Things to Know:
The 1998 Intercontinental Cup was a football match played on 1 December 1998 between Real Madrid, winners of the 1997–98 UEFA Champions League, and Vasco da Gama, winners of the 1998 Copa Libertadores. The match was played at a neutral venue, the National Stadium in Tokyo, in front of 51,514 fans. Real Madrid forward Raúl was named as man of the match.
REAL MADRID C.F.
1998-1999
Intercontinental Cup Final
Real Madrid vs Vasco da Gama
Match Worn Shirt
Hierro Fernando
Watch the 1998 Intercontinental Cup Final highlights
REAL MADRID C.F.
1999-2000
FIFA Club World Championship
Real Madrid vs Corinthians
Match Worn Shirt
Redondo Fernando
Did you Know?
The 2000 FIFA Club World Championship was the inaugural FIFA Club World Cup, the world club championship for men’s club association football teams. It took place in Brazil from 5 January to 14 January 2000. FIFA, football’s international governing body selected Brazil as the host nation on 3 September 1997 as the bid was found to be the strongest among a total of nine candidates. The draw was made at the Copacabana Palace in Rio de Janeiro on 14 October 1999. All matches were played in Rio de Janeiro’s Estádio do Maracanã and São Paulo’s Estádio do Morumbi. Eight teams, two from South America, two from Europe and one each from North America, Africa, Asia and Oceania entered the tournament. The first Club World Cup match took place in São Paulo, and was won by Spanish club Real Madrid, who defeated Saudi club Al-Nassr 3–1. Nicolas Anelka of France scored the first goal in Club World Cup history, while Brazilian champions Corinthians’ goalkeeper Dida posted the first official clean sheet in the tournament. Corinthians and Vasco da Gama each won their respective groups to qualify for the final. In front of a crowd of 73,000, the final finished as a 0–0 draw after extra time. The title was decided by a penalty shoot-out that Corinthians won 4–3. As winners, Corinthians received $6 million in prize money, while Vasco da Gama received $5 million. Necaxa beat Real Madrid in the third-place play-off to claim $4 million. Real Madrid received $3 million, and the other remaining teams were awarded $2.5 million.
REAL MADRID C.F.
1999-2000
“Trofeo Pirelli”
Internazionale vs Real Madrid
Match Worn Shirt
Raul Gonzalez
Did you Know?
This shirt was worn by Raul Gonzalez during the “Trofeo Pirelli” game between Internazionale and Real Madrid which took place in Milan, “Giuseppe Meazza” Stadium on July 31st 1999. Real Madrid defeated Internazionale 3-2 and Raul scored the first goal. At the end of the game Raul gave his shirt to a F.C. Internazionale staff member whom we got it from. He started his professional career in the 1994–95 season with Real Madrid C. He scored 16 goals in just nine games (including five in one match against CD Corralejo) and was swiftly promoted to the first team by coach Jorge Valdano, replacing Emilio Butragueño in a symbolic “passing of the crown.” He became the youngest player – 17 years and 124 days – ever to play for the senior side, though the record was broken by Alberto Rivera later that same season. On 29 October 1994, in an away game against Real Zaragoza at La Romareda, he created a goal for strike partner Iván Zamorano, heralding the demise of Butragueño in the process. The next week, Raúl scored his first goal in his second senior game on a home debut against Madrid rivals and former youth club Atlético Madrid in a bitter derby match.[18] Fully establishing himself as a fixture in the first team, Raúl registered a total of nine goals in 28 appearances to help Real Madrid win the 1994–95 league championship in his first season. With Real Madrid, he won several honours, including further La Liga titles in 1996–97 (scoring 21 La Liga goals), 2000–01 (scoring 24 La Liga goals), and 2002–03 (scoring 16 La Liga goals in a campaign truncated by a bout of appendicitis for which Raúl was hospitalized). During the period from 1998 to 2002, Raúl and Real Madrid also won three UEFA Champions League trophies in 1998, 2000, and 2002. For most of this time, Raúl struck up a prolific scoring partnership with Fernando Morientes and later Ronaldo. During a La Liga game against fierce rivals Barcelona at the Nou Camp in October 1999, Raúl silenced the hostile home crowd of almost 100,000 fans when he scored and then memorably celebrated his goal by putting a finger to his lips as though to tell them to be quiet. Raúl took over the captaincy of Real Madrid when Fernando Hierro was transferred in 2003, a responsibility he held until leaving the club in 2010. Despite appearing in two finals, in 2002 (in which he scored) and 2004, Raúl never lifted the Copa del Rey. Raúl being substituted by Cristiano Ronaldo during a match in November 2009. Ronaldo wore the #7 jersey at Real Madrid after Raúl’s departure in 2010. He became the first player to score 50 Champions League goals when he scored in a 2–1 group stage win over Olympiacos on 28 September 2005, and was also the first to make 100 appearances in the competition. He was also the first player to score in two Champions League finals, since the competition was renamed, scoring in the finals of both 2000 against Valencia in the Stade de France, Saint-Denis, and 2002 against Bayer Leverkusen at Hampden Park, Glasgow.
