey) after receiving a straight red card for kickingUNAM's strikerGuillermo Martínez from behind after failing to steal the ball.[181] Later that year, on 18 June, he scored the opening goal in a 1–1 draw against Inter Milan during the2025 FIFA Club World Cup, being also named Man of the Match.[182] In doing so at the age of 39 years and 80 days old, he became the oldest player in history to score in the Club World Cup, breaking the previous record set byJavier Zanetti in the2010 edition at the age of 37.[182]
In 2004, Ramos became an instant hit forSpain's under-19, for whom he played six international matches. During the2004 U19 Euro, Ramos was a key figure for Spain as he started in four out of five of their matches on the way to winning their second U19 European Championship, including scoring a decisive penalty in the Semi-final penalty-shoot out againstUkraine.[183][184] On 26 March 2005, in a 3–0friendly win overChina inSalamanca, he first appeared for thesenior side at only 18 years and 361 days of age, making him the youngest player to play for the national team in the last 55 years.[185] He held this record until 1 March 2006, when it was broken byCesc Fàbregas in a friendly match againstIvory Coast.[186]
On 12 October 2005, Ramos scored his first two international goals in a 6–0 away thrashing ofSan Marino for the2006 FIFA World Cupqualifiers.[187] He was selected for the final stages in Germany and, after the international retirement of Real Madrid teammateMíchel Salgado, became the undisputed first-choice right-back. Despite wearing the number 4 jersey for Real Madrid, Ramos admitted he wears the number 15 for Spain in memory of his close friend and former Sevilla teammate Puerta, who died in August 2007 and made his Spain debut wearing No. 15.[188][189]
Throughout Spain'sUEFA Euro 2008qualifying campaign, Ramos was a regular member of the starting eleven as the national side finished first in its group, aboveSweden. He scored two goals, including one in a 3–1 away win overDenmark, in 11 appearances. In the tournament's final stages, Ramos played in all matches and minutes, except the 2–1 group stage win againstGreece. Inthe final, his pass nearly set upMarcos Senna's first international goal, but the latter missed his opportunity by inches. During the celebrations after the 1–0 defeat ofGermany, he wore a T-shirt in honour of his late friend Puerta.[190]
Ramos was selected in the squad for the2009 FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa, as Spain finished in third.[191] On 3 June 2010, he captained Spain for the first time, in a 1–0 friendly win overSouth Korea inInnsbruck, Austria.[192]
At the2010 World Cup, held in the same country, Ramos played every minute of the tournament as a right back, helping Spain keep fiveclean sheets and reachthe final, which they won 1–0 against theNetherlands; he topped the tournament'sCastrol Performance Index with a score of 9.79.[193] Despite playing at right-back, he also completed moresolo runs than any other player in the tournament, 31.[194]
Ramos returned to the heart of the defence forEuro 2012. When asked about his role change, he replied: "I have adapted and feel comfortable in the middle, but I am a World and European champion at right-back".[195] He played all the games inPoland andUkraine alongside Barcelona'sGerard Piqué and, in the semi-finals againstPortugal, he converted his penalty shootout attempt in an eventual 4–2 win (0–0 after 120 minutes), scoring for the eventual champions inPanenka-style.[196] On 1 July, Ramos won his third trophy with the Spanish senior National Team as they thrashed Italy 4–0 in the final. Ramos' performances during the Euro earned him a place in the Team of The Tournament.[197] Ramos wore another T-shirt during Spain's Euro 2012 celebrations to pay homage to his late friend Puerta.[198]
Ramos was selected for his thirdWorld Cup in2014.[202] He played the full 90 minutes of each of the team's matches in Brazil, each with a different partner in central defence, as the reigning champions were eliminated from the group stage.[203][204][205]
In February 2016, Ramos won theLuis Aragonés Award byMarca which distinguished him as the best player of the national team in the past year.[206] WithDavid de Gea selected ahead of Iker Casillas in Spain's starting line-up, Ramos captained the team atUEFA Euro 2016. On 21 June 2016, he had a penalty kick saved byDanijel Subašić in a 2–1 loss toCroatia.[207] Spain finished their Euro group as runners-up and crashed out in the Round of 16 againstItaly.[208]
On 23 March 2018, days before turning 32, Ramos earned his 150th cap for Spain in a 1–1 friendly draw with Germany inDüsseldorf. OnlyIker Casillas had previously reached the mark for the team.[209]
