Los Blancos (The Whites) Los Merengues (The Meringues) Los Vikingos (The Vikings)[2] La Casa Blanca (The White House)[3] Reyes de Europa (Kings of Europe)[4][5] Madridistas (supporters)[6]
Short name
RMA
Founded
6 March 1902; 123 years ago (1902-03-06) (asMadrid Football Club)[7]
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (Spanish pronunciation:[reˈalmaˈðɾiðˈkluβðeˈfuðβol]ⓘ), commonly referred to asReal Madrid, is a Spanish professional football club based inMadrid. The club competes inLa Liga, the top tier ofSpanish football.
Founded in 1902 as Madrid Football Club, the club has traditionally worn a white home kit since its inception. Thehonorific titlereal is Spanish for "royal" and was bestowed to the club byKing Alfonso XIII in 1920 along with the crown in the club crest. Real Madrid have played their home matches in the 85,000-capacitySantiago Bernabéu in Madrid since 1947. Unlike most European sporting clubs, Real Madrid's members (socios) have owned and operated the club throughout its history. The official Madrid anthem is the "Hala Madrid y nada más", written byRedOne and Manuel Jabois.[8] The club is one of the most widely supported in the world and is the most followed football club on social media according to theCIES Football Observatory as of 2024.[9][10] It was estimated to beworth $6.6 billion in 2024, making it the world's most valuable football club.[11] In 2024, Real Madrid became the first football club to make €1 billion ($1.08bn) in revenue according to the club's announcement.[12]
Being one of the three founding members of La Liga that havenever been relegated from the top division since its inception in 1929 (along withAthletic Bilbao andBarcelona), Real Madrid has many long-standing rivalries, most notablyEl Clásico with Barcelona andEl Derbi Madrileño withAtlético Madrid. The club established itself as a major force in both Spanish and European football during the 1950s and 60s, winning five consecutive and six overallEuropean Cups and reaching a further two finals. This success was replicated on the domestic front, with Madrid winning 12 league titles in 16 years. This team, which includedAlfredo Di Stéfano,Ferenc Puskás,Paco Gento andRaymond Kopa is considered, by some in the sport, to be the greatest of all time.[20][21] Real Madrid is known for itsGalácticos policy, which involves signing the world's best players, such asRonaldo,Zinedine Zidane andDavid Beckham to create a superstar team.[22] The term 'Galácticos policy' generally refers to the two eras ofFlorentino Pérez's presidency of the club (2000–2006 and 2009–2018); however,players brought in just before his tenure are sometimes considered to be part of theGalácticos legacy. A notable example isSteve McManaman, who like many other players also succeeded under the policy.[23] On 26 June 2009, Madrid signedCristiano Ronaldo for a record-breaking £80 million (€94 million);[24] he became both the club's and history's all-time top goalscorer.[25][26][27][28] Madrid have recently focused on signing young talents such asVinícius Júnior,Rodrygo, andJude Bellingham.[29]
Julián Palacios, the first president of the club in 1900–1902
Real Madrid's origins go back to when football was introduced to Madrid by the academics and students of theInstitución Libre de Enseñanza, which included severalCambridge andOxford University graduates.[38] They founded(Sociedad) Sky Football in 1897, commonly known asLa Sociedad (The Society) as it was the only one based in Madrid, playing on Sunday mornings at Moncloa.
In 1900, conflict between members caused some of them to leave and create a new club,Nueva Sociedad de Football (New Society of Football), to distinguish themselves fromSky Football. Among the dissenters wereJulián Palacios, recognized as the first Real Madrid president,Juan Padrós andCarlos Padrós, the latter two being brothers and future presidents of Real Madrid. In 1901, this new club was renamed as Madrid Football Club. Later, following a restructuring in 1902,Sky was renamed as "New Foot-Ball Club".[39][40][41]
On 6 March 1902, after a new board presided by Juan Padrós had been elected, Madrid Football Club was officially founded.[7] The Padrós brothers summoned other football enthusiasts to a meeting in the back room ofAl Capricho, the family business. They viewed football as a mass sport that should be accessible to representatives of all social classes, and thought the new club should embody that idea. The brothers proposed the name, Madrid Football Club, which was unanimously accepted. The membership fee was also set, twopesetas a month, and the color of the shirt was chosen to be white in honour of a famous English teamCorinthian, which Juan Padrós had met on one of his trips.[42][43]
Madrid FC team in 1906
Three years after its founding, in1905,Madrid FC won its first title after defeatingAthletic Bilbao in theSpanish Cup final. The club became one of the founding sides of theRoyal Spanish Football Federation on 4 January 1909, when club presidentAdolfo Meléndez signed the foundation agreement of the Spanish FA. After moving between several grounds, the team relocated to theCampo de O'Donnell in 1912.[44] In 1920, the club's name was changed to Real Madrid afterKing Alfonso XIII granted the title of Real (Royal) to the club.[45]
In1929, the firstSpanish football league was founded. Real Madrid led the first league season until the last match, a loss to Athletic Bilbao, meant they finished runners-up to Barcelona.[46] Real Madrid won its first league title in the1931–32 season and retained itthe following year.[47]
The first leg, played at theLes Corts in Catalonia, had ended withBarcelona winning 3–0. Madrid complained about all the three goals that referee Fombona Fernández had allowed for Barcelona,[49] with the home supporters also whistling Madrid throughout, whom they accused of employing roughhouse tactics, and Fombona for allowing them to. The newspaperYa reported the whistling as a "clear intention to attack the representatives of Spain."[50] Barcelona fans were banned from traveling to Madrid. The day of the second leg, the Barcelona team were insulted and stones were thrown at their bus as soon as they left their hotel.
Barcelona's strikerMariano Gonzalvo said of the incident, "Five minutes before the game had started, our penalty area was already full of coins." Barcelona goalkeeperLuis Miró rarely approached his line—when he did, he was armed with stones. AsFrancisco Calvet told the story, "They were shouting:Reds! Separatists!... a bottle just missed Sospedra that would have killed him if it had hit him. It was all set up."[51]
Real Madrid went 2–0 up within half an hour. The third goal brought with it a sending off for Barcelona's Benito García after he made what Calvet claimed was a "completely normal tackle". Madrid'sJosé Llopis Corona recalled: "At which point, they got a bit demoralized," while Ángel Mur countered, "at which point, we thought: 'go on then, score as many as you want'."[52] Madrid made it 8–0 by half-time; two goals were also ruled out for offside, and proceeded to score a further three goals in the second half, to which Barcelona replied with a late consolation goal.[53]
According to football writerSid Lowe, "There have been relatively few mentions of the game [since] and it is not a result that has been particularly celebrated in Madrid. Indeed, the 11–1 occupies a far more prominent place in Barcelona's history. This was the game that first formed the identification of Madrid as the team of the dictatorship and Barcelona as its victims."[49] Fernando Argila, Barcelona's reserve goalkeeper from the 1943 match, said: "There was no rivalry. Not, at least, until that game."[54]
Santiago Bernabéu and unprecedented success (1943–1978)
Alfredo Di Stéfano led the club to win five consecutive European Cups (currently the Champions League).
Santiago Bernabéu became president of Real Madrid in 1943.[55] Under his presidency, the club was rebuilt after the Civil War, and he oversaw the construction of the club's current stadium,Estadio Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (now known as the Santiago Bernabéu), and its training facilitiesCiudad Deportiva. Additionally, during the 1950s formerReal Madrid Amateurs player Miguel Malbo founded Real Madrid's youth academy, or "cantera," known today asLa Fábrica. Beginning in 1953, he embarked upon a strategy of signing world-class players from abroad, the most prominent beingAlfredo Di Stéfano.[56]
In 1955, acting upon the idea proposed byGabriel Hanot, a French sports journalist and editor ofL'Équipe, Bernabéu, Ernest Bedrignan (deputy chairman of theLigue de Football Professionnel)[57] andGusztáv Sebes created theEuropean Cup, a continental tournament for the league champions around Europe, which is today known as the UEFA Champions League.[58] It was under Bernabéu's guidance that Real Madrid established itself as a major force in both Spanish and European football. The club won the European Cup five times in a row between 1956 and 1960, which included the 7–3 Hampden Parkfinal againstEintracht Frankfurt in1960.[56] After these five consecutive successes, Real was permanently awarded the original cup and earned the right to wear theUEFA badge of honour.[59] Real Madrid's achievements in Europe were built upon its unprecedented domestic dominance, with the club winning twelve league titles out of sixteen possible from1953–54 to1968–69, including a five-in-a-row sequence in 1961–65, and finishing runners-up a further three times.[60]
Real Madrid's captainPaco Gento shaking hands withZamalek's captainSharif El-Far before their friendly match on the occasion for celebrating 50 years on Zamalek's establishment inCairo Stadium on 10 March 1961
The club won the European Cup for a sixth time in1966, defeatingPartizan Belgrade 2–1 in thefinal with a team composed entirely of same nationality players, a first in the competition.[61] This team became known as theYé-yé. The name "Yé-yé" came from the "Yeah, yeah, yeah" chorus inThe Beatles' song "She Loves You" after four members of the team posed forMarca and impersonated the Beatles.[62] The Yé-yé generation was also European Cup runners-up in1962[63] and1964.[61] In the 1970s, Real Madrid won six league championships and three Spanish Cups.[64] The club competed in its firstEuropean Cup Winners' Cup in1970–71 and progressed all the way to thefinal, where it lost to English sideChelsea 2–1 in a replay.[65] On 2 July 1978, club president Santiago Bernabéu died while theWorld Cup was being played inArgentina.FIFA decreed three days of mourning to honour him during the tournament.[66] The following year, the club organized the first edition of theTrofeo Santiago Bernabéu in memory of its former president.
