Real Madrid Club De Fútbol

Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional 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 since its inception. The honorific title 'Real' is Spanish for "Royal" and was bestowed to the club by King Alfonso XIII in 1920 along with the crown in the club crest. Real Madrid have played their home matches in the 78,297-capacity Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid since 1947. Unlike most European sporting clubs, Real Madrid's members (''socios'') have owned and operated the club throughout its history. The official Madrid anthem is the "Hala Madrid y nada más", written by RedOne and Manuel Jabois. The club is one of the most widely supported in the world and is the most followed football club on social media according to the CIES Football Observatory as of 2024. It was estimated to be worth $6.6 billion in 2024, making it the world's most valuable football club. In 2024, Real Madrid became the first football club to make €1 billion ($1.08bn) in revenue according to the club's announcement.

Real Madrid are one of the most successful football clubs in the world and most successful in Europe. In 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 FIFA Club World championships. Madrid was ranked joint first a record number of times in the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) Club World Ranking for the years 2000, 2002, 2014, 2017, and 2024. In UEFA, Madrid ranks first in the all-time club ranking.

Being one of the three founding members of La Liga that have never been relegated from the top division since its inception in 1929 (along with Athletic Bilbao and Barcelona), Real Madrid has many long-standing rivalries, most notably ''El Clásico'' with Barcelona and ''El Derbi Madrileño'' with Atlético Madrid. The club established itself as a major force in both Spanish and European football during the 1950s and 60s, winning five consecutive and six overall European Cups and reaching a further two finals. This success was replicated on the domestic front, with Madrid winning 12 league titles in 16 years. This team, which included Alfredo Di Stéfano, Ferenc Puskás, Paco Gento and Raymond Kopa is considered, by some in the sport, to be the greatest of all time. Real Madrid is known for its ''Galácticos'' policy, which involves signing the world's best players, such as Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane and David Beckham to create a superstar team. The term 'Galácticos policy' generally refers to the two eras of Florentino Pérez's presidency of the club (2000–2006 and 2009–2018); however, players brought in just before his tenure are sometimes considered to be part of the ''Galácticos'' legacy. A notable example is Steve McManaman, who like many other players also succeeded under the policy. On 26 June 2009, Madrid signed Cristiano Ronaldo for a record-breaking £80 million (€94 million); he became both the club's and history's all-time top goalscorer. Madrid have recently focused on signing young talents such as Vinícius Júnior, Rodrygo, and Jude Bellingham.

Real Madrid is recognised as the greatest football club of the 20th century by FIFA and as the best European club during the same timeframe by the IFFHS, while also receiving the FIFA Centennial Order of Merit in 2004. Real Madrid has the highest participations in the European Cup/UEFA Champions League (55), a tournament in which they hold the overall record for the most wins, most draws and most goals scored. Real Madrid is the only club to have won three consecutive titles (''three-peat'') in the European Cup/UEFA Champions League twice, first in 1955–56, 1956–57, and 1957–58, and second in 2015–16, 2016–17 and 2017–18 and was the first and the only club to win ''La Décima'' (in 2013–14). In June 2024, they won a record-extending 15th Champions League title (the sixth in eleven seasons), recognised as such by Guinness World Records. Real Madrid is the first club across all of Europe's top-five leagues to win 100 trophies in all competitions. Real Madrid are ranked 1st in Europe, according to the UEFA club rankings as well as first in last 10 years (2013–2023) overall.

History

Early years (1902–1943)

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'' (The Society) as it was the only one based in Madrid, playing on Sunday mornings at Moncloa.

In 1900, conflict between members caused some of them to leave and create a new club, ''Nueva Sociedad de Football'' (New Society of Football), to distinguish themselves from ''Sky Football''. Among the dissenters were Julián Palacios, recognized as the first Real Madrid president, Juan Padrós, the latter two being brothers and future presidents of Real Madrid. In 1901, this new club was renamed as Madrid Football Club. Later, following a restructuring in 1902, ''Sky'' was renamed as "New Foot-Ball Club".Ball, Phil p. 117.

On 6 March 1902, after a new board presided by Juan Padrós had been elected, Madrid Football Club was officially founded. The Padrós brothers summoned other football enthusiasts to a meeting in the back room of ''Al Capricho'', the family business. They viewed football as a mass sport that should be accessible to representatives of all social classes, and thought the new club should embody that idea. The brothers proposed the name, Madrid Football Club, which was unanimously accepted. The membership fee was also set, two pesetas a month, and the color of the shirt was chosen to be white in honour of a famous English team Corinthian, which Juan Padrós had met on one of his trips.

Three years after its founding, in 1905, ''Madrid FC'' won its first title after defeating Athletic Bilbao in the Spanish Cup final. The club became one of the founding sides of the Royal Spanish Football Federation on 4 January 1909, when club president Adolfo Meléndez signed the foundation agreement of the Spanish FA. After moving between several grounds, the team relocated to the ''Campo de O'Donnell'' in 1912. In 1920, the club's name was changed to Real Madrid after King Alfonso XIII granted the title of Real (Royal) to the club.

