Sport is described by some people as the universal language. Well, it is quite obvious that millions and millions of people all over the world agree with that. The world of sport as it is as wide as it can be. There so many sports all over the world with fans that would not miss any action of the sport of their choice.
The biggest sports in the world today are rugby, basketball, tennis, golf and the biggest of them all, football. Football is undeniably the biggest sport in the world, and almost every country in the world has a league of clubs that play competitively for a coveted prize.
Just like every other competition, there will always be the best. There are many teams and clubs in the world that are respected for being exemplarily good in the art of football. Especially in Europe, football is taken quite seriously, and even the best clubs in the world are found in Europe. Among these top teams, one of them stands out as the best team in Europe, even its awards and achievements prove them to be what they are.
The team is Real Madrid, the Spanish giants. Real Madrid has been the top team in Spain alongside its long-time rival, Barcelona. The club has hosted the biggest names in football over the years and has created talents that have gone down in the history books. The club has won so many titles over the years, which only goes on to prove that Real Madrid is not a team to be messed with.
Inception
The roots of Real Madrid date back to 1897 when students from Cambridge and Oxford Universities and formed a football club in Madrid and named it Sociedad (Sky Football), commonly known as La Sociedad (The Society). The first president of the club was Julian Palacios, and after a conflict between the players, some of them left to form another club, Nueva Sociedad de Football (New Society of Football).
In 1905, Madrid FC won its first title after beating Athletic Bilbao in the Spanish Cup Final and became one of the founding sides of the Royal Spanish Football Federation. In 1920, King Alfonso XIII added Real to Madrid FC hence the name, Real Madrid. The team, however, lost the name “Real” after the Second Spanish Republic came.
After the Spanish Civil War damages, the club rebuilt its stadiums and its training facilities. At the moment, the president of the club was Santiago Bernabeu, hence the name of their stadium. Also, in the 1950s, the youth training facilities were opened, and the strategy of buying world-class international players began, such as Alfredo Di Stefano.
In 1955, Bernabeu and others created a tournament among the elite European teams in different European countries. Hence today named, UEFA Champions League. Between 1956 and 1960, the club won the European Cup five times and won its sixth title in 1966. In 1978, during the World Cup in Argentina, Bernabeu passed away, and three days of mourning were decreed into the tournament in his memory.
In the 1980s, the club had an incredible group of players known as La Quinta Del Buitre, which brought them back the glory they were lacking. The club’s successful run went on to the 1990s, where they won their seventh European Cup after their 32-year wait.
In 2000, Florentino Perez was elected as the president of the club and promised to get rid of the club’s £270 million debt and modernization of the club’s facilities. The club rezoned its training grounds, and with the money, they decided to get a global star every summer, hence the Galacticos. The club, however, did not have that much success despite having some of the best players in the world.
Evolution
Because the club was not winning any major titles and losing some of its biggest players, Perez retired as president of the club. Ramon Calderon took over as president in 2006, and despite their LaLiga win in 2007, the club was still not performing as good as it should. Perez regained the presidency in 2009 and still stuck to his Galacticos policy.
The club purchased Kaka and Ronaldo respectively in record-breaking deals. The club went on to have a lot of success with purchases of world-class players from various clubs such as Gareth Bale, Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, and many others.
Awards & Achievements
The club has been so successful over the years and has had an age-long rivalry with the Catalan club, Barcelona. Despite having a fierce rivalry with Barcelona and other LaLiga clubs, Real Madrid has still been able to secure a lot of title wins. The club is reputed to be the first club to win three consecutive Champions League trophies since 1992. Apart from that, the club has also secured 33 LaLiga title wins, and 13 Champions League title wins.
Net Worth of Real Madrid in 2024
Real Madrid is undeniably the biggest club in the world. It has accomplished a lot of feats in its run. The club has always captured the hearts of its fans by delivering every time they are supposed to deliver. The club has also earned a lot of money in the course of its existence. The club is endorsed by some of the biggest companies in the world, such as Audi, and receives a lot of money from other sources. The club is regarded as the wealthiest club in the world, with an estimated net worth of $5 billion as of December 2024.
Real Madrid will go down in the books of history as one of the best teams in the world. The team has created so many talents over the years and has, therefore, created a successful career path for many people. It is every footballer’s dream to play in a team like Real Madrid. The team continues to keep its fans’ dreams alive by continuing to conquer the fields.