In the early 1980s, Real Madrid had lost its grasp on the La Liga title, until a new cohort of home-grown stars broughtdomestic success back to the club.[68][69] Spanish sports journalist Julio César Iglesias gave to this generation the nameLa Quinta del Buitre ("Vulture's Cohort"), which was derived from the nickname given to one of its members,Emilio Butragueño. The other four members wereManolo Sanchís,Martín Vázquez,Míchel andMiguel Pardeza. All five footballers were graduates ofReal Madrid's youth academy.[68][69] WithLa Quinta del Buitre (reduced to four members when Pardeza left forZaragoza in 1986) and notable players like goalkeeperFrancisco Buyo, right-back Miguel PorlánChendo and Mexican strikerHugo Sánchez, Real Madrid had one of the best teams in Spain and Europe during the second half of the 1980s, winning twoUEFA Cups, five Spanish championships in a row, one Spanish Cup, and threeSpanish Super Cups.[68][69] In the early 1990s,La Quinta del Buitre split up after Martín Vázquez, Emilio Butragueño and Míchel left the club.
In November 1999,Vicente del Bosque took over as coach. For the last season of the century,1999–2000, the squad was still led by the older veterans such as Fernando Hierro, Fernando Redondo, Roberto Carlos and Raúl. Real added the budding young talents ofGuti andIker Casillas, supported by the arrival ofSteve McManaman andNicolas Anelka from the English Premier League, alongside local talentsMíchel Salgado andIván Helguera. In Del Bosque's first season in charge, Real won the Champions League for theeighth time, following a 3–0 victory overValencia in thefinal, with goals from Morientes, McManaman and Raúl.[72] This victory marked the beginning of a successful period in Real Madrid's history.[73]
In July 2000,Florentino Pérez was elected club president.[74] He vowed in his campaign to erase the club's €270 million debt and modernize the club's facilities. However, the primary electoral promise that propelled Pérez to victory was the signing ofLuís Figo from arch-rivals Barcelona.[75] The following year, the club had its training ground rezoned and used the money to begin assembling theGalácticos team by signing a global star every summer, which includedZinedine Zidane,Ronaldo,Luís Figo,David Beckham andFabio Cannavaro.[76] It is debatable whether the gamble paid off, as despite winning theUEFA Champions League and anIntercontinental Cup in2002, followed byLa Liga in 2003, the club failed to win a major trophy for the next three seasons. Off the pitch, theZidanes y Pavones policy resulted in increased financial success based on the exploitation of the club's high marketing potential around the world, particularly in Asia.[77]
The few days after the capturing of the2003 La Liga title were surrounded with controversy. The first controversial decision came when Pérez sacked winning coachVicente del Bosque.[78] Over a dozen players left the club, including Madrid captain Fernando Hierro, while defensive midfielderClaude Makélélé refused to take part in training in protest at being one of the lowest-paid players at the club and subsequently moved toChelsea.[79] "That's a lot [of players leaving] when the normal rule is: never change a winning team," stated Zidane.[80] Real Madrid, with newly appointed coachCarlos Queiroz, started their domestic league slowly after a hard win overReal Betis.[80]
The2005–06 season began with the promise of several new signings:Júlio Baptista (€24 million),Robinho (€30 million), andSergio Ramos (€27 million).[81] However, Real Madrid suffered from some poor results, including a 0–3 loss at the hands of Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabéu in November 2005.[82] Madrid's coachWanderley Luxemburgo was sacked the following month and his replacement wasJuan Ramón López Caro.[83] A brief return to form came to an abrupt halt after Madrid lost the first leg of theCopa del Rey semi-finals 6–1 to Real Zaragoza,[84] a defeat that was nearly reversed with a 4–0 home victory. Shortly after, Real Madrid were eliminated from the Champions League for a fourth successive year, this time at the hands ofArsenal. On 27 February 2006, Florentino Pérez resigned.[85]
Ramón Calderón era (2006–2009)
Ramón Calderón was elected as club president on 2 July 2006 and subsequently appointed Fabio Capello as the new coach andPredrag Mijatović as the new sporting director. Real Madrid won the Liga title in2007 for the first time in four years, but Capello was nonetheless sacked at the end of the campaign.[86] The title was won on 17 June, where Real facedMallorca at the Bernabéu while Barcelona andSevilla, the other title challengers, facedGimnàstic de Tarragona andVillarreal, respectively. At half-time, Real were 0–1 down, while Barcelona had surged ahead into a 0–3 lead inTarragona. However, three goals in the last half-hour secured Madrid a 3–1 win and their first league title since 2003.[87] Real Madrid repeated as league winners in2007–08, but thefollowing season ended up being one of the most disastrous in the club's history: Real was knocked out of theChampions League at the round of 16 stage for the fifth time in a row, losing toLiverpool 0–5 on aggregate, and was embarrassed by Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabéu with a humiliating 2–6 loss, which all but confirmed theleague title for Barça that went on to win thetreble.[88]
Second Florentino Pérez era (2009–present)
Cristiano Ronaldo was the club's most expensive signing when he joined in 2009, costing €94 million. He went on to become the club's all-time top scorer.
On 1 June 2009, Florentino Pérez regained Real Madrid's presidency amid the outrage over the club's decline.[89][90] Pérez continued with theGalácticos policy pursued in his first term, buyingKaká fromMilan for arecord-breaking (in pounds sterling) sum of £56 million,[91] and then breaking the record again by purchasingCristiano Ronaldo fromManchester United for £80 million.[92] Real Madrid spent in excess of €261 million in the summer of 2009, and the assembled team was soon dubbed theSecond Galácticos.[93] The2009–10 season, however, was a transitional one as Madrid again finished second in theleague, although this time amassing 96 points, the club's record at the time, and went out of theChampions League at the hands ofLyon. The season was marred by Cristiano Ronaldo's injury, that sidelined him for seven weeks,[94] although he still topped the goalscoring charts with 33 goals, and Madrid became the highest scoring team in La Liga, with 102 goals. Real Madrid also had the misfortune to become the runners-up with the highest points total in the history of Europe's top five leagues, until surpassed by Liverpool's 97 points in2018–19.[95][96]
José Mourinho took over as manager in May 2010.[97][98] In the2010–11 season, the rebuilt Madrid successfully fought on all fronts, going toe to toe with a brilliantBarcelona side which some regard as the greatest team in football history. Ultimately, Madrid finished second in theleague, with 92 points and four behind their perennial rivals, defeated them in theCopa del Rey final, and lost to Barça in theChampions League semi-finals, where Real progressed to for the first time since2002–03. Moreover, from 16 April through 3 May, a rare occurrence happened when, for the first time ever, fourClásicos were to be played in a span of just 18 days. The first fixture was in the league campaign on 16 April (which ended 1–1 with penalty goals for both sides), the second one was in the Copa del Rey final (which was won by Madrid 1–0a.e.t., bringing them their first trophy in the secondGaláctico era) on 20 April and the third and fourth ones in the controversial[99][100] two-legged Champions League semi-finals on 27 April and 3 May (Barcelona won on aggregate with a 2–0 away victory and a 1–1 home draw).[101] Madrid again became the highest scoring team in La Liga, with 102 goals, repeating its output from the previous season, with Ronaldo scoring 40 and winning theEuropean Golden Shoe.