In 1929, the first Spanish football league was founded. Real Madrid led the first league season until the last match, a loss to Athletic Bilbao, meant they finished runners-up to Barcelona. 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. Football continued during the Second World War, and on 13 June 1943, Madrid beat Barcelona 11–1 in the second leg of the Copa del Generalísimo semi-finals, the Spanish Cup having been renamed in honour of General Franco.

The first leg, played at the Les Corts in Catalonia, had ended with Barcelona winning 3–0. Madrid complained about all the three goals that referee Fombona Fernández had allowed for Barcelona, with the home supporters also whistling Madrid throughout, whom they accused of employing roughhouse tactics, and Fombona for allowing them to. The newspaper '' Ya'' reported the whistling as a "clear intention to attack the representatives of Spain." Barcelona fans were banned from traveling to Madrid. The day of the second leg, the Barcelona team were insulted and stones were thrown at their bus as soon as they left their hotel.

Barcelona's striker Mariano Gonzalvo said of the incident, "Five minutes before the game had started, our penalty area was already full of coins." Barcelona goalkeeper Luis Miró rarely approached his line—when he did, he was armed with stones. As Francisco Calvet told the story, "They were shouting: ''Reds! Separatists!''... a bottle just missed Sospedra that would have killed him if it had hit him. It was all set up."

Real Madrid went 2–0 up within half an hour. The third goal brought with it a sending off for Barcelona's Benito García after he made what Calvet claimed was a "completely normal tackle". Madrid's José Llopis Corona recalled: "At which point, they got a bit demoralized," while Ángel Mur countered, "at which point, we thought: 'go on then, score as many as you want'." Madrid made it 8–0 by half-time; two goals were also ruled out for offside, and proceeded to score a further three goals in the second half, to which Barcelona replied with a late consolation goal.

According to football writer Sid Lowe, "There have been relatively few mentions of the game inceand it is not a result that has been particularly celebrated in Madrid. Indeed, the 11–1 occupies a far more prominent place in Barcelona's history. This was the game that first formed the identification of Madrid as the team of the dictatorship and Barcelona as its victims."Sid Lowe: Fear and loathing in La Liga.. Barcelona vs Real Madrid
p. 67. Random House. 26 September 2013 Fernando Argila, Barcelona's reserve goalkeeper from the 1943 match, said: "There was no rivalry. Not, at least, until that game."

Santiago Bernabéu and unprecedented success (1943–1978)

Santiago Bernabéu became president of Real Madrid in 1943. Under his presidency, the club was rebuilt after the Civil War, and he oversaw the construction of the club's current stadium, Estadio Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (now known as the Santiago Bernabéu), and its training facilities Ciudad Deportiva. Additionally, during the 1950s former ''Real Madrid Amateurs'' player Miguel Malbo founded Real Madrid's youth academy, or "''cantera''," known today as La Fábrica. Beginning in 1953, he embarked upon a strategy of signing world-class players from abroad, the most prominent being Alfredo Di Stéfano.

In 1955, acting upon the idea proposed by Gabriel Hanot, a French sports journalist and editor of ''L'Équipe'', Bernabéu, Ernest Bedrignan (deputy chairman of the Ligue de Football Professionnel) and Gusztáv Sebes created the European Cup, a continental tournament for the league champions around Europe, which is today known as the UEFA Champions League. It was under Bernabéu's guidance that Real Madrid established itself as a major force in both Spanish and European football. The club won the European Cup five times in a row between 1956 and 1960, which included the 7–3 Hampden Park final against Eintracht Frankfurt in 1960. After these five consecutive successes, Real was permanently awarded the original cup and earned the right to wear the UEFA badge of honour.; Page 4, §2.01 "Cup" & Page 26, §16.10 "Title-holder logo" Real Madrid's achievements in Europe were built upon its unprecedented domestic dominance, with the club winning twelve league titles out of sixteen possible from 1953–54 to 1968–69, including a five-in-a-row sequence in 1961–65, and finishing runners-up a further three times.

The club won the European Cup for a sixth time in 1966, defeating Partizan Belgrade 2–1 in the final with a team composed entirely of same nationality players, a first in the competition. This team became known as the Yé-yé. The name "Yé-yé" came from the "Yeah, yeah, yeah" chorus in The Beatles' song "She Loves You" after four members of the team posed for ''Marca'' and impersonated the Beatles. The Yé-yé generation was also European Cup runners-up in 1962Video highlights
from official Pathé News archive and 1964 European Cup Final, 1964. In the 1970s, Real Madrid won six league championships and three Spanish Cups. The club competed in its first UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, European Cup Winners' Cup in 1970–71 European Cup Winners' Cup, 1970–71 and progressed all the way to the 1971 European Cup Winners' Cup Final, final, where it lost to English side Chelsea F.C., Chelsea 2–1 in a replay. On 2 July 1978, club president Santiago Bernabéu died while the 1978 FIFA World Cup, World Cup was being played in Argentina. FIFA decreed three days of mourning to honour him during the tournament. The following year, the club organized the first edition of the Trofeo Santiago Bernabéu in memory of its former president.