REAL MADRID C.F.
2000-2001
Champions League
Match Worn Shirt
Helguera Ivan
Things to Know:
This was the season where the club won its 28th La Liga title, having begun a new policy under a new president, Florentino Pérez, of signing the world’s greatest player for the club. Luís Figo was the arrival of the year, along with Claude Makélélé, and they helped a team of stars win the league under Vicente del Bosque, and narrowly get knocked out of defendng their Champions League title. The arrival of Luís Figo in July 2000 was controversial due to Figo’s defection from FC Barcelona to Real Madrid and thus generating furious reactions from Barcelona fans.
Did you Know?
Real Madrid endured decently worst domestic league performance under Vicente del Bosque managerial, finished just 3rd in the league standings as well as Copa del Rey 2002 failure despite Real Madrid’s world record signings of Zinedine Zidane from Juventus. But Real Madrid’s La Novena’s UEFA Champions League title was a consolation prize, following a 2-1 victory against Bayer Leverkusen in the final thanks to Zidane’s volley goal.
Things to Know:
The 2001-2002 season was the 100th team’s Anniversary season. Real Madrid wore an all white shirt for the whole season, without shirt sponsorship. In the Champions League, the sleeves included the three stripes of Adidas in blue. A special anniversary’s badge was embroidered on sleeve to celebrate it.
Things to Know:
Real Madrid returned to domestic league glory under Vicente del Bosque managerial after 3-1 victory against Athletic Bilbao in the season finale. But Real Madrid was surprisingly sacked Vicente del Bosque after del Bosque not offered his new contract. Real Madrid were also on course of retaining UEFA Champions League La Decima title before being eliminated by Italian league champions Juventus. In the domestic cup, Real Madrid were also eliminated by eventual Copa del Rey champions RCD Mallorca with 1-5 aggregate loss.
Did you Know?
The 2002 Intercontinental Cup was a football match played on 3 December 2002, between Real Madrid of Spain, winners of the 2001–02 UEFA Champions League, and Olimpia of Paraguay, winners of the 2002 Copa Libertadores. The match was played at the neutral venue of the International Stadium Yokohama in Yokohama in front of 66,070 fans. This encounter marked a special occasion for Olimpia and Real Madrid, as both teams celebrated their centenary in 2002. Ronaldo was named as man of the match. Ronaldo opened the scoring for Real Madrid in the 14th minute shooting low right footed past the goalkeeper from inside the penalty box. The second goal was scored by Guti in the 84th minute, heading home at the near post after a cross from Luís Figo on the right.