In the2011–12 season, Real Madrid wonLa Liga for a record 32nd time in its history, also finishing the season with numerousleague records set, including 100 points amassed in a single season, a total of 121 goals scored, a goal difference of +89, 16 away games won, and 32 wins overall.[102] They also competed in theUEFA Champions League for the 15th successive season,[103] losing in the semi-finals toBayern Munich in apenalty shoot-out after a 3–3 aggregate tie. Madrid entered theCopa del Rey as thedefending champions, but lost 3–4 on aggregate in the quarter-finals to Barcelona. In the same season, Cristiano Ronaldo became the fastest player to reach 100 goals scored in Spanish league history. In reaching 101 goals in 92 games, Ronaldo surpassed Real Madrid legendFerenc Puskás, who scored 100 goals in 105 matches. Ronaldo set a new club mark for individual goals scored in one year (60) and became the first player ever to score against all 19 opposition teams in a single season.[104][105]
Real Madrid started the2012–13 season by winning theSupercopa de España, defeating Barcelona on away goals. However, the super cup turned out to be their only trophy of the season, despite being close to win them all. Real finished runners-up to Barça inLa Liga, accumulating 85 points, and reached the semi-finals of theUEFA Champions League for the third year in a row, where they were eliminated byBorussia Dortmund 3–4 on aggregate. Madrid also entered theCopa del Rey in the round of 32, going on a memorable run to thefinal, which saw them defeat Barcelona in the semi-finals before losing toAtlético Madrid 1–2a.e.t. Real Madrid faced theBlaugrana six times throughout the season, coming away with three wins, two draws, and one loss. A major transfer of the season was the signing ofLuka Modrić fromTottenham Hotspur for a fee in the region of £33 million.[106] After a loss to Atlético in the Copa del Rey final, Pérez announced the departure of José Mourinho at the end of the season by "mutual agreement".[107]
Real Madrid players celebrate the club's historic tenth European Cup / Champions League win (La Décima) in 2014.
On 25 June 2013,Carlo Ancelotti succeeded Mourinho to become the manager of Real Madrid on a three-year deal, with Zinedine Zidane named as one of his assistants.[108] On 1 September 2013, the long-awaited transfer ofGareth Bale fromTottenham Hotspur was announced. The transfer of the Welshman was reportedly a new world record signing, with the transfer price approximated at €100 million.[109] In Ancelotti'sfirst season at the club, Real Madrid fought on all three fronts for the continental treble. Despite leading in theleague campaign on multiple occasions, Madrid ultimately finished in third place (level on points withBarcelona and three behind cross-city rivalsAtlético Madrid), collecting 87 points in total and scoring a record 104 goals.[110] By that time,Los Blancos had already secured theCopa del Rey – against rivals Barcelona – in April, with Bale scoring the winner.[111] The major breakthrough came in theUEFA Champions League, where Real returned to thefinal after twelve years, having beaten defending champions Bayern Munich 5–0 on aggregate in the semi-finals.[112] In the final, they defeated then-recently-league winners Atlético Madrid 4–1a.e.t. to clinch their tenth European Cup (first since 2002) and become the first team to win ten European Cups/Champions League titles, an achievement known as "La Décima" (Spanish: "The Tenth,"[laˈðeθima]).[113] Real's attacking trio of Bale, Benzema and Cristiano, dubbed the BBC, finished the season with 97 goals.[114]
After winning the 2014 Champions League, Real Madrid signed goalkeeperKeylor Navas, midfielderToni Kroos and attacking midfielderJames Rodríguez.[115] In August, Madrid won the2014 UEFA Super Cup against Sevilla, the club's 79th official trophy.[116] During the last week of the 2014 summer transfer window, Real Madrid sold two players key to the previous season's successes:Xabi Alonso to Bayern Munich andÁngel Di María to Manchester United. This decision by the club was surrounded by controversy, with Cristiano Ronaldo stating, "If I was in charge, maybe I would have done things differently," while Carlo Ancelotti admitted, "We must start again from zero."[117]
After a slow start to the2014–15 season, Real Madrid went on a record-breaking 22-match winning streak, which included wins against Barcelona andLiverpool, surpassing the previous Spanish record of 18 successive wins set byFrank Rijkaard's Barça in the2005–06 season.[118] In late December, Real Madrid won their firstClub World Cup, defeatingSan Lorenzo 2–0 in thefinal.[119] The winning streak came to an end in their opening match of 2015 with a loss to Valencia, leaving the club two short of equalling the world record of 24 consecutive wins.[120] Madrid was in contention for both theLa Liga title and theUEFA Champions League until the end but ultimately came up short, finishing with 92 points in the league, two behind treble-winning Barcelona and losing toJuventus 2–3 on aggregate in the Champions League semi-finals.[121] Ronaldo finished the season scoring 48 league goals, winning his fourth European Golden Shoe, and 61 goals in all competitions, breaking his record from 2011 to 2012.[122] Overall, despite playing an attractive attacking football and being the highest scoring team in Europe with 118 league goals,[123] several narrow defeats meant that Real finished the season with two trophies out of six possible, which contributed to the dismissal of Carlo Ancelotti on 25 May 2015.[124][125]
On 3 June 2015,Rafael Benítez was confirmed as the new Real Madrid manager for the2015–16 season, signing a three-year contract.[126] Real Madrid remained unbeaten in theleague until a 3–2 loss at Sevilla on the matchday 11. This was followed by a 0–4 home loss in the firstClásico of the season against Barcelona. Perhaps, his reign is best remembered by multiple lopsided wins achieved both in La Liga and theChampions League (6–0 vsEspanyol, 8–0 vsMalmö, 10–2 vsRayo Vallecano and others). In theCopa del Rey round of 32, Real accidentally fielded an ineligible player in a 3–1 first leg win atCádiz and was disqualified from the tournament two days later by the competition judge, despite protests from president Pérez.[127][128][129] In the meantime, Madrid comfortably topped theirUCL group with 16 points and a +16 goal difference. Benítez was relieved of his duties on 4 January 2016 following allegations of unpopularity with supporters, displeasure with players and a failure to produce good results against top teams.[130] Benítez's departure was announced along with the promotion of Zinedine Zidane to his first head coaching role.[131] Under Zidane, Madrid managed to turn the odds in its favour, ultimately winning the Champions League, something no one expected. The notable results include a 2–1 away victory over reigning treble winners Barcelona, who were on a record-breaking winning streak, a fantastic comeback againstWolfsburg in the Champions League quarter-finals (after losing the away game 0–2, Madrid erased the deficit and won 3–0 at home, courtesy of a Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick), as well as a 12-game winning streak to conclude the league campaign, meaning Real finished second, with 90 points and just one point behind champions Barcelona, coming agonizingly close to clinching the title and overcoming a 12-point deficit in the process.[132] Finally, on 28 May, Real Madrid's eleventh Champions League title was won thanks to a 5–3 penalty shoot-out victory over rivals Atlético Madrid after a 1–1 draw in thefinal, with the achievement being termed "La Undécima".[133][134][125]
2016–17 La Liga champions Real Madrid celebrate the title with Community of Madrid PresidentCristina Cifuentes.
