Los Blancos

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

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 70 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. The club established itself as a major force in the 1950s and 60s, winning five consecutive and six overall European Cups, and 12 league titles in 16 years. This team, including Alfredo Di Stéfano, Ferenc Puskás, Paco Gento, and Raymond Kopa, is considered by some to be the greatest of all time. Real Madrid is known for its Galácticos policy, signing world-class players such as Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane, and David Beckham. In 2009, the club signed Cristiano Ronaldo for a record-breaking £80 million from Manchester United; he became the club's all-time top goal-scorer. The club also develops homegrown talent through its academy, La Fábrica, which has produced notable graduates such as Raúl, Iker Casillas, and Dani Carvajal.

In Their Own Story

The floodlights hummed over the Santiago Bernabéu on 18 August 2013, as Carlo Ancelotti's Real Madrid kicked off their La Liga campaign against Real Betis. Fielding a 4–3–3 formation with attacking football, Madrid won 2–1 with goals from Karim Benzema and debutante Isco. The season unfolded through dramatic moments: a 1–6 Champions League victory at Galatasaray with a Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick; a 7–3 home win against Sevilla featuring a Ronaldo hat-trick and braces from Bale and Benzema; and a 0–1 defeat to Atlético Madrid in El Derbi madrileño on 28 September. The Copa del Rey final in April saw Bale score the winner against Barcelona. In the Champions League semi-finals, Madrid beat defending champions Bayern Munich 5–0 on aggregate. The final against Atlético Madrid ended 4–1 after extra time, securing 'La Décima'—the club's tenth European Cup, first since 2002, and making them the first team to win ten European Cups/Champions League titles.

Reader's Guide

Real Madrid competes in La Liga, the top tier of Spanish football. The club is one of three founding members of La Liga never relegated from the top division, along with Barcelona and Athletic Bilbao. Real Madrid has many long-standing rivalries, most notably El Clásico with Barcelona and El Derbi Madrileño with Atlético Madrid. The club was recognized as the greatest football club of the 20th century, receiving the FIFA Centennial Order of Merit in 2004. Real Madrid holds the record for most participations in the European Cup/UEFA Champions League (55), and is the only club to have won three consecutive titles in that competition twice (1956–58 and 2016–18). In 2024, they won a record-extending 15th Champions League title. Real Madrid is the first club across Europe's top-five leagues to win 100 trophies in all competitions. As of May 2026, Real Madrid are ranked 2nd in UEFA club rankings, and first over the 2013–23 coefficient.

Did You Know?

• Real Madrid was founded in 1902 as Madrid Football Club.
• The club's white kit is iconic, though the claim it was chosen in honor of the English team Corinthian is a common myth with no historical confirmation.
• Real Madrid won its first title in 1905, defeating Athletic Bilbao in the Spanish Cup final.
• The club's name was changed to Real Madrid in 1920 after King Alfonso XIII granted the title 'Real' (Royal).
• Real Madrid's 11–1 victory over Barcelona in the 1943 Copa del Generalísimo semi-final is a notable match in the clubs' rivalry.