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This shirt was worn by David Beckham during the Uefa Champions League game between Real Madrid and Monaco which took place in Madrid, “Santiago Bernabeu” Stadium, on March 24th 2004. Real Madrid defeated Monaco 4-2 and at the end of the game Beckham swapped his shirt with a Monaco player whom we got it from. Beckham also hand dedicated and signed the shirt to the player with a black marker which is something exceptional since Beckham was not usual to sign game used items that belonged to him. As the summer 2003 transfer window approached, Manchester United appeared keen to sell Beckham to Barcelona and the two clubs even announced that they reached a deal for Beckham’s transfer, but instead he joined reigning Spanish champions Real Madrid for €37M on a four-year contract. Beckham was the latest signing in the Galácticos era of global stars signed by club president Florentino Pérez every summer. The news came as a bitter blow to the newly elected Barcelona president Joan Laporta, who based much of his presidential campaign on signing Beckham. The transfer to Real Madrid was announced in mid-June and formally completed on 1 July 2003, making Beckham the third Englishman to play for the club, after Laurie Cunningham and Steve McManaman, the latter of whom he succeeded in his position. Following a successful medical on 2 July, Beckham was unveiled in front of 500 accredited journalists from 25 countries at the club’s basketball facility, where he was handed the famous white shirt by former Real Madrid player Alfredo Di Stéfano. Although Beckham had worn the number seven shirt for Manchester United and England, he was unable to wear it at Madrid as it was assigned to club captain Raúl. Beckham decided to wear number 23 instead, citing his admiration of basketball player Michael Jordan, who also wore number 23. On sales of Beckham-related merchandise following his arrival at Real, an Adidas spokesman stated: “Put Beckham’s name on any product and Real Madrid didn’t stop selling”. In the week before Beckham’s presentation, Real named Carlos Queiroz as their new head coach; Queiroz had spent the previous season as Ferguson’s assistant at Manchester United. In late-July 2003, the club went on a tour of the Far East as part of pre-season training, but also to cash in on Beckham’s huge marketing appeal in Asia, where he enjoyed tremendous following. Comparing his reception upon arriving at Kunming Airport in south China to Beatlemania, Marca ran the headline, “Beckham-mania in China”. After the opening game in Beijing the tour featured games in Hong Kong, Tokyo and Bangkok. Real’s brand recognition in that part of the globe was already well established as the club made financially successful trips to Asia during previous off-seasons. The presence of Beckham, however, made this tour particularly financially lucrative for Real. Shortly after his transfer to Real, Beckham ended his relationship with agent Tony Stephens of SFX Europe, who had guided him through his career until that point, including helping to engineer Beckham’s move from Manchester to Madrid. Beckham signed on with Simon Fuller and his company 19 Entertainment, which already managed the career of Victoria. Beckham appointed close friend Terry Byrne to be his personal manager. In late-August 2003, Real Madrid won the Spanish Super Cup over two legs versus Mallorca, with Beckham scoring the final goal in a 3–0 return leg win at home, thus setting the stage for the start of the league season. Playing in a star-laden team which included three former FIFA World Player of the Year recipients, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo and Luís Figo, in addition to Roberto Carlos, Raúl and Iker Casillas, Beckham did not require much time to settle in, scoring five times in his first 16 matches (including a goal less than three minutes into his La Liga debut). Queiroz mostly favoured the adaptable 5–3–2 formation, with two fullbacks Míchel Salgado and Roberto Carlos, often joining the attack down the wings, while Beckham played on the right of the three-man midfield, alongside Zidane and Figo. Real Madrid were runners-up in the Copa del Rey, were knocked out of the UEFA Champions League at the quarter-final stage and finished the league season in fourth place, meaning the team, whose president Pérez expected them to win either the Spanish league or the Champions League each season, did not match expectations. In July 2004, while Beckham was in pre-season training in Spain, an intruder scaled a wall at the Beckham home while carrying a can of petrol. Victoria and their children were home at the time, but security guards apprehended the man before he reached the house.
