Real Madrid have had an eventful 2024.
It was the year Toni Kroos retired and Kylian Mbappe finally arrived. Carlo Ancelotti’s team lifted their 15th European Cup/Champions League, their 36th La Liga title, the Supercopa de Espana and the Intercontinental Cup — but also suffered a spate of injuries that have contributed to five losses this season, more than in the whole of the last campaign (two).
Still, Madridistas will look back fondly on a year in which they were crowned kings of Europe again. Their 3-0 win in the Intercontinental Cup final against Mexican side Pachuca made Ancelotti the most successful manager in Madrid’s history with 15 titles, surpassing the legendary Miguel Munoz.
Here, Real Madrid correspondent Guillermo Rai reviews Madrid’s 2024.
Best moment
If Real Madrid visit Cibeles Fountain in the city centre, named after the Roman goddess of fertility Cybele, it means good news — or, in other words, a title has been won.
This year Madrid brought her the title in mid-May after initially receiving the trophy behind closed doors. Two weeks later, they were back with the Champions League.
Modric and Nacho celebrate with the statue of Cybele (Burak Akbulut/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Nobody got tired of celebrating and these were the happiest moments for Madrid fans. Many teams have climbed on the statue to celebrate titles, but these ones were special for how unexpected they were. Madrid lost goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and first-choice centre-back partnership Eder Militao and David Alaba to anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) knee injuries over the season but still triumphed.
The moments shared with the retiring Kroos, the soon-to-leave captain Nacho and unexpected hero Joselu — along with new stars such as Jude Bellingham and Arda Guler — made those celebrations even more special.
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Worst moment
Only one title escaped Madrid last season: the Copa del Rey.
Their elimination by city rivals Atletico in the round of 16 was the only blemish on a campaign which was practically perfect on the pitch. Madrid lost 4-2 in a competitive game that was decided in extra time at the Metropolitano stadium, as the accumulated fatigue of the season took its toll.
But there was no more embarrassing defeat than the 4-0 loss to Barcelona at the revamped Bernabeu in October. Summer signing Mbappe was caught offside eight times, Hansi Flick’s Barca team ran riot and Madrid’s arch-rivals went six points clear at the top of the table. Madrid have since clawed back that deficit and sit second, a point behind Atletico and two clear of the Catalans, with a game in hand on them, but it was a night to forget for their fans.
Madrid suffered a damaging 4-0 loss to Barcelona at the Bernabeu (Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
The club were also incensed by Vinicius Junior missing out on the Ballon d’Or to Manchester City midfielder Rodri. Nobody from Real Madrid was present to see the Spaniard pick up his trophy after finding out Vinicius Jr would not be the winner — even though they won men’s club of the year and Ancelotti was named men’s coach of the year.
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Best game
It was not the most beautiful game but it was the most important: Madrid beating Borussia Dortmund 2-0 at Wembley in June to become European champions again.
Ancelotti’s team struggled in the first half but rallied late in the second, with goals from Dani Carvajal and Vinicius Jr. It was not as dramatic as their quarter-final and semi-final wins against Manchester City and Bayern Munich, but it capped another season in which they made comebacks a blessed habit.
Best player
It may sound obvious given this month he finished Ballon d’Or runner-up and was awarded FIFA’s The Best award this month, but Vinicius Jr has been Madrid’s standout player.
The Brazilian was not so prominent at the start of last season after suffering two muscular injuries. That coincided with Bellingham embarking on an amazing goalscoring run in his debut season and becoming another leader in attack.
But Vinicius Jr has regularly tipped the balance for Madrid across the year with his goals and assists. He was the team’s top scorer with 24 goals last season — including a hat-trick in the Supercopa final against Barcelona and two in the Champions League quarter-final first leg against Bayern — and provided 11 assists in all competitions.
His influence transcends his scoring output — which is why he has remained the team’s main star in attack, even after Mbappe’s arrival. The Frenchman has yet to fully impose himself after a mixed start to his Madrid career.
The stat that sums up 2024
Until this year, a 58-year record had stood in the Champions League — Madrid legend Paco Gento being the only player to win six European Cup finals.
That changed with Madrid’s victory at Wembley, meaning Carvajal and the veteran Luka Modric both equalled Gento (defined as having played in and won a European Cup final).
Carvajal is out for the season, so will have no chance of beating that record on May 31 2025 if Madrid are able to overcome their shaky form in the Champions League to make the final at the Allianz Arena in Munich, but Modric could still do it after becoming the oldest player in Madrid’s history in October.
Favourite quote
“In many years of my career, only one year has been easy, and that was last year.”
That is how Carlo Ancelotti summed up the 2023-24 season in November — quite the statement from the 65-year-old Italian, who has managed sides full of stars including Juventus, Milan, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern.
It is also surprising given Madrid had to suffer at plenty of points last term, with those three ACL injuries threatening to derail their progress. But Ancelotti and the squad seemed to adapt to those problems with ease without signing any replacements in January.
The quote is also in stark contrast to how Madrid have started this season, struggling to get Mbappe to his best and with the injuries again piling up. Who knows how Ancelotti will end up looking back at 2024-25?
Did that really happen?
This section could only be about one player: Joselu.
The one-time Madrid reserve striker — and ex-Stoke City and Newcastle United player — returned to the Spanish capital after 12 years in summer 2023 with a view to being a supporting actor. He ended up being much more than that.
Joselu’s Champions League heroics made him an instant Madrid icon (David Ramos/Getty Images)
When Madrid found themselves 1-0 down in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final against Bayern and about to go out, Joselu miraculously appeared. He came on in the 81st minute; then, from the 88th minute to the 91st, the substitute striker scored twice to become the protagonist of another epic night at the Bernabeu.
Having lifted a La Liga-Champions League double with his boyhood club, Joselu left for Qatari side Al Gharafa this summer. Job done.
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Player to watch in 2025
Ancelotti is not known for promoting young players to the first team, but there are some names worth following in 2025.
One of them is Joan Martinez, the 17-year-old centre-back who excelled on the preseason tour of the United States but then ruptured his ACL in his left knee. He is recovering but has signed a new deal until 2027 as reward for his potential.
Another promising player yet to make his senior debut is Chema Rodriguez. The 19-year-old defensive midfielder is technically and physically strong and considered by the club to have a different profile to the first-team players in his position.
Chema still lives at Madrid’s academy facilities, showing the gradual approach they are taking with him, but he could not have made a better impression behind the scenes.
A wish for 2025
Fewer injuries.
When The Athletic published a piece about Madrid’s internal tensions in November, we calculated they had suffered at least 25 injuries so far this season. With so many players out or suffering from discomfort, we have often not been able to enjoy the full potential of their stars.
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Who knows? It might even lead to us seeing the best version of the attacking trio of Bellingham, Mbappe and Vinicius Jr.
(Top image: Bellingham lifts the Champions League trophy in June; by Julian Finney – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