Real Madrid began their2016–17 campaign, which was to be Zidane's first full season in charge of the club, with a victory in the2016 UEFA Super Cup against Sevilla.[135] On 10 December 2016, Madrid played their 35th-straight match without a loss, which set a new club record.[136] On 18 December 2016, the club defeated Japanese outfitKashima Antlers 4–2 in thefinal of the2016 FIFA Club World Cup.[137] With a 3–3 draw at Sevilla in the second leg of theCopa del Rey round of 16 on 12 January 2017, Madrid progressed to the quarter-finals with a 6–3 aggregate victory and extended its unbeaten run to 40 matches, breaking Barcelona's Spanish record of 39 matches unbeaten in all competitions from theprevious season.[138] Their unbeaten streak ended after a 1–2 away loss against the same opposition inLa Liga three days later.[139] The team then was knocked out of the Copa del Rey byCelta Vigo 3–4 on aggregate. These slips, however, did not affect the overall trajectory of the season. In May, Madrid won the league title for a record 33rd time, their first title in five years, accumulating 93 points in the process.[140] On 3 June 2017, the club's victory overJuventus in theChampions League final resulted in Real Madrid becoming the first team to successfully defend their title in the UEFA Champions League era, and the first to win consecutive titles in the competition sinceMilan in1989 and1990, when the tournament was known as the European Cup.[141][142] Real Madrid's title was its 12th, extending the record, and its third in four years. The achievement is also known as "La Duodécima".[143] The 2016–17 season was the greatest campaign in terms of trophies won (four out of possible five) in the history of Real Madrid, an achievement that would be later equalled in the2017–18 season.[144]
Real kicked off the 2017–18 campaign by winning its second consecutive and fourth overallUEFA Super Cup in a2–1 victory againstManchester United.[145] Five days later, Real Madrid beat Barcelona at theCamp Nou 3–1 in the first leg of the2017 Supercopa de España and then defeated Barça 2–0 in the return leg, ending their 24 consecutive match scoring record inEl Clásico matches and winning the second trophy of the season.[146] On 16 December 2017, Real beat Brazilian clubGrêmio 1–0 in theFIFA Club World Cupfinal and became the first team to retain the trophy.[147] In the2017–18 UEFA Champions League, Madrid once again progressed to thefinal where they defeated Liverpool 3–1 to become the first club to win three straight titles in the Champions League era, as well as the first team to win three consecutive titles in the European Cup/Champions League since Bayern Munich in1976. The trophy also marked Madrid's fourth win in five years and their eighth consecutive semi-finals appearance. On 31 May, only five days after winning the final, Zidane announced his resignation as Real Madrid manager, citing the club's "need for change" as his rationale for departing.[148][149] Zidane's and Ronaldo's departures marked the end of theSecond Galáctico Era that yielded four Champions League titles, two La Liga titles, two Copa del Rey, two Supercopa de España, three UEFA Super Cups, and three FIFA Club World Cup titles. The team was instrumental in ending Barcelona's dominance, despite theBlaugrana boasting arguably the greatest collection of talent in history,[150] and overshadowed the Catalans on the European stage.[151] Real Madrid was also somewhat notoriously unlucky in its league campaigns throughout these nine years, finishing runners-up with 96, 92 (twice) and 90 points, as well as on 87 points in third place, just three off the league winners.[96]
Following Ronaldo's departure
Chart of Real Madrid's league performance 1929–2024
On 12 June 2018, Real Madrid namedJulen Lopetegui, the head coach of theSpanish national team, as their new manager. It was announced that he would officially begin his managerial duties after the2018 FIFA World Cup. However, the Spanish national team sacked Lopetegui a day prior to the tournament, stating that he had negotiated terms with the club without informing them.[152][153] The club then began re-shaping the squad in the summer of 2018, which included the sale of Cristiano Ronaldo to Juventus for a reported €117 million.[154] Madrid began their2018–19 campaign by losing to Atlético Madrid 2–4a.e.t. in the2018 UEFA Super Cup. After a 1–5 loss to Barcelona inEl Clásico on 28 October which left Real Madrid in the ninth place with only 14 points after ten games, Lopetegui was dismissed a day later and replaced by thenCastilla coach,Santiago Solari.[155] On 22 December 2018, Real Madrid beatAl Ain 4–1 in theFIFA Club World Cup and became the outright record winners of the Club World Cup with four titles.[156] However, they were then knocked out of theCopa del Rey at the semi-final stage by Barcelona, losing 1–4 on aggregate. On 5 March 2019, Real was defeated byAjax 1–4 (3–5 on aggregate) at home, crashing out of theChampions League at the round of 16 stage after eight consecutive semi-finals appearances. On 11 March 2019, Real Madrid dismissed Solari and reinstated Zidane as the head coach of the club.[157] Madrid finished the season with 68 points and a +17 goal difference, its lowest totals since2001–02 and1999–2000 respectively.[158]
In the summer of 2019, Madrid signedEden Hazard,Luka Jović,Éder Militão,Ferland Mendy,Rodrygo,Reinier and other players for a total of more than €350 million.[159] On 12 January 2020, Madrid beat cross-city rivals Atlético Madrid in a penalty shootout in theSupercopa de España final to win their eleventh title.[160] After a three-month hiatus due to theCOVID-19 outbreak in March 2020,La Liga was restarted in June and Madrid won ten games in a row to capture the team's 34th league title, collecting 87 points in total.[161] From the competition's resumption in June and until the end of the2020–21 season, Real temporarily played home fixtures at theAlfredo Di Stéfano Stadium, while the Santiago Bernabéu underwent extensive renovations.[162][163]
Further domestic success andLa Decimocuarta
Real Madrid players celebrating thedouble on 29 May 2022, the day after their Champions League victory
Zidane left a second time on 27 May 2021 after going trophylessthat season,[164] with Carlo Ancelotti returning to coach the team for the2021–22 season.[165] On the domestic front, he delivered two trophies out of possible three, winningLa Liga and theSupercopa de España.[166][167][168] As such, Ancelotti won all six available top trophies at Madrid.[169] In theChampions League, Madrid produced one of the most memorable runs of all time,[170] defeating pre-tournament favouritesParis Saint-Germain,[171][172]defending champions and favouritesChelsea,[173]Premier League champions and heavy favouritesManchester City,[174] all in dramatic fashion,[175] and setting up thefinal against Liverpool, who were once again widely considered as favourites,[176] in a rematch of their 2018 encounter. A loneVinícius Júnior goal sealed the 14th European Cup forLos Blancos, their fifth in nine years, and Ancelotti's second in charge.[177][178] Real also claimed their fourth everEuropean double (after1956–57,1957–58, and2016–17). Despite Real's status as the most decorated team in the history of the Champions League, they were not favoured to win that year's edition, and their improbable run was widely considered a surprise.[179]
Even more success andLa Decimoquinta
After a highly successful 2021–22 season, Real Madrid signed German defenderAntonio Rüdiger and French midfielderAurélien Tchouaméni, while club legends Marcelo, Isco, Gareth Bale and Casemiro left the club. Real Madrid's2022–23 season began with lifting theUEFA Super Cup and later theFIFA Club World Cup. The season ended with Real Madrid winning the2022–23 Copa del Rey, but losing the La Liga and Spanish Super Cup toBarcelona and the Champions League to Manchester City, being defeated 5–1 on aggregate.
In 2023, Real Madrid signedJude Bellingham, who was given the number #5 jersey, previously used by Zinedine Zidane. Real also signedArda Güler andFran García. Meanwhile, Vinícius Júnior was given the number #7 jersey, previously used by Raúl and Cristiano Ronaldo; while Rodrygo was given the number #11 jersey, previously used by Gareth Bale.Karim Benzema left the club, whileToni Kroos would later announce that he would retire from football after this season.
The2023–24 season would prove to be another highly successful season for Los Blancos. First, Real Madrid lifted the Spanish Super Cup against Barcelona 4–1, taking revenge of the previous year's 3–0 defeat. Then, Real Madrid lifted the La Liga with relative ease, reaching 95 points, the second-best winning campaign by Real Madrid in La Liga history after the 2011–12 100 points season. In the2023–24 UEFA Champions League, Real Madrid knocked outRB Leipzig in the Round of 16, then defending championsManchester City in penalties.
In the semifinals, Real Madrid facedBayern Munich again. The first match was a 2–2 draw, while the second match in the Bernabéu was marked by a double byJoselu in the last few minutes of the game, with Bayern Munich suffering a historic comeback after leading 1–0. Real Madrid facedBorussia Dortmund in the final, and won 2–0, withDani Carvajal being the man of the match and scoring with a header after a Toni Kroos corner, and Vinícius Júnior once again scoring in a UCL final. Real Madrid won their 15th Champions League without losing a single match during the campaign.
Following the conclusion of the 2023–24 season, Real Madrid announced that strikerKylian Mbappé would be joining the club on a free transfer fromParis Saint-Germain in July 2024, concluding one of the most highly anticipated transfer sagas in modern history.[180] On 18 December 2024, Real Madrid clinched their second trophy of the season, uplifting the inaugural2024 FIFA Intercontinental Cup by beatingPachuca 3–0.[181]
Crests and colours
Crests
1902
1908
1920
1931
2001
The first crest had a simple design consisting of a decorative interlacing of the three initials of the club, "MCF" for Madrid Club de Fútbol, in dark blue on a white shirt.The first change in the crest occurred in 1908 when the letters adopted a more streamlined form and appeared inside a circle.[182] The next change in the configuration of the crest did not occur until the presidency ofPedro Parages in 1920. At that time,King Alfonso XIII granted the club his royal patronage which came in the form of the title "Real Madrid," meaning "Royal."[183] Thus, Alfonso's crown was added to the crest and the club styled itselfReal Madrid Club de Fútbol.[182]
With the dissolution of the monarchy in 1931, all royal symbols (the crown on the crest and the title of Real) were eliminated. The crown was replaced by the dark mulberry band of the Region of Castile.[47] In 1941, two years afterNationalist victory in the Civil War, theFrancoist regime restored the crest's "Real Corona", or "Royal Crown", while the mulberry stripe ofCastile was retained as well.[184][55] In addition, the whole crest was made full color, with gold being the most prominent, and the club went back to its honorific nameReal Madrid Club de Fútbol.[182] The most recent modification to the crest occurred in 2001 when the club wanted to better situate itself for the 21st century and further standardize its crest. One of the modifications made was changing the mulberry stripe to a more bluish shade.[182]
Real Madrid in 1964. NicknamedLos Blancos (The Whites), the club has worn an all-white home kit except for one season in 1925.
