Raúl González
Second Striker / Centre-Forward · Real Madrid · Spain
About Raúl González
Raúl González Blanco is Real Madrid's greatest player of the pre-Galácticos era — a local boy who captained the club through three Champions League victories and held the Champions League scoring record for 12 years. Quiet, professional, utterly devoted to Real Madrid, he was the definition of the club's values for a generation of supporters.
Raúl González's story
Madrid Born and Bred
Raúl was born and raised in Madrid (ESP) and joined Real Madrid's youth system aged 12 — after being dropped by Atlético Madrid's academy, a rejection that fuelled his determination for life. He made his Real Madrid debut at 17 under Jorge Valdano and never looked back.
Three European Cups
At the heart of three Champions League-winning sides in 1998, 2000, and 2002, Raúl was the constant — the leader, the captain, the scorer of big goals in big moments. He held the Champions League all-time scoring record of 71 goals from 2004 until Cristiano Ronaldo surpassed him in 2014.
A Coach in the Making
After retiring as a player in 2015, Raúl began coaching in Real Madrid's academy structure, rising to become head coach of Real Madrid Castilla (the B team). He is considered a top candidate for the Real Madrid first-team job when the next manager change comes.
Did you know?
- 👆 He was dropped from Atlético Madrid's youth academy as a child. He signed for Real Madrid, became their greatest player for a generation, and scored against Atlético over 20 times.
- 🏆 He won the UEFA Champions League three times (1998, 2000, 2002) — the only Madrid player of his era to lift the trophy on all three occasions.
- 👨👩👧👦 Married Mamen Sanz in 1999; they have five children. After retiring, the family settled in Madrid.
- 🙅 His goal celebration — kissing his wedding ring and pointing it to the sky — became iconic. He dedicated every goal to his wife.
- 🇪🇸 Despite being one of Spain's best players for a decade, he never won a major international tournament. Spain's golden generation came just after his best years.
- 💼 He turned down huge financial offers from Asian and American leagues to stay in European football as long as possible, saying: "I play football, not business."
- 🏟️ He made 741 official appearances for Real Madrid — a record that stood until broken by Iker Casillas, with whom he shared many of those European triumphs.
- 🧑🏫 As Real Madrid Castilla coach, he developed Vinicius Jr. in his early months at the club — helping shape one of the world's current greatest players.
- 👑 He remains the only player in Real Madrid history to have captained the team, held the stadium goalscoring record, and later returned as coach of the academy.
Honours
- UEFA Champions League x3: Real Madrid (1998, 2000, 2002)
- La Liga x6: Real Madrid (1995,1997,2001,2003,2007,2008)
- UEFA Champions League Top Scorer: 71 goals (record held 2004-2014)
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