Real Madrid CF

The most decorated club in Europe.

Real Madrid Club de Fútbol is a Spanish professional association football club based in Madrid. The club competes in La Liga, the top tier of Spanish football. Founded in 1902 as Madrid Football Club, the club has traditionally worn a white home kit. The honorific title 'Real' is Spanish for 'Royal' and was bestowed by Alfonso XIII in 1920. Real Madrid have played their home matches in the Bernabéu since 1947. Unlike most European sporting clubs, Real Madrid's members have owned and operated the club throughout its history. The club is one of the most widely supported in the world and the most followed sports club across social media. It was estimated to be worth $6.6 billion in 2024, making it the world's most valuable football club. In 2024, it became the first football club to make €1 billion ($1.08bn) in revenue. The club anthem is the 'Hala Madrid y nada más'.

Quick Facts

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Lore & Background

Real Madrid's origins go back to when football was introduced to Madrid by the academics and students of the Institución Libre de Enseñanza, which included several Cambridge and Oxford University graduates. They founded (Sociedad) Sky Football in 1897, commonly known as La Sociedad. In 1900, conflict between members caused some to leave and create a new club, Nueva Sociedad de Football. Among the dissenters were Julián Palacios, recognized as the first Real Madrid president, Juan Padrós and Carlos Padrós.

In 1901, this new club was renamed as Madrid Football Club. On 6 March 1902, after a new board presided by Juan Padrós had been elected, Madrid Football Club was officially founded. The club won its first title in 1905 after defeating Athletic Bilbao in the Spanish Cup final. In 1920, the club's name was changed to Real Madrid after King Alfonso XIII granted the title of Real to the club.

Real Madrid won its first league title in the 1931–32 season and retained it the following year. On 14 April 1931, the arrival of the Second Spanish Republic caused the club to lose the title Real and the royal crown on its emblem, going back to being named Madrid Football Club until the end of the Spanish Civil War. On 13 June 1943, Madrid beat Barcelona 11–1 in the second leg of the Copa del Generalísimo semi-finals.

Reader's Guide

Real Madrid is one of the most successful football clubs in the world and the most decorated club in Europe. In Spanish domestic football, the club has won 71 trophies; a record 36 La Liga titles, 20 Copa del Rey, 13 Supercopa de España, a Copa Eva Duarte and a Copa de la Liga. In International football, Real Madrid have won a record 35 trophies: a record 15 European Cup/UEFA Champions League titles, a record six UEFA Super Cups, two UEFA Cups, a joint-record two Latin Cups, a record one Iberoamerican Cup, and a record nine world championships.

Real Madrid is known for its Galácticos policy, which involves signing the world's best players, such as Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane and David Beckham. In 2009, Madrid signed Cristiano Ronaldo for a record-breaking £80 million (€94 million) from Manchester United; he became the club's and history's all-time top goal-scorer. Real Madrid develops homegrown talent through its academy, La Fábrica, which has produced notable graduates such as Raúl, Iker Casillas, and Dani Carvajal.

Real Madrid was recognized as the greatest football club of the 20th century, receiving the FIFA Centennial Order of Merit in 2004. Real Madrid has the highest number of participations in the European Cup/UEFA Champions League (55). Real Madrid is the only club to have won three consecutive titles in the European Cup/UEFA Champions League twice, achieving this in 1956-58 and 2016-18. In 2024, they won a record-extending 15th Champions League title. Real Madrid is the first club across all Europe's top-five leagues to win 100 trophies in all competitions.