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This shirt was issued for Zinedine Zidane for the Uefa Champions League game between Juventus and Real Madrid which took place in Turin, “Stadio Delle Alpi”, on March 9th 2005. Juventus defeated Real Madrid 2-0. While Zidane played with the shirt sleeves shirt, the long sleeves shirt was also issued for the game and it was personally given by the player to a close friend of him whom we got it from. In 2004, fans voted him as the best European footballer of the previous 50 years in UEFA’s fiftieth-anniversary Golden Jubilee Poll.
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After the 2006 World Cup, the Calciopoli trial verdicts relegated Juventus to Serie B, Cannavaro followed Juve manager Fabio Capello to Real Madrid. Real Madrid paid €7 million to sign him and gave him the No. 5 shirt that had previously been worn by former Madrid player and French international Zinedine Zidane. Cannavaro spent three seasons at Madrid, winning the La Liga title in 2006–07 and 2007–08, and being named the 2006 FIFA World Player of the Year, also winning the 2006 Ballon d’Or. Cannavaro was elected as part of the 2006 and the 2007 FIFPro World XI squads, and the 2006 UEFA Team of the Year. He was named in the six man shortlist for the 2007 Laureus World Sportsman of the Year.
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The 2007–08 season was a fruitful season for Casillas, as he helped Real Madrid reclaim their 31st La Liga title and conceded only 32 goals in 36 matches to claim the Zamora Trophy. On 14 February 2008, he and club captain Raúl were awarded contracts for life; Casillas signed a contract extension that would keep him at the club until 2017, with an automatic extension if he played 30 competitive matches during the final season of the contract and a buy-out clause of £113 million. His performances earned him a spot in the UEFA Team of the Year for the second time.
Things to Know:
This shirt was worn by Iker Casillas against Lazio on October 3rd 2007. As you can see from the pictures the shirt has a very recognizable detail which is the awry sponsor on chest, that was probably a kit man’s mistake while he prepared the shirts. But this mistake makes this shirt very recognizable while worn by Casillas as you can see from the picture on left.
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On 28 May 2010, it was confirmed that Mourinho would take over from Manuel Pellegrini at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. On 31 May 2010, Mourinho was unveiled as the new manager of Real Madrid after signing a four-year contract, and became the 11th manager in the past seven years at the club. Mourinho was appointed sporting manager as well as first-team coach, and he was regarded by some as a Galáctico (a term more often used for star players instead of coaches). Prior to Mourinho’s arrival, Real Madrid had underperformed despite paying record transfer fees for Galácticos such as Kaká and Cristiano Ronaldo. Their 2009–10 season was marked by disappointments such as Alcorconazo, a shock 2009–10 Copa del Rey round of 32 knockout by Segunda División B team Alcorcón, and elimination from the Champions League by Lyon in the round of 16, though they finished second in La Liga with a club record 96 points. By the end of the transfer window, after the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Mourinho had brought four new players to the squad: the Germans Sami Khedira (€13 million) and Mesut Özil (€15 million), Portuguese defender Ricardo Carvalho (€8 million) and Argentine winger Ángel Di María (€25 million plus €11 million on incentives). Mourinho spent three years in Madrid winning La Liga in 2011-2012, Copa del Rey in 2010-2011 and Supercopa de España in 2012. Following the 2013 Copa del Rey final loss to Atlético Madrid on 17 May, Mourinho called the 2012–13 season “the worst of my career”. Three days later, Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez announced Mourinho would leave the club at the end of the season by “mutual agreement”, a year after signing a contract extension to 2016.
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Between 23 February 2002 and 2 April 2011, Mourinho went 150 home league matches unbeaten: 38 (W36–D2) with Porto, 60 (W46–D14) with Chelsea, 38 (W29–D9) with Internazionale and 14 (W14–D0) with Real Madrid. The run was broken by Sporting de Gijón on 2 April 2011, when they defeated Real Madrid 1–0 at the Santiago Bernabéu in La Liga. After the match, Mourinho entered Gijón’s dressing room and congratulated them. His only prior home league defeat had come when Porto lost 3–2 to Beira-Mar on 23 February 2002. Mourinho underwent a 45 home league matches unbeaten streak: 31 (W27–D4) with Real Madrid and 14 (W13–D1) with Chelsea. This streak was ended on 19 April 2014, when Chelsea lost 2–1 to Sunderland.