Bernabéu had been Real Madrid's president for almost 35 years, during which his club won one Intercontinental Cup (1960–2004), Intercontinental Cup, six European Cups, 16 List of Spanish football champions, league titles, six Copa del Rey, Spanish Cups, two Latin Cups and one Copa Eva Duarte.

Quinta del Buitre and sustained success (1980–2000)

In the early 1980s, Real Madrid had lost its grasp on the La Liga title, until a new cohort of home-grown stars brought Football in Spain, domestic success back to the club. Spanish sports journalist Julio César Iglesias gave to this generation the name ''Quinta del Buitre, La Quinta del Buitre'' ("Vulture's Cohort"), which was derived from the nickname given to one of its members, Emilio Butragueño. The other four members were Manolo Sanchís, Rafael Martín Vázquez, Martín Vázquez, Míchel (footballer, born 1963), Míchel and Miguel Pardeza. All five footballers were graduates of La Fábrica (Real Madrid), Real Madrid's youth academy. With ''La Quinta del Buitre'' (reduced to four members when Pardeza left for Real Zaragoza, Zaragoza in 1986) and notable players like goalkeeper Francisco Buyo, right-back Miguel Porlán ''Chendo'' and Mexican striker Hugo Sánchez, Real Madrid had one of the best teams in Spain and Europe during the second half of the 1980s, winning two UEFA Cups, five Spanish championships in a row, one Spanish Cup, and three Supercopa de España, Spanish Super Cups. In the early 1990s, ''La Quinta del Buitre'' split up after Martín Vázquez, Emilio Butragueño and Míchel left the club.

In 1996, President Lorenzo Sanz appointed Fabio Capello as coach. Although his tenure lasted only one season, Real Madrid were proclaimed league champions, and players like Predrag Mijatović, Davor Šuker, Clarence Seedorf, Roberto Carlos and keeper Bodo Illgner arrived at the club to strengthen a squad that already boasted the likes of Raúl (footballer), Raúl, Fernando Hierro and Fernando Redondo. As a result, Real Madrid (with the addition of Fernando Morientes in 1997) finally ended its 32-year wait for its seventh European Cup: in 1998, under manager Jupp Heynckes, they defeated Juventus 1–0 in the 1998 UEFA Champions League Final, final with a goal from Mijatović.

In November 1999, Vicente del Bosque took over as coach. For the last season of the century, 1999–2000 Real Madrid CF season, 1999–2000, the squad was still led by the older veterans such as Fernando Hierro, Fernando Redondo, Roberto Carlos and Raúl. Real added the budding young talents of Guti (Spanish footballer), Guti and Iker Casillas, supported by the arrival of Steve McManaman and Nicolas Anelka from the English Premier League, alongside local talents Míchel Salgado and Iván Helguera. In Del Bosque's first season in charge, Real won the Champions League for the 1999–2000 UEFA Champions League, eighth time, following a 3–0 victory over Valencia CF, Valencia in the 2000 UEFA Champions League Final, final, with goals from Morientes, McManaman and Raúl. This victory marked the beginning of a successful period in Real Madrid's history.

Florentino Pérez era (2000–2006)

In July 2000, Florentino Pérez was elected club president. He vowed in his campaign to erase the club's €270 million debt and modernize the club's facilities. However, the primary electoral promise that propelled Pérez to victory was the signing of Luís Figo from arch-rivals Barcelona. The following year, the club had its training ground rezoned and used the money to begin assembling the ''Galácticos'' team by signing a global star every summer, which included Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo, Luís Figo, David Beckham and Fabio Cannavaro. It is debatable whether the gamble paid off, as despite winning the 2001–02 UEFA Champions League, UEFA Champions League and an Intercontinental Cup (1960–2004), Intercontinental Cup in 2002 Intercontinental Cup, 2002, followed by 2002–03 La Liga, La Liga in 2003, the club failed to win a major trophy for the next three seasons. Off the pitch, the ''Zidanes y Pavones'' policy resulted in increased financial success based on the exploitation of the club's high marketing potential around the world, particularly in Asia.

The few days after the capturing of the 2002–03 La Liga, 2003 La Liga title were surrounded with controversy. The first controversial decision came when Pérez sacked winning coach Vicente del Bosque. Over a dozen players left the club, including Madrid captain Fernando Hierro, while defensive midfielder Claude Makélélé refused to take part in training in protest at being one of the lowest-paid players at the club and subsequently moved to Chelsea F.C., Chelsea. "That's a lot [of players leaving] when the normal rule is: never change a winning team," stated Zidane.Lowe, Sid (2013). "Fear and Loathing in La Liga: The True Story of Barcelona and Real Madrid". p. 356-357. Random House, Real Madrid, with newly appointed coach Carlos Queiroz, started their domestic league slowly after a hard win over Real Betis.