Real Madrid has maintained the white shirt for its home kit throughout the history of the club. There was, however, one season in 1926 that the shirt and shorts were not both white. It was an initiative undertaken byJuan Padrós in honour of an English teamCorinthian, which he had met on one of his trips, one of the most famous teams at the time known for its elegance and sportsmanship.[42] It was decided that Real Madrid would wear black shorts in an attempt to replicate the English team, which had also inspired Madrid's original white kit, but the initiative lasted just one year. After being eliminated from the1926 Copa del Rey by Barcelona with a 1–5 defeat in Madrid and a 2–0 defeat in Catalonia, President Parages decided to return to an all-white kit, claiming that the other kit brought bad luck.[note 3] By the early 1940s, the manager changed the kit again by adding buttons to the shirt and the club's crest on the left breast, which has remained ever since. On 23 November 1947, in a game againstAtlético Madrid at the Metropolitano Stadium, Real Madrid became the first Spanish team to wear numbered shirts.[55] English clubLeeds United permanently switched their blue shirt for a white one in the 1960s, to emulate the dominant Real Madrid of the era.[185]
Real's traditional away colours are all blue or all purple. Since the advent of the replica kit market, the club has also released various other one colour designs, including red, green, orange and black. The club's kit is manufactured byAdidas, whose contract extends from 1998.[186][187] Real Madrid's first shirt sponsor,Zanussi, agreed for the 1982–83, 1983–84 and 1984–85 seasons. Following that, the club was sponsored byParmalat and Otaysa before a long-term deal was signed withTeka in 1992.[188][189] In 2001, Real Madrid ended their contract with Teka and for one season and used the Realmadrid.com logo to promote the club's website. Then, in 2002, a deal was signed withSiemens and in 2006, theBenQ Siemens logo appeared on the club's shirt.[190] Real Madrid's shirt sponsor from 2007 until 2013 wasbwin.com following the economic problems of BenQ Siemens.[191][192] Fly Emirates became their shirt sponsor in 2013, and in 2017 the club renewed the sponsorship with the airliner, signing a deal until 2022 worth €70 million per year.[193] In 2022, the agreement was again extended, until 2026.[194] In 2015, Madrid signed a new ten-year contract with Adidas, believed to be worth a total of £850 million (€1 billion), with the club earning £59 million (€64 million) per season. The contract includes a clause sanctioning penalty or agreement termination anytime, if Real Madrid fails to qualify for the European competitions or is relegated fromLa Liga.[195]
Kit suppliers and shirt sponsors
Real Madrid's jersey (worn byLuka Modrić in 2015) is manufactured by Adidas, with Emirates the shirt sponsor.
Manuel Muñoz Monasterio, Luis Alemany Soler, Antonio Lamela
After moving between several grounds, the team relocated to theCampo de O'Donnell in 1912, which remained its home stadium for 11 years.[44] After this period, the club moved for one year to theCampo de Ciudad Lineal, a small ground with a capacity of 8,000 spectators. After that, Real Madrid started playing its home matches at theEstadio Chamartín, which was inaugurated on 17 May 1923 with a match againstNewcastle United.[201] In this stadium, which hosted 22,500 spectators, Real Madrid celebrated its first Spanish league title.[46] Following his election in 1943, presidentSantiago Bernabéu decided that the Chamartín was not big enough for the ambitions of the club, and thus anew stadium was built and inaugurated on 14 December 1947.[55][202] Initially knows asNuevo Chamartín, the stadium was renamed in honour of Bernabéu in 1955 and continues to bear his name to this day.[56] The first match at the Bernabéu was played between Madrid and the Portuguese clubBelenenses, withLos Blancos winning 3–1 and Sabino Barinaga scoring the first goal.[55]
The capacity has changed frequently, peaking at 120,000 after a 1953 expansion.[203] Since then, there have been a number of reductions due to modernizations (the last standing areas were removed in 1998–99 in response to UEFA regulations which had forbidden standing at matches in European competitions), countered to some extent by expansions.[203] The current capacity is 81,044 spectators. Real Madrid has the fourth-highest average attendance in Europe, behind Borussia Dortmund, Barcelona and Manchester United.[204][205][206][207]
The latest renovation of the Santiago Bernabéu is set to increase the capacity by approximately 4,000 with the addition of an extra tier, bringing it to nearly 85,000.[213][214] Furthermore, the height will also be increased by ten metres and a retractable roof, a retractable pitch and a 360-degree screen will be installed.[215][216] The works have started in 2019, and the renovated stadium was initially planned to be unveiled in 2022; however, theCOVID-19 pandemic andRussian invasion of Ukraine caused significant disruption to supply chains, prompting the club to postpone the stadium's inauguration to 2023.[217][218]
Raúl is Real Madrid's all-time leader in appearances.
Raúl holds the record for most appearances with Real Madrid, with 741 appearances from 1994 to 2010.Iker Casillas comes second with 725 appearances, followed byManuel Sanchis Jr., having played 710 times.[219] The record for a goalkeeper is held by Iker Casillas, with 725 appearances. With 63 goals,Cristiano Ronaldo has scored the most international goals while playing for the club. Meanwhile,Sergio Ramos has accumulated the most caps while playing for the club, with 176.
Cristiano Ronaldo is Real Madrid's record goalscorer and the first player ever to score against every team in a single La Liga season.
Cristiano Ronaldo (2009–2018) is Real Madrid's all-time top goalscorer, with 450 goals in 438 matches.[220][221] Six other players have also scored over 200 goals for Real:Alfredo Di Stéfano (1953–1964),Santillana (1971–1988),Ferenc Puskás (1958–1966),Hugo Sánchez (1985–1992),Karim Benzema (2009–2023) and the previous goalscoring record-holder Raúl (1994–2010). Cristiano Ronaldo also holds the record for the most league goals scored in one season (48 in 2014–15), alongside being Real's top goalscorer of all time inLa Liga history with 311 goals. Di Stéfano's 49 goals in 58 matches was for decades the all-time highest tally in the European Cup, until it was surpassed by Raúl in 2005, and is now held by Cristiano Ronaldo with 105 goals for Madrid and 140 overall. The fastest goal in the history of the club (13 seconds) was scored by the ChileanIván Zamorano on 3 September 1994 during a league match againstSevilla.[222]
Officially, the highest home attendance figure for a Real Madrid match is 129,690, which was for a European Cup match in 1956 againstMilan. The current official capacity of the Santiago Bernabéu is 80,000.[223] Real has also set records in Spanish football, most notably the most domestic titles (36 as of 2023–24) and the most seasons won in a row (five, during 1960–65 and 1985–90).[1] With 121 matches (from 17 February 1957 to 7 March 1965), the club holds the record for longest unbeaten run at home in La Liga.[224]
Gareth Bale is the club's joint record signing, costing €100 million in 2013.
In June 2009, the club broke its own record for thehighest transfer fee ever paid in the history of football after purchasing Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo for €94 million (£80 million).[228][229] The fee of €77.5 million (100 billion lire) for Zinedine Zidane's transfer fromJuventus to Real Madrid in 2001 was the previous highest transfer fee ever paid. This record (in pounds sterling) had been broken previously in June 2009, for a few days, when Real Madrid agreed to buyKaká fromMilan for €67 million (£65 million). The transfer ofTottenham Hotspur'sGareth Bale in 2013 was reportedly a new world record signing, with the transfer fee approximated at around €100 million.[109] In January 2016, documents pertaining to Bale's transfer were leaked which confirmed a world record transfer fee of €100,759,418.[230] Real Madrid equalled their record signing in 2019, when the club signedEden Hazard fromChelsea for a reported €115 million.[231] The club's record sale occurred on 10 July 2018, whenJuventus signed Cristiano Ronaldo for €117 million.[232]
Support
The number of season tickets at the Bernabéu is capped at 65,000, with the remaining seats made available to the general public.