Things to Know:
Mourinho is widely regarded by several players and coaches to be one of the best managers of his generation and one of the greatest ever managers. Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has described Mourinho as “probably the best coach in the world”. Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard has stated that Mourinho is the best manager he has ever worked for. He has sometimes been accused of playing defensive, dull football to grind out results. Mourinho has been criticized for negative tactics by Morten Olsen. After one game, Cruyff stated, “Mourinho is not a football coach. To play at home with seven defenders, you must be very afraid.” Olsen stated, “I don’t like his persona or the way he plays football negatively.”
REAL MADRID C.F.
2014-2015
Champions League
Juventus vs Real Madrid
Match Worn & Signed Shirt
Ronaldo Cristiano
Did you Know?
This shirt was worn by Cristiano Ronaldo during the Champions League game between Juventus and Real Madrid which took place in Torino, “Juventus Stadium”, on May 5th 2015. Juventus defeated Real Madrid 2-1 and at the end of the game Cristiano swapped his shirt with a Juventus’s player whom we got it from. During the next campaign, the 2014–15 season, Ronaldo set a new personal best of 61 goals in all competitions, starting with both goals in Real Madrid’s 2–0 victory over Sevilla in the UEFA Super Cup. He subsequently achieved his best-ever goalscoring start to a league campaign, with a record 15 goals in the first eight rounds of La Liga. His record 23rd hat-trick in La Liga, scored against Celta Vigo on 6 December, made him the fastest player to reach 200 goals in the Spanish league, as he reached the milestone in only his 178th game. After lifting the FIFA Club World Cup with Madrid in Morocco, and becoming the joint-top assist provider of the competition alongside Toni Kroos, Ronaldo received a second successive FIFA Ballon d’Or, joining Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini, and Marco van Basten as a three-time Ballon d’Or winner.
Things to Know:
This is the third away shirt released by Adidas in partnership the world famous designer Yohji Yamamoto. The collaboration between Yamamoto and adidas goes several years back and has before brought with it a number of iconic designs for adidas’ F50 Adizero. This time the services of the esteemed Japanese designer have been put to great use, when designing the current champions of Europe’s new third-shirt. For Yamamoto focus has been on Real Madrid’s core values and incorporated aspects like grandeur and decisiveness. He has done so by drawing inspiration from two mythical beasts from far eastern culture: The Dragon King and Dragonbird. The Dragon King stands for magnificence, honour and strength. Meanwhile the Dragonbird is a beast that can survive the most challenging situations and it represents the clubs resilience, determination and dexterity on its way to victory. The colour black is also the choice of Yamamoto. Black is the Japanese people’s favourite colour and as the finishing touch to complete the stylish look, some detailing has been added in white, on the collar and sleeves. And speaking of the collar adidas have stuck to the Japanese inspired design, by making it with a mao design. The iconic look is at the same time kept in the simple two-colour design, which was also the case on the away-shirt.
REAL MADRID C.F.
2020-2021
Sevilla vs Real Madrid
HumanRace Limited Edition
Match Worn Shirt
Varane Raphäel
Did you Know?
This shirt was worn by Raphaël Varane during the La Liga game between Sevilla and Real Madrid which took place in Sevilla, “Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán” Stadium, on December 5th 2020. Real Madrid defeated 1-0 and at the end of the game Varane swapped the shirt with a Sevilla player whom we got it from. This shirt is a very limited edition kit released by Adidas in partnership with the artist Pharrell Williams and it is part of the “Humanrace” collection. Crafted entirely from recycled polyester, this T-shirt offers a unique fusion of style, sport and eco-friendly principles. Graphic prints on the front and sleeves reinforce the project’s ethical commitment. This shirt used by the team in two games only, against Sevilla and against Villarreal. The same “Humanrace” kit was also released for sale with significant differences. The player’s shirts have no sponsor on the back while retail’s versions have “HUMANRACE” printed on the back alongside with a frontal tag with Adidas HumanRace logo which are not printed on player’s shirts. The shirt draws inspiration from an iconic past Real Madrid shirt’s design, the Yohji Yamamoto-designed 2014-15 third away kit. Definitely a very rare shirt and a true gem for all collectors.