The 2005–06 Real Madrid CF season, 2005–06 season began with the promise of several new signings: Júlio Baptista (€24 million), Robinho (€30 million), and Sergio Ramos (€27 million). However, Real Madrid suffered from some poor results, including a 0–3 loss at the hands of Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabéu in November 2005. Madrid's coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo, Wanderley Luxemburgo was sacked the following month and his replacement was Juan Ramón López Caro. A brief return to form came to an abrupt halt after Madrid lost the first leg of the 2005–06 Copa del Rey, Copa del Rey semi-finals 6–1 to Real Zaragoza, a defeat that was nearly reversed with a 4–0 home victory. Shortly after, Real Madrid were eliminated from the Champions League for a fourth successive year, this time at the hands of Arsenal F.C., Arsenal. On 27 February 2006, Florentino Pérez resigned.

Ramón Calderón era (2006–2009)

Ramón Calderón was elected as club president on 2 July 2006 and subsequently appointed Fabio Capello as the new coach and Predrag Mijatović as the new sporting director. Real Madrid won the Liga title in 2006–07 La Liga, 2007 for the first time in four years, but Capello was nonetheless sacked at the end of the campaign. The title was won on 17 June, where Real faced RCD Mallorca, Mallorca at the Bernabéu while Barcelona and Sevilla FC, Sevilla, the other title challengers, faced Gimnàstic de Tarragona and Villarreal CF, Villarreal, respectively. At half-time, Real were 0–1 down, while Barcelona had surged ahead into a 0–3 lead in Nou Estadi de Tarragona, Tarragona. However, three goals in the last half-hour secured Madrid a 3–1 win and their first league title since 2003."Beckham bows out with La Liga title"
. BBC. Retrieved 16 August 2014 Real Madrid repeated as league winners in 2007–08 La Liga, 2007–08, but the 2008–09 Real Madrid CF season, following season ended up being one of the most disastrous in the club's history: Real was knocked out of the 2008–09 UEFA Champions League, Champions League at the round of 16 stage for the fifth time in a row, losing to Liverpool F.C., Liverpool 0–5 on aggregate, and was embarrassed by Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabéu with a humiliating 2–6 loss, which all but confirmed the 2008–09 La Liga, league title for Barça that went on to win the Treble (association football)#Continental trebles, treble.

Second Florentino Pérez era (2009–present)

On 1 June 2009, Florentino Pérez regained Real Madrid's presidency amid the outrage over the club's decline. Pérez continued with the ''Galácticos'' policy pursued in his first term, buying Kaká from A.C. Milan, Milan for a List of most expensive association football transfers, record-breaking (in pounds sterling) sum of £56 million, and then breaking the record again by purchasing Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United F.C., Manchester United for £80 million. Real Madrid spent in excess of €261 million in the summer of 2009, and the assembled team was soon dubbed the ''Second Galácticos''. The 2009–10 Real Madrid CF season, 2009–10 season, however, was a transitional one as Madrid again finished second in the 2009–10 La Liga, league, although this time amassing 96 points, the club's record at the time, and went out of the 2009–10 UEFA Champions League, Champions League at the hands of Olympique Lyonnais, Lyon. The season was marred by Cristiano Ronaldo's injury, that sidelined him for seven weeks, although he still topped the goalscoring charts with 33 goals, and Madrid became the highest scoring team in La Liga, with 102 goals. Real Madrid also had the misfortune to become the runners-up with the highest points total in the history of Europe's top five leagues, until surpassed by Liverpool's 97 points in 2018–19 Premier League, 2018–19.

José Mourinho took over as manager in May 2010. In the 2010–11 Real Madrid CF season, 2010–11 season, the rebuilt Madrid successfully fought on all fronts, going toe to toe with a brilliant 2010–11 FC Barcelona season, Barcelona side which some regard as the greatest team in football history. Ultimately, Madrid finished second in the 2010–11 La Liga, league, with 92 points and four behind their perennial rivals, defeated them in the 2011 Copa del Rey Final, Copa del Rey final, and lost to Barça in the 2010–11 UEFA Champions League knockout phase#Semi-finals, Champions League semi-finals, where Real progressed to for the first time since 2002–03 UEFA Champions League, 2002–03. Moreover, from 16 April through 3 May, a rare occurrence happened when, for the first time ever, four ''El Clásico, Clásicos'' were to be played in a span of just 18 days. The first fixture was in the league campaign on 16 April (which ended 1–1 with penalty goals for both sides), the second one was in the Copa del Rey final (which was won by Madrid 1–0 Overtime (sports)#Association football, a.e.t., bringing them their first trophy in the second ''Galáctico'' era) on 20 April and the third and fourth ones in the controversial two-legged Champions League semi-finals on 27 April and 3 May (Barcelona won on aggregate with a 2–0 away victory and a 1–1 home draw). Madrid again became the highest scoring team in La Liga, with 102 goals, repeating its output from the previous season, with Ronaldo scoring 40 and winning the European Golden Shoe.