During most home matches, the majority of the seats in the stadium are occupied by season-ticket holders, of which the figure is capped at 65,000.[233] To become a season ticket holder one must first be asocio, or club member. In addition to members, the club has more than 1,800 peñas (official, club-affiliated supporters' groups) in Spain and around the world. Real Madrid has the second highest average all-time attendance in Spanish football and regularly attracts over 74,000 fans to theBernabéu. One of the best supported teams globally, Real Madrid was the first sports team (and first brand) to reach 100 million fans on Facebook in April 2017.[234][235]
Real Madrid's hardcore supporters are the so-calledUltras Sur supporters, or simply Ultras. They are known for their extremeright-wing politics, akin to Barcelona's hardcore supporters groupBoixos Nois. The Ultras Surs have developed an alliance with other right wing groups, most notablyLazioIrriducibili fans, and have also developed an alliance with left-wing groups. On several occasions, they have racially abused opposing players, and have been investigated by UEFA for doing so.[236][237]Florentino Pérez took it upon himself to ban the Ultras from the Bernabéu and assign their seats to the general public. This decision was controversial with some of the Bernabéu faithful, however, as the lively atmosphere of games would suffer as a result.[238][239] The Ultras have since held protests outside the Bernabéu and have demanded to be reinstated and allowed to enter the grounds.[240]
Questioned overPope Francis' adherence to2014 FIFA Club World Cup Final opponentsSan Lorenzo, Madrid captainSergio Ramos stated: "In thesemi-finals we noticed the love from supporters inMarrakesh and it seemed like we were playing at home. That sums up the greatness of this team. Madrid isGod's team and the team of the world".[241] Among the club's famous supporters is golferSergio García, who was invited to take the honorary kickoff for El Clásico at the Bernabeu wearing his green jacket from winning the2017 Masters.[242]
Scene from a 2011El Clásico at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium
There is often a fierce rivalry between the two strongest teams in a national league, and this is particularly the case in La Liga, where the game between Real Madrid andBarcelona is known as "The Classic" (El Clásico). From the start of national competitions the clubs were seen as representatives of two rival regions in Spain:Castile andCatalonia, as well as of the two cities. The rivalry reflects what many regard as the political and cultural tensions felt between theCastilians andCatalans, seen by one author as a re-enactment of theSpanish Civil War.[243] Over the years, the record for Real Madrid and Barcelona is 105 victories for Madrid, 101 victories for Barcelona, and 52 draws as of December 2024.[244]
Real Madrid fans displaying the white of their club beforeEl Clásico. Real Madrid fans also often waveSpanish flags atEl Clásico games.[245]
As early as the 1930s, Barcelona "had developed a reputation as a symbol of Catalan identity, opposed to the centralising tendencies of Madrid".[246][247] During the dictatorships ofMiguel Primo de Rivera and especiallyFrancisco Franco, all regional languages and identities in Spain were frowned upon and restrained. As such, most citizens of Barcelona were in strong opposition toFranco's regime. In that period, Barcelona gained their mottoMés que un club (English: More than a club) because of its alleged connection toCatalan nationalist as well as toprogressive beliefs.[248]
There is an ongoing controversy as to what extent Franco's rule (1939–75) influenced the activities and on-pitch results of both Barcelona and Real Madrid. Fans of both clubs tend to exaggerate the myths favouring their narratives. Most historians agree that Franco did not have a preferred football team, but his Spanish nationalist beliefs led him to associate himself with the establishment teams, such asAtlético Aviación and Madrid FC (that recovered its "royal" name after the fall of the Republic and again became Real Madrid). On the other hand, he also wanted the renamed Barcelona succeed as "Spanish team", rather than a Catalan one. During the early years of Franco's rule, Real Madrid were not particularly successful, winning twoCopa del Generalísimo titles and aCopa Eva Duarte; Barcelona claimed threeleague titles, one Copa del Generalísimo and one Copa Eva Duarte. During that period, Atlético Aviación were believed to be the preferred team over Real Madrid. The most contested stories of the period include Real Madrid's11–1 home win against Barcelona in theCopa del Generalísimo, where the Catalan team alleged intimidation, and the controversial transfer ofAlfredo Di Stéfano to Real Madrid, despite his agreement with Barcelona. The latter transfer was part of Real Madrid chairmanSantiago Bernabéu's "revolution" that ushered in the era of unprecedented dominance. Bernabéu, himself a veteran of the Civil War who fought forFranco's forces, saw Real Madrid on top, not only of Spanish, but also European football, helping create theEuropean Cup, the first true competition for Europe's best club sides. His vision was fulfilled when Real Madrid not only started winning consecutive league titles, but also swept the first five editions of the European Cup in the 1950s.[249] These events had a profound impact on Spanish football and influenced Franco's attitude. According to historians, during this time he realized the importance of Real Madrid for his regime's international image, and the club became his preferred team until his death.Fernando Maria Castiella, who served asminister of foreign affairs under Franco from 1957 until 1969, noted that "[Real Madrid] is the best embassy we have ever had". Franco died in 1975, and theSpanish transition to democracy soon followed. Under his rule,Real Madrid had won 14 league titles, six Copa del Generalísimo titles, one Copa Eva Duarte, six European Cups, twoLatin Cups and oneIntercontinental Cup. In the same period,Barcelona had won eight league titles, nine Copa del Generalísimo titles, three Copa Eva Duarte titles, threeInter-Cities Fairs Cups and two Latin Cups.[250][184]
The rivalry was intensified during the 1950s when the clubs disputed the signing ofAlfredo Di Stéfano. Di Stéfano had impressed both Barcelona and Real Madrid while playing forLos Millonarios inBogotá,Colombia, during a players' strike in his nativeArgentina. Soon after Millonarios' return to Colombia, Barcelona directors visited Buenos Aires and agreed with River Plate, the last FIFA-affiliated team to have held Di Stéfano's rights, for his transfer in 1954 for the equivalent of 150 million Italian lira (according to other sources 200,000 dollars). This started a battle between the two Spanish rivals for his rights. FIFA appointed Armando Muñoz Calero, former president of the Spanish Football Federation as mediator. Calero decided to let Di Stéfano play the 1953–54 and 1955–56 seasons in Madrid, and the 1954–55 and 1956–57 seasons in Barcelona. The agreement was approved by the Football Association and their respective clubs. Although the Catalans agreed, the decision created various discontent among the Blaugrana members and the president was forced to resign in September 1953. Barcelona sold Madrid their half-share, and Di Stéfano moved toLos Blancos, signing a four-year contract. Real paid 5.5 million Spanish pesetas for the transfer, plus a 1.3 million bonus for the purchase, an annual fee to be paid to the Millonarios, and a 16,000 salary for Di Stéfano with a bonus double that of his teammates, for a total of 40% of the annual revenue of the Madrid club.[251]
