Real Madrid << ray AHL mah DRIHD or mah THREETH >> is a leading Spanish soccer club. Soccer is called football in Spain and many other countries. The club plays in La Liga, the highest league in Spanish soccer. Real Madrid plays its home games in Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid.
Real Madrid is one of the most successful clubs in world soccer. The club won its record 36th league title in 2024. Real Madrid also has won a record 15 European club championships, winning the European Cup championship 6 times, including 5 consecutive seasons from 1956 to 1960 and in 1966, and winning the UEFA Champions League in 1998, 2000, 2002, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022, and 2024. UEFA stands for Union of European Football Associations. The European Cup became the UEFA Champions League beginning with the 1992-93 season. Real Madrid also won the FIFA Club World Cup in 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2022. FIFA stands for Fédération Internationale de Football Association. FIFA is soccer’s world governing body.
Many of the greatest players in international soccer have played for Real Madrid. They include forwards Francisco (Paco) Gento of Spain, Alfredo Di Stéfano of Argentina, Ferenc Puskás of Hungary, Ronaldo of Brazil, and Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal; defender Roberto Carlos of Brazil; goalkeeper Iker Casillas of Spain; and midfielders Luis Figo of Portugal, David Beckham of the United Kingdom, and Zinedine Zidane of France. Real Madrid was established in 1902.