In the 2011–12 Real Madrid CF season, 2011–12 season, Real Madrid won 2011–12 La Liga, La Liga for a record 32nd time in its history, also finishing the season with numerous La Liga records and statistics, league records set, including 100 points amassed in a single season, a total of 121 goals scored, a goal difference of +89, 16 away games won, and 32 wins overall. They also competed in the 2011–12 UEFA Champions League, UEFA Champions League for the 15th successive season, losing in the semi-finals to FC Bayern Munich, Bayern Munich in a Penalty shoot-out (association football), penalty shoot-out after a 3–3 aggregate tie. Madrid entered the 2011–12 Copa del Rey, Copa del Rey as the 2010–11 Copa del Rey, defending champions, but lost 3–4 on aggregate in the quarter-finals to Barcelona. In the same season, Cristiano Ronaldo became the fastest player to reach 100 goals scored in Spanish league history. In reaching 101 goals in 92 games, Ronaldo surpassed Real Madrid legend Ferenc Puskás, who scored 100 goals in 105 matches. Ronaldo set a new club mark for individual goals scored in one year (60) and became the first player ever to score against all 19 opposition teams in a single season.

Real Madrid started the 2012–13 Real Madrid CF season, 2012–13 season by winning the 2012 Supercopa de España, Supercopa de España, defeating Barcelona on away goals. However, the super cup turned out to be their only trophy of the season, despite being close to win them all. Real finished runners-up to Barça in 2012–13 La Liga, La Liga, accumulating 85 points, and reached the semi-finals of the 2012–13 UEFA Champions League, UEFA Champions League for the third year in a row, where they were eliminated by Borussia Dortmund 3–4 on aggregate. Madrid also entered the 2012–13 Copa del Rey, Copa del Rey in the round of 32, going on a memorable run to the 2013 Copa del Rey Final, final, which saw them defeat Barcelona in the semi-finals before losing to Atlético Madrid 1–2 Overtime (sports)#Association football, a.e.t. Real Madrid faced the ''Blaugrana'' six times throughout the season, coming away with three wins, two draws, and one loss. A major transfer of the season was the signing of Luka Modrić from Tottenham Hotspur F.C., Tottenham Hotspur for a fee in the region of £33 million. After a loss to Atlético in the Copa del Rey final, Pérez announced the departure of José Mourinho at the end of the season by "mutual agreement".

''La Décima'' and Champions League dominance

On 25 June 2013, Carlo Ancelotti succeeded Mourinho to become the manager of Real Madrid on a three-year deal, with Zinedine Zidane named as one of his assistants. On 1 September 2013, the long-awaited transfer of Gareth Bale from Tottenham Hotspur F.C., Tottenham Hotspur was announced. The transfer of the Welshman was reportedly a new world record signing, with the transfer price approximated at €100 million. In Ancelotti's 2013–14 Real Madrid CF season, first season at the club, Real Madrid fought on all three fronts for the continental treble. Despite leading in the 2013–14 La Liga, league campaign on multiple occasions, Madrid ultimately finished in third place (level on points with Barcelona and three behind cross-city rivals Atlético Madrid), collecting 87 points in total and scoring a record 104 goals. By that time, ''Los Blancos'' had already secured the 2013–14 Copa del Rey, Copa del Rey – against rivals Barcelona – in April, with Bale scoring the winner. The major breakthrough came in the 2013–14 UEFA Champions League, UEFA Champions League, where Real returned to the 2014 UEFA Champions League Final, final after twelve years, having beaten defending champions Bayern Munich 5–0 on aggregate in the semi-finals. In the final, they defeated then-recently-league winners Atlético Madrid 4–1 Overtime (sports)#Association football, a.e.t. to clinch their tenth European Cup (first since 2002) and become the first team to win ten European Cups/Champions League titles, an achievement known as "''La Décima''" (Spanish: "The Tenth," ). Real's attacking trio of Bale, Benzema and Cristiano, dubbed the BBC, finished the season with 97 goals.

After winning the 2014 Champions League, Real Madrid signed goalkeeper Keylor Navas, midfielder Toni Kroos and attacking midfielder James Rodríguez. In August, Madrid won the 2014 UEFA Super Cup against Sevilla, the club's 79th official trophy. During the last week of the 2014 summer transfer window, Real Madrid sold two players key to the previous season's successes: Xabi Alonso to Bayern Munich and Ángel Di María to Manchester United. This decision by the club was surrounded by controversy, with Cristiano Ronaldo stating, "If I was in charge, maybe I would have done things differently," while Carlo Ancelotti admitted, "We must start again from zero."

After a slow start to the 2014–15 Real Madrid CF season, 2014–15 season, Real Madrid went on a record-breaking 22-match winning streak, which included wins against Barcelona and Liverpool F.C., Liverpool, surpassing the previous Spanish record of 18 successive wins set by Frank Rijkaard's Barça in the 2005–06 FC Barcelona season, 2005–06 season. In late December, Real Madrid won their first 2014 FIFA Club World Cup, Club World Cup, defeating San Lorenzo de Almagro, San Lorenzo 2–0 in the 2014 FIFA Club World Cup Final, final. The winning streak came to an end in their opening match of 2015 with a loss to Valencia, leaving the club two short of equalling the world record of 24 consecutive wins. Madrid was in contention for both the 2014–15 La Liga, La Liga title and the 2014–15 UEFA Champions League, UEFA Champions League until the end but ultimately came up short, finishing with 92 points in the league, two behind treble-winning Barcelona and losing to Juventus FC, Juventus 2–3 on aggregate in the Champions League semi-finals. Ronaldo finished the season scoring 48 league goals, winning his fourth European Golden Shoe, and 61 goals in all competitions, breaking his record from 2011 to 2012. Overall, despite playing an attractive attacking football and being the highest scoring team in Europe with 118 league goals, several narrow defeats meant that Real finished the season with two trophies out of six possible, which contributed to the dismissal of Carlo Ancelotti on 25 May 2015.