Di Stéfano became integral in the subsequent success achieved by Real Madrid, scoring twice in his first game against Barcelona. With him, Madrid won the first five editions of theEuropean Cup.[252] The 1960s saw the rivalry reach the European stage when Real Madrid and Barcelona met twice in the European Cup, with Madrid triumphing en route to their fifth consecutive title in1959–60 and Barcelona prevailing en route to losing the final in1960–61. Ahead of the 1973–74 season,Johan Cruyff arrived to Barcelona for a world record £920,000 fromAjax.[253] Already an established player with Ajax, Cruyff quickly won over the Barcelona fans when he told the European press that he chose Barcelona over Real Madrid because he could not play for a club associated with Francisco Franco. He further endeared himself when he named his son"Jordi", after the local CatalanSaint George.[254] In 2002, theEuropean encounter between the clubs was dubbed the "Match of The Century" by Spanish media, and Madrid's win was watched by more than 500 million people around the world.[255] A fixture known for its intensity and indiscipline, it has also featuredmemorable goal celebrations from both teams, often involving mocking the opposition.[256] In October 1999, Real Madrid forwardRaúl silenced 100,000 Barcelona fans at the Camp Nou when he scored before he celebrated by putting a finger to his lips as if telling the crowd to be quiet.[256][257] In 2009, Barcelona captainCarles Puyol kissed his Catalan armband in front of Madrid fans at the Bernabéu.[256] Cristiano Ronaldo twice gestured to the hostile crowd to "calm down" after scoring against Barcelona at the Camp Nou in 2012 and 2016.[256] In April 2017, Messi celebrated his 93rd-minute winner for Barcelona against Real Madrid at the Bernabéu by taking off his Barcelona shirt and holding it up to incensed Real Madrid fans – with his name and number facing them.[256] Later that year, in August, Ronaldo was subbed on in the first leg of theSupercopa de España, proceeded to score in the 80th minute and took his shirt off before holding it up to Barça's fans with his name and number facing them.[258]
Real Madrid supporters during the 2006El Derbi madrileño match held at the Santiago Bernabéu
The club's nearest neighbour isAtlético Madrid, a rivalry being shared between fans of both football teams. Although Atlético was founded by threeBasque students in 1903, it was joined in 1904 by dissident members of "Madrid FC". The two teams met for the first time on 2 December 1906 in theregional championship, with Real Madrid winning 2–1. Their first league meeting came on 21 February 1929 in matchday three of the firstleague championship at the formerChamartín. It was the first official derby of the new tournament, and Real won 2–1.[46] After the Civil War, during the earlyFrancoist period, Atlético became associated with themilitary air force (and thus renamed Atlético Aviación), although the alleged preference of the regime for the club is subject to discussion. In any case, during this period Atlético became the most successful club in Spain, reducing the historical gap between the two clubs, until the regime preference shifted towards Real Madrid in the 1950s, as Franco sought to make political capital out of Real Madrid's multipleEuropean Cup titles at a time when Spain was internationally isolated; one minister said, "Real Madrid are the best ambassadors we've ever had."[184] Thus, Atlético fans regularly chanted that Real were"El equipo del gobierno, la vergüenza del país" – "The team of the government, the shame of the country" – and allegedly adopted a moreleft-wing slant (tempered by the rise ofultras culture andRayo Vallecano's presence as the "true" leftist club in Madrid).[259][260]
The rivalry first gained international attention in 1959 during theEuropean Cup when the two clubs met in the semi-finals. Real won the first leg 2–1 at theSantiago Bernabéu, while Atlético won 1–0 at theMetropolitano. The tie went to a replay, which Real won 2–1. Atlético, however, gained some revenge when, led by former Real Madrid coachJosé Villalonga, it defeated its city rivals in two successiveCopa del Generalísimo finals in1960 and1961.[261] In the 1970s, Atlético again took the lead as the most successful Spanish club of the decade, which prompted the Real Madrid fanbase to look down on Atlético calling them and their supporters "Indios" (Indians, a reference to theLatin American players signed by the Red-and-whites).[262] By then, Real Madrid did not want to sign non-Caucasian players (presidentSantiago Bernabéu even stated, when he decided not to sign Portuguese starEusebio at the end of the 1960s,"Mientras yo viva, aquí no jugará ningún negro ni un blanco con bigote" ("As long as I live, no black or white with a mustache will play here").[263] Atlético's supporters accepted the new "Indian" nickname joyfully and have been using it until today. The Santiago Bernabéu, Real Madrid's stadium, is alongside banks and businesses on theupper classPaseo de la Castellana street, while theVicente Calderón (the stadium that Atlético Madrid used until the2016–17 season) could be found near a brewery, alongside theManzanares River and a motorway. Real draw greater support all across the region because of their historically greater resources and success, while Atlético have a relativelyworking class fan base mainly from the south of the city, with some fans also scattered throughout the city.[264][265] In fact, the Atlético crest includes theCoat of arms of Madrid, whereas Real crest has no such a reference to the city (instead, it includes a reference to the broaderCastile region).
Between 1961 and 1989, when Real dominated La Liga, only Atlético offered it any serious challenge, winning league titles in 1966, 1970, 1973 and 1977. In 1965, Atlético became the first team to beat Real at the Bernabéu in eight years. Real Madrid's record against Atlético in more recent times has been favourable.[266] A high point came in the2002–03 season, when Real clinched the La Liga title after a 4–0 victory at the Vicente Calderón. Atlético's first win over its city rivals since 1999 came in theCopa del Rey final in May 2013. In2013–14, Real and Atlético were finalists of the UEFA Champions League, the first final which hosted two clubs from the same city. Real Madrid triumphed with a4–1 comeback victory in extra time.[267] On7 February 2015, Real suffered their first defeat in 14 years at the Vicente Calderón, a 4–0 loss.[268] On28 May 2016, Real and Atlético again met for theChampions League title, which resulted in a win for Real after a penalty shootout atSan Siro.[269]
Real Madrid'sGuti (left) and Athletic Bilbao'sJavi Martínez (centre) andAmorebieta (right) during a match at the Bernabéu, 2010
A further minor rivalry exists between Real Madrid andAthletic Bilbao. This is known asEl Viejo Clásico (the old classic),[270] so named as the two clubs were dominant in the first half of the 20th century, meeting in nine Copa del Rey finals including the first in1903.[271][272] Until 10 December 2011, this fixture was the most played in the history ofSpanish football, when it was surpassed byEl Clásico.[273]
Athletic Bilbao, who operate apolicy of only using local players,[274] have long since ceased to be a competitive rival to clubs such as Real Madrid who scour the globe for the best talent; theLions won only two of the 26 matches between the teams from2005–06 to2016–17.[270][275][276] However, the matches remain keenly fought due to their historical and cultural significance, with some parallels to the political aspect of the Barcelona/Catalonia rivalry as Athletic are the largest club in theBasque region.[277][260][278]
Real Madrid players celebrating a goal against Bayern Munich in2007
Real Madrid andBayern Munich are two of the most successful clubs in the UEFA Champions League/European Cup competition, with Real winning 15 times and Bayern winning six times.[279][280] Although they have never met in a final, Real Madrid versus Bayern is the match that has historically been played most often in the Champions League/European Cup with 26 matches (twelve wins for Madrid, eleven wins for Bayern, with three draws),[281] with several controversial incidents occurring due to the great importance of most of their meetings.[282][283][284] Real Madrid supporters often refer to Bayern as the "Bestia negra" ("Black Beast").
During the 2010s, the two teams met in the2011–12 Champions League semi-finals, which ended 3–3 on aggregate (Bayern won 3–1 on penalties after extra time, but lostthe final at their own stadium by the same method), then at the same stage in the2013–14 edition with Real Madrid winning 5–0 on aggregate,[285] and again in2017–18 with the Spanish club progressing 4–3;[286] both times they went on to win the competition.