On 22 June 2011, Lens president Gervais Martel confirmed to a group of supporters at a club meeting that Varane would be joining Spanish club Real Madrid stating, “He will play for Real Madrid under the guidance of José Mourinho.” Varane had previously visited Real Madrid’s club facilities and also met with club advisor and compatriot Zinedine Zidane. On 27 June, the move was confirmed by Real Madrid after Varane successfully passed his medical. Varane signed a six-year contract with the club and the transfer fee is purported to be in the range of €10 million. Varane has been described by Lens youth coach Eric Assadourian as a “truly first class player” who is “comfortable on both the tactical and technical level”. On 30 January 2013, the then Real Madrid assistant coach Aitor Karanka talked about Varane in the press conference post-El Clásico of the Copa del Rey, saying, “It’s obvious that Varane has a good head on his shoulders and will keep improving.” Former France defender Frank Leboeuf believes that Varane has the potential to be better than Real Madrid legend Fernando Hierro, saying to reporters, “Many compare him to Hierro due to his technique, but on the physical level he is stronger and he is much faster.” Fernando Hierro and José Mourinho have labelled Varane as one of the best defenders in world football.
REAL MADRID C.F.
2021-2022
Champions League
Manchester City vs Real Madrid
Match Issued Shirt
Benzema Karim
Did you Know?
This shirt was issued for Karim Benzema for the Champions League Semi Final game between Manchester City and Real Madrid which took place in Manchester, “Etihad Stadium” on April 26th 2022. Manchester City defeated Real Madrid 4-3 and Benzema scored 2 goals. Karim Benzema continued to make history with Real Madrid. Against Manchester City, he equalled Paco Gento in the number of games in a Real Madrid shirt. With 600 appearances, he drew level with another Los Blancos legend, and he capped the occasion with two goals. His strikes at the Etihad Stadium took his tally to 41 goals in 41 games this season. But he also had his best season in the Champions League. With this brace he gad scored 14 goals in this season’s competition, surpassing Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski. With the departure of Sergio Ramos to PSG, Benzema was promoted as Real Madrid’s vice-captain for the 2021–22 season under Ancelotti. On 22 September, Benzema scored a brace and provided another two assists in a 6–1 win over Mallorca at the Bernabeu. Benzema’s brace allowed him to become only the fourth Madrid player in history to score 200 La Liga goals after Di Stefano, Raul and Cristiano Ronaldo. On 28 September, Benzema became the first the player in history to score in 17 consecutive Champions League seasons after scoring his first penalty in the competition in a 1–2 home loss against Sheriff in the group stage. On 22 October, Benzema scored Madrid’s 1000th Champions League goal at the Bernabéu against Shakhtar Donetsk. In the process, Benzema scored his 291st and 292nd goals for the club, making him their fourth highest all-time top scorer, overtaking Santillana. With his goal against Sevilla in La Liga on 28 November, he became the highest French goalscorer in club football matches, overtaking Thierry Henry. On 8 January, Benzema scored his 300th goal for Madrid, converting a penalty in a 4–1 win at home in La Liga against Valencia. On 9 March, he scored a hat-trick within 17 minutes in a remarkable comeback against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League round of 16. At the age of 34, Benzema became the oldest player to score a hat-trick in the Champions League era. With the three goals, Benzema brought his tally to 309, overtaking Alfredo Di Stéfano as Real Madrid’s third-highest all-time goalscorer. On 14 March, Benzema scored a brace in a La Liga match against Mallorca and broke Henry’s record, becoming all-time top French goalscorer with 413 goals. On 6 April, he scored another hat-trick in the Champions League in a 3–1 away win over Chelsea in the