On 3 June 2015, Rafael Benítez was confirmed as the new Real Madrid manager for the 2015–16 Real Madrid CF season, 2015–16 season, signing a three-year contract. Real Madrid remained unbeaten in the 2015–16 La Liga, league until a 3–2 loss at Sevilla on the matchday 11. This was followed by a 0–4 home loss in the first ''Clásico'' of the season against Barcelona. Perhaps, his reign is best remembered by multiple lopsided wins achieved both in La Liga and the 2015–16 UEFA Champions League, Champions League (6–0 vs RCD Espanyol, Espanyol, 8–0 vs Malmö FF, Malmö, 10–2 vs Rayo Vallecano and others). In the 2015–16 Copa del Rey#Round of 32, Copa del Rey round of 32, Real accidentally fielded an ineligible player in a 3–1 first leg win at Cádiz CF, Cádiz and was disqualified from the tournament two days later by the competition judge, despite protests from president Pérez. In the meantime, Madrid comfortably topped their 2015–16 UEFA Champions League group stage#Group A, UCL group with 16 points and a +16 goal difference. Benítez was relieved of his duties on 4 January 2016 following allegations of unpopularity with supporters, displeasure with players and a failure to produce good results against top teams. Benítez's departure was announced along with the promotion of Zinedine Zidane to his first head coaching role. Under Zidane, Madrid managed to turn the odds in its favour, ultimately winning the Champions League, something no one expected. The notable results include a 2–1 away victory over reigning treble winners Barcelona, who were on a record-breaking winning streak, a fantastic comeback against VfL Wolfsburg, Wolfsburg in the Champions League quarter-finals (after losing the away game 0–2, Madrid erased the deficit and won 3–0 at home, courtesy of a Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick), as well as a 12-game winning streak to conclude the league campaign, meaning Real finished second, with 90 points and just one point behind champions Barcelona, coming agonizingly close to clinching the title and overcoming a 12-point deficit in the process. Finally, on 28 May, Real Madrid's eleventh Champions League title was won thanks to a 5–3 penalty shoot-out victory over rivals Atlético Madrid after a 1–1 draw in the 2016 UEFA Champions League Final, final, with the achievement being termed "''La Undécima''".

Real Madrid began their 2016–17 Real Madrid CF season, 2016–17 campaign, which was to be Zidane's first full season in charge of the club, with a victory in the 2016 UEFA Super Cup against Sevilla. On 10 December 2016, Madrid played their 35th-straight match without a loss, which set a new club record. On 18 December 2016, the club defeated Japanese outfit Kashima Antlers 4–2 in the 2016 FIFA Club World Cup Final, final of the 2016 FIFA Club World Cup. With a 3–3 draw at Sevilla in the second leg of the 2016–17 Copa del Rey, Copa del Rey round of 16 on 12 January 2017, Madrid progressed to the quarter-finals with a 6–3 aggregate victory and extended its unbeaten run to 40 matches, breaking Barcelona's Spanish record of 39 matches unbeaten in all competitions from the 2015–16 FC Barcelona season, previous season. Their unbeaten streak ended after a 1–2 away loss against the same opposition in 2016–17 La Liga, La Liga three days later. The team then was knocked out of the Copa del Rey by RC Celta de Vigo, Celta Vigo 3–4 on aggregate. These slips, however, did not affect the overall trajectory of the season. In May, Madrid won the league title for a record 33rd time, their first title in five years, accumulating 93 points in the process. On 3 June 2017, the club's victory over Juventus FC, Juventus in the 2017 UEFA Champions League Final, Champions League final resulted in Real Madrid becoming the first team to successfully defend their title in the UEFA Champions League era, and the first to win consecutive titles in the competition since A.C. Milan, Milan in 1988–89 European Cup, 1989 and 1989–90 European Cup, 1990, when the tournament was known as the European Cup. Real Madrid's title was its 12th, extending the record, and its third in four years. The achievement is also known as "''La Duodécima''". The 2016–17 season was the greatest campaign in terms of trophies won (four out of possible five) in the history of Real Madrid, an achievement that would be later equalled in the 2017–18 Real Madrid CF season, 2017–18 season.