Juventus
Another match that is often played in the European Cup/Champions League is Real Madrid vsJuventus, the most decorated Italian club. They have played each other in 21 matches and have an almost perfectly balanced record (nine wins for Juventus, ten wins for Real Madrid and two draws), as well as nearly the same goal difference (Madrid ahead 26 to 25).[287][288][289]
Their first meeting was in the quarter-finals of the1961–62 European Cup, which Real Madrid won 3–1 in a replay held inParis.[288] At the quarter-final stage in1995–96, Juventus prevailed 2–1 over the two legs and went on to lift the trophy.[288] In the1998 UEFA Champions League Final between the teams inAmsterdam, Real Madrid won 1–0.[288][290] They met again in the2002–03 UEFA Champions League semi-finals, when both clubs were in their respective 'golden eras'; Juventus won 4–3 on aggregate.[288] By that time, star midfielderZinedine Zidane, who played for theBianconeri in the 1998 final, had moved fromTurin to Madrid in a world record €77 million deal.[291]
The latest Champions League meeting was in the2017–18 quarter-finals, which Real Madrid won 4–3 on aggregate; the tie ended in dramatic and controversial fashion, with a debatable penalty awarded to Real Madrid in the last minute of the second leg after Juventus built a 3–0 lead at the Bernabeu to pull level in the tie following a defeat at theAllianz Stadium by the same scoreline.[294][295] Cristiano Ronaldo scored three goals over the two matches including the decisive penalty and a spectacular overhead kick,[296] and having won the Champions League with Madrid for a fourth time,[297] he transferred to Juventus a few months later for a €117 million fee.[298]
Finances and ownership
It was underFlorentino Pérez's first presidency (2000–2006) that Real Madrid started its ambition of becoming the world's richest professional football club.[299] The club ceded part of its training grounds to the city of Madrid in 2001, and sold the rest to four corporations: Repsol YPF, Mutua Automovilística de Madrid, Sacyr Vallehermoso and OHL. The sale eradicated the club's debts, paving the way for it to buy the world's most expensive players, such asZinedine Zidane,Luís Figo,Ronaldo andDavid Beckham. The city had previously rezoned the training grounds for development, a move which in turn increased their value, and then bought the site.[77] TheEuropean Commission started an investigation into whether the city overpaid for the property, to be considered a form of state subsidy.[300]
The sale of the training ground for office buildings cleared Real Madrid's debts of €270 million and enabled the club to embark upon an unprecedented spending spree which brought big-name players to the club. In addition, profit from the sale was spent on a state-of-the-art training complex on the city's outskirts.[301] Although Pérez's policy resulted in increased financial success from the exploitation of the club's high marketing potential around the world, especially in Asia, it came under increasing criticism for being too focused on marketing the Real Madrid brand and not enough on the performances of the team.[80]
By September 2007, Real Madrid was considered the most valuable football brand in Europe byBBDO. In 2008, it was ranked the second-most valuable club in world football, at €951 million (£640 million / $1.285 billion),[302] only beaten by Manchester United, which was valued at €1.333 billion (£900 million).[303] In 2010, Real Madrid had the highest turnover in football worldwide.[304] In September 2009, Real Madrid's management announced plans to open the club's own dedicated theme park by 2013.[305]
A study atHarvard University concluded that Real Madrid "is one of the 20 most important brand names and the only one in which its executives, the players, are well-known. We have some spectacular figures in regard to worldwide support of the club. There are an estimated 287 million people worldwide who follow Real Madrid."[306] In 2010,Forbes evaluated Real Madrid's worth to be around €992 million (US$1.323 billion), ranking them second only to Manchester United, based on figures from the 2008–09 season.[307][308] According toDeloitte, Real Madrid had a recorded revenue of €401 million in the same period, ranking first.[309]
Along with Barcelona, Athletic Bilbao andOsasuna, Real Madrid is organised as a registered association. This means that the club is owned by its supporters, who elect the president. The president cannot invest his own money,[310] and the club can only spend what it earns, which is mainly derived through sponsorships, commercial partnerships, merchandise sales, television rights, prize money and ticket sales. Unlike alimited company, it is not possible to purchase shares in the club, but only a membership.[311] The members of Real Madrid, called "socios", form an assembly of delegates which is the highest governing body of the club.[312] As of 2010, the club had 60,000socios.[313] At the end of the 2009–10 season, the club's board of directors stated that Real Madrid had a net debt of €244.6 million, €82.1 million lower than the previous fiscal year. Real Madrid announced that it had a net debt of €170 million after the 2010–11 season. From 2007 to 2011, the club made a net profit of €190 million.[314][315]
During the 2009–10 season, Real Madrid made €150 million through ticket sales, the most of any club in top-flight football.[314] Real Madrid has the highest number of shirt sales per season, around 1.5 million.[314] For the 2010–11 season, Madrid's wage bill totalled €169 million, which was second-highest in Europe behind Barcelona;[316] furthermore, its wage bill to turnover ratio was the best in Europe at 43 percent, ahead of Manchester United and Arsenal at 46 percent and 50 percent, respectively. In 2013,Forbes listed the club as the world's most valuable sports team, worth $3.3 billion.[317] Real Madrid was valued at €3.47 billion ($4.1 billion) in 2018, and in the 2016–17 season it was thesecond highest-earning football club in the world, with an annual revenue of €674.6 million.[318] In November 2018, the average first-team pay at Madrid was £8.1m ($10.6m) per year, making it the second-highest paid sports team in the world after Barcelona.[319][320] In 2022,Forbes listed Real Madrid as the most valuable football club in the world, at $5.1 billion.[321]
Real, The Movie is a 2005 part feature, part documentary film that showcases the worldwide passion for Real Madrid. Produced by the club and directed by Borja Manso, it follows five sub-stories of fans from around the world and their love for the club. Along with the fictional portion of the film, it also contains real footage of the squad, during training atCiudad Real Madrid, matches, and interviews. Although the film mentions all of the squad, it mainly focuses ongalácticos such as David Beckham, Zinedine Zidane, Raúl, Luís Figo, Ronaldo, Iker Casillas and Roberto Carlos, among others. The film was originally produced in Spanish, but has been dubbed for their worldwide fanbase.
The bookWhite Storm: 100 years of Real Madrid byPhil Ball was the first English-language history of Real Madrid. Published in 2002, it talks about the most successful moments of the club during its first centenary, having been translated into various languages. In late 2011, Real Madrid released a digital music album, entitledLegends, and a remix of the club's anthem, "Himno del Real Madrid," was released as the first single from the album.[323]
Real Madrid TV
Real Madrid TV is an encrypteddigital television channel, operated by Real Madrid and specialising in the club. The channel is available in Spanish and English. It is located atCiudad Real Madrid in Valdebebas (Madrid), Real Madrid's training centre.
Hala Madrid is a magazine published quarterly for the Real Madrid club members and theMadridistas Fan Club card holders.[324] The phrase Hala Madrid, meaning "Forward Madrid" or "Go Madrid", is also the title of the club's official anthem, which is often sung by the Madridistas (the club's fans).[6] The magazine includes reports on the club's matches in the previous month, as well as information about the reserve and youth teams. Features often include interviews with players, both past and present, and the club's historic matches.[324]
Video games
Real Madrid has appeared in many football-based video games, namely in theFIFA,EA Sports FC, andPro Evolution Soccer series. A Real Madrid player has appeared on the cover of both titles a combined seven times.
In 2007, Spanish game publisherVirgin Play signed a deal with the club to make officially licensed Real Madrid video games. The only one released under the deal (due to Virgin Play's liquidation in September 2009) would end up beingReal Madrid: The Game, which was developed byAtomic Planet Entertainment and was published under Virgin Play's publishing divisionV.2 Play in May 2009 for thePlayStation 2,PlayStation Portable,Windows,Wii andNintendo DS exclusively in European territories Virgin Play released their products in. The game featured a career mode with a mixture of role-playing and simulation as well as arcade-styled Football gameplay.
Spanish teams are limited to three players without EU citizenship. The squad list includes only the principal nationality of each player; several non-European players on the squad have dual citizenship with an EU country. Also, players from theACP countries in Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific that are signatories to theCotonou Agreement are not counted against non-EU quotas due to theKolpak ruling.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Ángel Luis Heras Aguado Santiago Aguadi García Jerónimo Farré Muncharaz Enrique Pérez Rodriguez Manuel Cerezo Velázquez José Sánchez Bernal Gumersindo Santamaría Gil Raúl Ronda Ortiz José Manuel Otero Lastre Nicolás Martín-Sanz García Catalina Miñarro Brugarolas Manuel Torres Gómez
^The Copa del Rey, as it was known for the most part of its history, was renamed toCopa del Presidente de la República by the Second Spanish Republic in 1932 and then toCopa del Generalísimo by the Francoist government in 1939.
^Real Madrid home kit in 1905 was all-white, so the supporters began referring to the players asLos Blancos.
^Realmadrid.com appeared as shirt sponsor to promote the club's new website.
^"Florentino Pérez era".Real Madrid C.F. - Web Oficial (in Spanish). Realmadrid.com.Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved12 July 2008.
^"James and Bale, La Liga's top scoring midfielders". Real Madrid CF. 8 June 2015.Archived from the original on 22 October 2022. Retrieved22 October 2022.Fourteen Madrid players have chipped in to score a record 118 goals with which the team closed out the La Liga campaign.
^Díaz, José Félix (2 December 2015)."Alineación indebida de Cheryshev" [Unlawful Cheryshev appearance].Marca (in Spanish).Archived from the original on 3 December 2015. Retrieved2 December 2015.
^"Malaga 0–2 Real Madrid". BBC.com. 21 May 2017.Archived from the original on 16 June 2018. Retrieved11 February 2018.Real Madrid won their first La Liga title since 2012 thanks to a final-day victory at Malaga.
^Leal, Antonio M. (8 June 2017)."The best season in history".Realmadrid.com. Madrid, Spain: Real Madrid Club de Fútbol.Archived from the original on 9 June 2017. Retrieved9 June 2017.Real Madrid won four titles for the first time in their 115-year history.
^Navarrete, Lucas (19 December 2014)."Sergio Ramos: "Real Madrid is God's team"".Managing Madrid.Archived from the original on 6 April 2023. Retrieved25 April 2017.I believe in God and I respect the Pope. But this is football, after all. Real Madrid is God and the world's team.
^"From Fairs Cup via UEFA Cup to UEFA Europa League".UEFA. Union of European Football Associations (UEFA).Archived from the original on 17 May 2017. Retrieved11 May 2017.The UEFA Europa League evolved from the UEFA Cup, which itself was conceived by Switzerland's Ernst Thommen, along with Italy's Ottorino Barrasi and England's Sir Stanley Rous.
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