Ramos was included in the Spainsquad for the2018 FIFA World Cup and would go into his fourth tournament, and first World Cup as Captain after Iker Casillas missed out.[210] He played in all three of Spain's Group stage matches as they topped the 'Group of Death' ahead of European Champions Portugal.[211] In theRound of 16 againstRussia, Ramos believed he scored the opening goal but it was later credited as anSergei Ignashevich own goal.[212] The match ended 1–1 after extra time and was decided on penalties (4–3) as the hosts eliminated La Roja. Ramos scored Spain's fourth penalty but it wasn't enough as teammatesKoke andAspas both had their penalties saved.[213][214]
With new coachLuis Enrique, Ramos retained captaincy of the national team. He played in all four of Spain's2018–19 UEFA Nations League group matches, becoming the nation's top scorer in the group with three goals – scoring once against England and twice against Croatia.[215][216] Spain finished second in their UEFA Nations League Group, which saw them miss out on the2019 UEFA Nations League Finals.[217] In March 2019, Ramos scored the winner in Spain's firstUEFA Euro 2020 qualifying match againstNorway through anotherPanenka penalty in a 2–1 win.[218] This was his tenth penalty of the season, scoring them all. It was also his fifth consecutive match scoring for Spain, which is a personal record.[219] Spain manager Enrique hailed Ramos as a 'unique player in history' after the match.[220]
In the second Euro 2020 qualification match, away toMalta, Ramos did not score for the first time in six matches for Spain – failing to extend his scoring streak. However, the match ended 2–0 to Spain which was his 121st win with La Roja, equaling the all-time record of Iker Casillas.[221] On 7 June 2019, Ramos broke the record of most international victories with 122, following a 4–1 victory against theFaroe Islands, scoring Spain's opening goal in the process.[222] Three days later, ahead of the match against Sweden, Ramos received a plaque from theSpanish Football Federation to commemorate his record.[223] The match ended with a 3–0 win for Spain, where he scored the first goal and extended his tally to 123 international victories.[224] On 5 September 2019, Ramos scored from a penalty kick his 21st international goal to open the score in Spain's 2–1 away win overRomania in aEuro 2020 qualifier, which made him the joint 10th top scorer in the history of the national team, alongsideMíchel.[225] On 8 September, Ramos won his 167th cap for Spain in a 4–0 home win over the Faroe Islands in a Euro 2020 qualifier; with this appearance, he equaled Iker Casillas as Spain's most capped player of all time.[226] On 12 October 2019, he became the nation's solemost capped player.[227]
Ramos was excluded from thesquad forUEFA Euro 2020, following an injury-plagued season. His omission marked the first major tournament sinceEuro 2004 where he was not called for the national team, ending a run of featuring in ten consecutive tournaments.[231] A year and a half later, he was excluded from thesquad for the2022 FIFA World Cup.[232]
Ramos announced his retirement from international football on 23 February 2023 at the age of 36, having not appeared for his country in nearly two years, after new coachLuis de la Fuente told him he would no longer be selected.[233]
Ramos has been described as being comfortable on the ball,[234] possessing good technical ability and goodcrossing ability.[235][236][237][238]
Widely regarded as one of the greatest defenders of all time, Ramos is a physically strong player with an ability to score from set pieces;[235][236][237][239][240][241] he is known for his strong tackles, positioning, and aerial abilities, which allow him to excel in one-on-one situations. In addition to his defensive prowess,[235][236][237][242] he is gifted with pace,[243][234] good technical ability, and goodcrossing ability.[235][236][237][238][244][245][246] According to Spanish sports newspaperMarca andFIFA's official records, in 2015, Ramos was clocked at a sprinting speed of 30.6 kilometers per hour, making him one of the fastest footballers at that time.[247] He is also an accuratepenalty taker and often uses thePanenka technique to take them.[248][249] He can also takefree kicks due to his ability tobend the ball.[250][251][252][253]