Real kicked off the 2017–18 campaign by winning its second consecutive and fourth overall UEFA Super Cup in a 2017 UEFA Super Cup, 2–1 victory against Manchester United F.C., Manchester United. Five days later, Real Madrid beat Barcelona at the Camp Nou 3–1 in the first leg of the 2017 Supercopa de España and then defeated Barça 2–0 in the return leg, ending their 24 consecutive match scoring record in List of El Clásico matches, ''El Clásico'' matches and winning the second trophy of the season. On 16 December 2017, Real beat Brazilian club Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense, Grêmio 1–0 in the 2017 FIFA Club World Cup, FIFA Club World Cup 2017 FIFA Club World Cup Final, final and became the first team to retain the trophy. In the 2017–18 UEFA Champions League, Madrid once again progressed to the 2018 UEFA Champions League Final, final where they defeated Liverpool 3–1 to become the first club to win three straight titles in the Champions League era, as well as the first team to win three consecutive titles in the European Cup/Champions League since Bayern Munich in 1975–76 European Cup, 1976. The trophy also marked Madrid's fourth win in five years and their eighth consecutive semi-finals appearance. On 31 May, only five days after winning the final, Zidane announced his resignation as Real Madrid manager, citing the club's "need for change" as his rationale for departing. Zidane's and Ronaldo's departures marked the end of the ''Second Galáctico Era'' that yielded four Champions League titles, two La Liga titles, two Copa del Rey, two Supercopa de España, three UEFA Super Cups, and three FIFA Club World Cup titles. The team was instrumental in ending Barcelona's dominance, despite the ''Blaugrana'' boasting arguably the greatest collection of talent in history, and overshadowed the Catalans on the European stage. Real Madrid was also somewhat notoriously unlucky in its league campaigns throughout these nine years, finishing runners-up with 96, 92 (twice) and 90 points, as well as on 87 points in third place, just three off the league winners.

Following Ronaldo's departure

On 12 June 2018, Real Madrid named Julen Lopetegui, the head coach of the Spain men's national football team, Spanish national team, as their new manager. It was announced that he would officially begin his managerial duties after the 2018 FIFA World Cup. However, the Spanish national team sacked Lopetegui a day prior to the tournament, stating that he had negotiated terms with the club without informing them. The club then began re-shaping the squad in the summer of 2018, which included the sale of Cristiano Ronaldo to Juventus for a reported €117 million. Madrid began their 2018–19 Real Madrid CF season, 2018–19 campaign by losing to Atlético Madrid 2–4 Overtime (sports)#Association football, a.e.t. in the 2018 UEFA Super Cup. After a 1–5 loss to Barcelona in ''El Clásico'' on 28 October which left Real Madrid in the ninth place with only 14 points after ten games, Lopetegui was dismissed a day later and replaced by then Real Madrid Castilla, Castilla coach, Santiago Solari. On 22 December 2018, Real Madrid beat Al Ain FC, Al Ain 4–1 in the 2018 FIFA Club World Cup, FIFA Club World Cup and became the outright record winners of the Club World Cup with four titles. However, they were then knocked out of the 2018–19 Copa del Rey, Copa del Rey at the semi-final stage by Barcelona, losing 1–4 on aggregate. On 5 March 2019, Real was defeated by AFC Ajax, Ajax 1–4 (3–5 on aggregate) at home, crashing out of the 2018–19 UEFA Champions League, Champions League at the round of 16 stage after eight consecutive semi-finals appearances. On 11 March 2019, Real Madrid dismissed Solari and reinstated Zidane as the head coach of the club. Madrid finished the season with 68 points and a +17 goal difference, its lowest totals since 2001–02 La Liga, 2001–02 and 1999–2000 La Liga, 1999–2000 respectively.

In the summer of 2019, Madrid signed Eden Hazard, Luka Jović, Éder Militão, Ferland Mendy, Rodrygo, Reinier Jesus Carvalho, Reinier and other players for a total of more than €350 million. On 12 January 2020, Madrid beat cross-city rivals Atlético Madrid in a penalty shootout in the 2020 Supercopa de España Final, Supercopa de España final to win their eleventh title. After a three-month hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain, COVID-19 outbreak in March 2020, 2019–20 La Liga, La Liga was restarted in June and Madrid won ten games in a row to capture the team's 34th league title, collecting 87 points in total. From the competition's resumption in June and until the end of the 2020–21 Real Madrid CF season, 2020–21 season, Real temporarily played home fixtures at the Alfredo Di Stéfano Stadium, while the Santiago Bernabéu underwent extensive renovations.