first leg of the quarter-finals. Benzema became only the second player (after Cristiano Ronaldo) to score back-to-back hat-tricks in successive Champions League knockout matches. One week later in the second leg at the Santiago Bernabéu, Benzema scored a 96th minute header in extra time which proved pivotal, as Madrid lost to Chelsea 2–3 on the night but qualified for the semi-finals 5–4 on aggregate. On 30 April 2022, he helped Real clinch their 35th Spanish title with a goal in a 4–0 win against Espanyol at the Bernabéu. On 4 May, he scored a decisive goal from the penalty spot in extra time in the second leg against Manchester City and helped Real Madrid reach their 17th European Cup final. By the end of the 2021–22 La Liga season, Benzema won his first Pichichi Trophy with 27 goals in 32 matches. On 28 May, he won his fifth Champions League title after a 1–0 win over Liverpool in the final, and finished the tournament as top scorer with 15 goals in total. On 31 May, Benzema was named the inaugural Champions League player of the season. On 13 August, he was nominated for the Ballon d’Or, widely considered a favourite to win it. In recognition of his performances that season, Benzema was awarded the Ballon d’Or on 17 October.
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This shirt was worn by Vinicius Jr. during the LaLiga’s game between Girona and Real Madrid which took place in Girona, “Estadi Montilivi”, on April 25th 2023. Girona defeated Real Madrid 4-2 and at the end of the game Vinicius Jr. swapped his shirt with an opponent player whom we got it from. On 23 May 2017, La Liga club Real Madrid signed a contract to acquire Vinícius, effective after his 18th birthday on 12 July 2018 (as age 18 is the minimum age for international transfer). He transferred for a reported fee of €46 million, which was at the time, the second most expensive sale of a player in the history of Brazilian football (behind only Neymar), the largest amount received by a Brazilian club for a transfer, and the highest amount ever paid by a club for a footballer under the age of 19. He was originally scheduled to return to Brazil on loan in July 2018. During the season 2022/2023, on February 11th, Real Madrid defeated Al-Hilal 5–3 in the 2022 FIFA Club World Cup final as Vinícius scored a brace to claim the tournament’s best player award and his second Club World Cup title. On 21 February 2023, Vinícius scored two first-half goals to power Real Madrid’s 5–2 comeback win at Anfield against Liverpool in the first leg of their Champions League knockout stage round of 16 tie. On 9 May 2023, Vinícius made a significant contribution to Real Madrid’s performance in the first leg of the semi-final against Manchester City, scoring a remarkable long-range goal in the 36th minute. Alongside teammates Rodrygo and Karim Benzema, he created numerous opportunities, showcasing Real Madrid’s counter-attacking prowess against Manchester City’s dominant possession. The match ultimately ended in a 1–1 draw.[48] However, in the second leg of the semi-final, Real Madrid suffered a crushing 4–0 defeat against City, thereby ending their campaign for the Champions League title. He was selected in the 2022–23 UEFA Champions League team of the tournament. In the aftermath of Hazard’s departure, Real Madrid confirmed that Vinícius, who previously wore the No. 20 shirt, would be sporting the club’s iconic No. 7 jersey, once worn by Cristiano Ronaldo and Raúl, from 2023–24 season onwards.
Did you Know?
This is a a Fifa Club World Cup 2025 large-format team flag used during national anthems and pre-match ceremonies at the Fifa Club World Cup 2025. It features the club’s crest overlaid with the tournament’s gold FCWC circular arrow emblem. Displayed during team walkouts, national anthems, and formal lineup ceremonies, this flag was handled by presentation crews and positioned for optimal visibility in stadium and broadcast settings. Each flag’s color scheme matches the team’s identity and was produced specifically for the tournament’s staging needs.