Ramos is praised for his leadership, athleticism, and his offensive and defense prowess, which allows him to be deployed as acentre-back and as afull-back; in his youth, he often played as a right-back, while he later established himself as a centre-back as his career progressed. His former Real Madrid managerCarlo Ancelotti has compared him to legendary defenderPaolo Maldini; both he andGiorgio Chiellini called Ramos the best defender in the world.[240][238][254][255] In 2021, Polish strikerRobert Lewandowski named Chiellini and Ramos as the toughest defenders he has ever faced.[256] Ramos has also played as adefensive midfielder, in particular under Ancelotti during the 2014–15 season.[257] Ramos has been praised for his amazing performances in big games, most notably for Real Madrid, due to his ability to score crucial goals.[B] However, his consistency has been questioned by the media, and he’s prone to occasional defensive errors.[240][255][258][259][260][261][262]
Ramos is often criticised in the media for committing overly aggressive, reckless tackles and for picking up an excessive amount of cards;[263][264][265][266][267] he has also been accused ofdiving.[268]
Ramos holds multiple disciplinary records, for Real Madrid, the Champions League, La Liga,El Clásico, and the Spain national team.[269]
Ramos holds the record for the most carded player in La Liga, with 191 cards. His 171 yellow cards surpass that ofAlberto Lopo, the former record holder for La Liga yellow cards.[270] The remaining 20 are red cards, making Ramos the most red-carded player in La Liga as well. His La Liga cards are higher than that of any other player in thetop 5 European leagues.[271]
In the Champions League, Ramos has amassed 40 yellow cards and 4 red cards (3 of which were straight red cards), making him both the most carded player and joint most red carded player in Champions League history.[272][273]
Finally, Ramos also holds the record for being the most carded player in the history of the Spain national team, with 24 yellow cards.[271]
Ramos entered a relationship with journalist/presenterPilar Rubio in September 2012 and they were seen together atthat year's Ballon d'Or ceremony.[274] They have four sons together:[275][276][277] Sergio, Marco, Alejandro, and Máximo Adriano.[278] On 16 July 2018, Ramos and Rubio got engaged.[279] On 15 June 2019, they got married in Seville.[280]
Ramos has a close relationship with his family, especially his siblings and parents.[281] Rene, his brother, is currently hisfootball agent,[282] and is married with singerLorena Gómez. Ramos is a fan ofbullfighting and he is friends with bullfighter Alejandro Talavante.[283][284] Ramos also owns astud farm in his native town ofAndalusia that is dedicated to breeding theAndalusian horse.[285] His horse, 'Yucatán SR4' became a World Champion in 2018.[286] In addition, he and his wife Rubio areart collectors.[287][288]
In June 2014, Ramos was appointed as an ambassador forUNICEF Spain.[289]
Ramos is the second cousin of former footballerJosé Mari.[290]
In January 2019,Amazon Prime and Ramos himself announced they will release an eight-episode documentary series on Ramos' life in football and outside of football. It was namedEl Corazón de Sergio Ramos (The Heart of Sergio Ramos).[292] On 5 March, during Real Madrid'sChampions League Round of 16 second leg match, Ramos was suspended and watched the match from his VIP area in the stands. His reactions were filmed by the Amazon Prime crew.[293] This sparked controversy as Real Madrid lost the match and were eliminated from the Champions League, though Ramos said on social media that there were "certain commitments made and it never remotely went through my head that the game could have turned out as it did".[97]
Due to the success of his first documentary series, Ramos announced in June 2020 on social media that Amazon would release another documentary known asLa Leyenda Sergio Ramos (The Legend of Sergio Ramos), which consists of six episodes and shows his career highlights. It was released in Spain in April 2021 and was released worldwide in June 2021.[294][295]
^"Sergio Ramos podrá jugar en Valencia" [Sergio Ramos will be able to play in Valencia] (in Spanish). Defensa Central. 18 December 2013.Archived from the original on 21 June 2021. Retrieved7 February 2014.
^Barve, Abhijeet (31 May 2017)."Sergio Ramos: A Remarkable Story of Light and Dark".Football Paradise.Archived from the original on 25 January 2021. Retrieved4 February 2018.It's the smaller games where it's an issue. [Ramos'] infuriating tendency to switch off and not focus completely when the stakes aren't high is downright dangerous.
^Sobhani, Kiyan (23 March 2018)."The Kroos, Modric, Kovacic Era Is Special".Managing Madrid.Archived from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved2 April 2018.But Ramos might be a special case. His level of play between what qualifies as a big game, and one that doesn't, is dramatic.
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