galactico – / (ga – lac – ti – co) / noun. informal a famous and highly paid footballer
When Florentino Pérez became the owner of Real Madrid in 2000, he implemented a policy which would see the best players in the world come to the Spanish capital and form a team of Galacticos. Think the Avengers, but football. He delivered on this promise. Each summer came a new star. Luis Figo in 2000, then Zinedine Zidane in 2001, the next year Ronaldo, the next David Beckham, the next Michael Owen. It was relentless.
Perez lost the Real Madrid presidential elections in 2006 but in 2009, upon his return, he reimplemented his Galactico policy and phase two started. In came the pièce de resistance, Cristiano Ronaldo, for €80m, as well as Kaka, Xabi Alonso and Karim Benzema in the same summer. These weren’t players that would be developed at Real, these were players who were already at the top of their game. The following summer, in came Angel di Maria and Mesut Ozil. Over the next four years, more stars arrived in Madrid. Welcome Gareth Bale, a world-record transfer fee, James Rodriguez, Toni Kroos, Luka Modric and Isco.
Galactico Phase Two was enormously successful. Ronaldo became the best player in the world. The midfield, consisting of Kroos, Modric and Casemiro, became impenetrable and the team won four Champions Leagues and two La Liga’s from 2012 to 2018. When Ronaldo departed for Juventus in 2018, it signalled the end of the second era of Galacticos as Los Blancos suffered their worst season in a decade and it triggered the start of a rebuild.
Enter Galactico Phase Three.
Real Madrid currently have the world’s most in-form and marketable player on their side right now. They paid a big price for him, but it appears an incredible investment. Jude Bellingham, signed from Borussia Dortmund for €100m in the summer, has enjoyed an incredible start to life in a Real Madrid shirt. With 17 goals, six assists and a Super Cup in just 24 appearances, he is loving life in the capital. Bellingham is a true Galactico. He’s young, confident in front of the camera, a leader, has the fancying of half the girls in Europe and most importantly, he’s pretty damn good at football too.
Now, combine Bellingham with some of the other ingredients of a Galactico recipe and we’re starting to get the foundations of a super team. Rodrygo and Vinicius both have claims to be the best right and left-wingers in the world. Thibault Courtois is hailed as the world’s best goalkeeper. €50m Eder Militao has a claim to call himself one of the world’s best centre-backs and his tough-tackling nature reminds the Madridistas of a young Pepe. Aurélien Tchouaméni was signed for €80m from Monaco in 2022 and is somewhat like the second coming of Claude Makeléle. Technical brilliance combined with invincible strength. Luka Modric and Toni Kroos remain from the last Galactico era and are nurturing the next generation whilst continuing to shine themselves.
Vinicius, Bellingham et Rodrigo en mode GTA 5 ! 😂 🤍@rfef pic.twitter.com/fAU4E16fif
— Footballogue (@Footballogue) January 14, 2024
It’s all starting to come together, yet the final Galactico pieces are still on the way. Endrick, often lauded as the next Pele (no pressure there…), has been signed for €60m from Palmeiras, the largest ever sum by far for a player of that age. He is expected to become an all-timer. The other impending Galactico is the most exciting of them all; Kylian Mbappé. The best player in the world, Mbappé has been linked with a move to Real Madrid for several years now, and this is the summer that it may materialise. The Frenchman has entered the final six months of his contract which means he is free to discuss terms with other clubs. Mbappé moving to Madrid will confirm a new era of Galacticos, one that will win multiple Champions Leagues and domestic titles over the next few years.
Already, even without Mbappé and Endrick as well as the injured Courtois and Militao, Real Madrid are flying. Six wins out of six in the Champions League and facing RB Leipzig in the Round of 16, Madrid want to extend their European dominance. They are fresh off a win in the Spanish Super Cup and are second (with a game in hand) in La Liga, in which Jude ‘Belligol’ is the top scorer. They have the support of the world as well. Pictures of the young contingent of Bellingham, Camavinga, Vinicius and Rodrygo on holiday in the South of France on their off days receive millions of likes on Instagram. The most popular celebration in football right now is Bellingham’s outstretched arms celebration. If it’s not that, one may try their hand at Vinicius and Rodrygo’s samba dancing routine. Real Madrid has the first shirt displayed in any market stall and it feels as if they have their swagger back.
The recipe is 90% prepared. Add in a hint of Endrick and a dollop of Kylian Mbappé and the formula is complete. Enter the third phase of the Galacticos and get ready to bring the Champions League back to Madrid, again and again.
Follow all the latest Real Madrid updates this season on the 365Scores website!
By Nicky Helfgott / @NickyH3lfgott on Twitter (X)