Further domestic success and ''La Decimocuarta''

Zidane left a second time on 27 May 2021 after going trophyless 2020–21 Real Madrid CF season, that season, with Carlo Ancelotti returning to coach the team for the 2021–22 Real Madrid CF season, 2021–22 season. On the domestic front, he delivered two trophies out of possible three, winning 2021–22 La Liga, La Liga and the 2021–22 Supercopa de España, Supercopa de España. As such, Ancelotti won all six available top trophies at Madrid. In the 2021–22 UEFA Champions League, Champions League, Madrid produced one of the most memorable runs of all time, defeating pre-tournament favourites Paris Saint-Germain F.C., Paris Saint-Germain, 2020–21 UEFA Champions League, defending champions and favourites Chelsea F.C., Chelsea, 2020–21 Premier League, Premier League champions and heavy favourites Manchester City F.C., Manchester City, all in dramatic fashion, and setting up the 2022 UEFA Champions League Final, final against Liverpool, who were once again widely considered as favourites, in a rematch of their 2018 encounter. A lone Vinícius Júnior goal sealed the 14th European Cup for ''Los Blancos'', their fifth in nine years, and Ancelotti's second in charge. Real also claimed their fourth ever Double (association football)#European double, European double (after 1956–57 Real Madrid CF season, 1956–57, 1957–58 Real Madrid CF season, 1957–58, and 2016–17 Real Madrid CF season, 2016–17). Despite Real's status as the most decorated team in the history of the Champions League, they were not favoured to win that year's edition, and their improbable run was widely considered a surprise.

Even more success and ''La Decimoquinta''

After a highly successful 2021–22 season, Real Madrid signed German defender Antonio Rüdiger and French midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni, while club legends Marcelo, Isco, Gareth Bale and Casemiro left the club. Real Madrid's 2022–23 Real Madrid CF season, 2022–23 season began with lifting the UEFA Super Cup and later the FIFA Club World Cup. The season ended with Real Madrid winning the 2022–23 Copa del Rey, but losing the La Liga and Spanish Super Cup to Barcelona and the Champions League to Manchester City, being defeated 5–1 on aggregate.

In 2023, Real Madrid signed Jude Bellingham, who was given the number #5 jersey, previously used by Zinedine Zidane. Real also signed Arda Güler and Fran García (footballer, born 1999), Fran García. Meanwhile, Vinícius Júnior was given the number #7 jersey, previously used by Raúl and Cristiano Ronaldo; while Rodrygo was given the number #11 jersey, previously used by Gareth Bale. Karim Benzema left the club, while Toni Kroos would later announce that he would retire from football after this season.

The 2023–24 Real Madrid CF season, 2023–24 season would prove to be another highly successful season for Los Blancos. First, Real Madrid lifted the Spanish Super Cup against Barcelona 4–1, taking revenge of the previous year's 3–0 defeat. Then, Real Madrid lifted the La Liga with relative ease, reaching 95 points, the second-best winning campaign by Real Madrid in La Liga history after the 2011–12 100 points season. In the 2023–24 UEFA Champions League, Real Madrid knocked out RB Leipzig in the Round of 16, then defending champions Manchester City in penalties.

In the semifinals, Real Madrid faced Bayern Munich again. The first match was a 2–2 draw, while the second match in the Bernabéu was marked by a double by Joselu in the last few minutes of the game, with Bayern Munich suffering a historic comeback after leading 1–0. Real Madrid faced Borussia Dortmund in the final, and won 2–0, with Dani Carvajal being the man of the match and scoring with a header after a Toni Kroos corner, and Vinícius Júnior once again scoring in a UCL final. Real Madrid won their 15th Champions League without losing a single match during the campaign.

Following the conclusion of the 2023–24 season, Real Madrid announced that striker Kylian Mbappé would be joining the club on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain in July 2024, concluding one of the most highly anticipated transfer sagas in modern history. On 18 December 2024, Real Madrid clinched their second trophy of the season, uplifting the inaugural 2024 FIFA Intercontinental Cup by beating C.F. Pachuca, Pachuca 3–0.

Crests and colours

Crests

File:Real_emblem.png, 1902
File:Escudo Real Madrid 1908.png, 1908
File:Real emblem 5.png, 1920
File:Escudo Real madrid 1931.png, 1931
File:Real Madrid CF.svg, 2001

The first crest had a simple design consisting of a decorative interlacing of the three initials of the club, "MCF" for Madrid Club de Fútbol, in dark blue on a white shirt.
The first change in the crest occurred in 1908 when the letters adopted a more streamlined form and appeared inside a circle. The next change in the configuration of the crest did not occur until the presidency of Pedro Parages in 1920. At that time, King Alfonso XIII granted the club his royal patronage which came in the form of the title "Real Madrid," meaning "Royal." Thus, Alfonso's crown was added to the crest and the club styled itself ''Real Madrid Club de Fútbol''.

With the dissolution of the monarchy in 1931, all royal symbols (the crown on the crest and the title of Real) were eliminated. The crown was replaced by the dark mulberry band of the Region of Castile. In 1941, two years after Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalist victory in the Civil War, the Francoist Spain, Francoist regime restored the crest's "Real Corona", or "Royal Crown", while the mulberry stripe of Castile (historical region), Castile was retained as well. In addition, the whole crest was made full color, with gold being the most prominent, and the club went back to its honorific name ''Real Madrid Club de Fútbol''. The most recent modification to the crest occurred in 2001 when the club wanted to better situate itself for the 21st century and further standardize its crest. One of the modifications made was changing the mulberry stripe to a more bluish shade.

Colours

Real Madrid has maintained the white shirt for its home kit throughout the history of the club. There was, however, one season in 1926 that the shirt and shorts were not both white. It was an initiative undertaken by Juan Padrós

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