2008 El Clásico: Real Madrid 3-2 Barcelona (La Liga)
The most successful football 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.
Quick Facts
- Venue
- Santiago Bernabéu Stadium
- Competition
- La Liga (Matchday 33)
- Final score
- Real Madrid 3 - 2 Barcelona
- Real madrid scorers
- Ronaldo
- Raúl
- Kaká
- Barcelona scorers
- Messi, Eto'o
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 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 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 during the 1950s and 60s, winning five consecutive and six overall European Cups. Real Madrid is known for its Galácticos policy, which involves signing the world's best players. In 2009, Madrid signed Cristiano Ronaldo for a record-breaking £80 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.
Reader's Guide
Real Madrid is one of the three founding members of La Liga never relegated from the top division along with Barcelona and Athletic Bilbao. The club has many long-standing rivalries, most notably El Clásico with Barcelona and El Derbi Madrileño with Atlético Madrid. 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.
Did You Know?
- 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).
- The club anthem is the 'Hala Madrid y nada más'.
- Real Madrid was estimated to be worth $6.6 billion in 2024, making it the world's most valuable football club.
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