Galacticos is Spanish for galactics, in reference to superstars.
The early 2000s introduced the world to the greatest football team ever assembled. This was the era when Spanish giants Real Madrid would popularise the term Galactico by forming the most star-studded outfit in the history of the sport.
Forever changing football, Real Madrid went on a mission to acquire the most expensive and talented footballers of the generation: the Galacticos.
The Galactico takeover began with the controversial acquisition of Luis Figo from Barcelona in 2000. Figo at the time was considered the world’s best after a stellar final season with Barcelona.
This transfer would forever change the rivalry between the Catalans and the capital. Such a move from such a quality of player was considered high treason and a new fire was added to the Clasico.
Already employing some of the greatest players in the world, Luis Figo would join the likes of Raul, Iker Casillas and Brazil’s Roberto Carlos in what shockingly enough would make up only half of the Galacticos superstars enjoying life together Madrid.
Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo Nazario and David Beckham would later follow. Real Madrid had amazingly, in only a few years, engineered the most talented and expensive squad of all time.
Zinedine Zidane and David Beckham were two star Galacticos. (Photo by Pierre-Philippe Marcou/AFP via Getty Images)
Real Madrid achieved quite a feat in the players that made up their new outfit. Surprisingly, they were all from a diverse range of international backgrounds.
This was groundbreaking for the time as it progressively transitioned footballers from competing largely for domestic clubs of their origin. This in turn allowed the Galacticos to combine a unique arsenal of skills acquired from successful tenures across Europe’s top leagues – leagues that have very contrasting approaches to how the game is played.
This, for example, is what makes the UEFA Champions League so exhilarating. The Spanish La Liga has a slower pace and is unmatched technically. The English Premier League is physically tough and high-paced. The Italian Serie A is notorious for a more defensive approach to the game.
By combining every aspect of the world’s greatest leagues, Real Madrid could now become the most influential football team of all time.
Real Madrid did win their ninth Champions League title in the 2001-02 season. However, this team did not include all of the previously mentioned players. Amazingly enough, this famous Los Blancos side failed to capture the elusive Decima (tenth UCL title). This was the feat the squad had in reality been formed to achieve.
Like many other teams that have now followed in broadcasting the most beautiful football of all time, success was not as abundant as the books would have anticipated.
David
Guest
They were by far the most marketed team, but they are far away to be the greatest team ever assembled. No good coached, no great player on all positions (they always lack of good defenders and defender midfielder), some starts on different positions to make them all play together (the case of Beckham). There are a lot of other examples of better teams, but without the marketing that Real Madrid has.
Bendtner52
Roar Pro
I recently watched The highlights of when Thierry Henry and Arsenal dismantled this side in 06. It’s crazy that all the names you mentioned were all playing and yet they didn’t score past a defence with Eboue, Senderos and Flamini at left back
Rellum
Roar Guru
If only they weren't all injured most of the time, and I say that as a Roma supporter. It would have stopped that other team winning that season.
Anthony Abreu
Roar Guru
Agreed. I actually just titled this galacticos of the early 00”s. Title wasn’t in my control.
Anthony Abreu
Roar Guru
That’s great! Not comparing by any means!
Bendtner52
Roar Pro
Haha , it’s a good read, but I definitely don’t agree that they are the best ever assembled. Not even the third best Madrid side, as you allude to 98-02 won more, 14-18 won four in five (although arguably Galacticos were better on the eye) and the Puskas lot as Jbinnie points out were not short of trophies. Milan 88-94 were up there with their homegrown talent and expensive imports.
jbinnie
Guest
Anthony - some other stats that may interest. In the 620 club and international games he played, Puskas scored 599 goals. In his 323 games for club and country Di Stefano scores 246 goals. The 1960 Real team were all internationals for their respective countries. In fact ,5 of them,Domingues,Puskas,Di Stefano, Gento and Santa Maria managed 268 "caps" between them. The 1960 win was the fifth time they had the European Cup in consecutive years. Cheers jb.
chris
Guest
Wow - that Inter side would have been a nightmare for defenders. Trouble all over the park!
Anthony Abreu
Roar Guru
You should probably write something on that!
jbinnie
Guest
Another example of restrictive, opinionated, reporting. Why in football do we have this "history" that seems to start around the year 2000. It is widely accepted by worldwide football pundits that the best football match ever played was in Glasgow when Real Madrid played Eintracht Frankfurt in the fifth European Cup final. With both teams progressing to the final by playing a six game home and away program with scoring statistics of , Eintracht scoring 20, and conceding 8, Madrid scoring 24,conceding 7, it was quite obvious to interested fans that both sides had an "attacking" philosophy, so much so that 127,000 fans packed the stadium for the biggest crowd ever to a EC final,most of them neutral, to watch the game Madrid,with every player having represented their country took the field as roaring favourites,but the Glasgow fans,probably "leaning" towards Eintracht, that team having thrashed their local favourites, Rangers in a 12-5 thrashing over their 2 matches. Surprise ,surprise, Eintracht scored first in the 18th minute,much to the joy of these "locals", but what was about to unfold was probably the greatest display of attacking football ever played,with Puskas and Di Stefano scoring 7 goals between them, the Germans managing another 2 in reply. It was this game,and the way it was played, that was to prove the rise of defensive style football into scores more in line with 1-0 or 2-1 results. The funny thing about this match was that very few people today can say who the coaches of both teams were. Is there a message in that fact?. Cheers jb.
Rellum
Roar Guru
Add in possibly the most talent player ever in Recoba with Zamarano and Mutu as backups.
At work
Roar Rookie
Wow you're not wrong! Ronaldo, Baggio and Vieri up front :shocked: https://www.dreamteamfc.com/c/news-gossip/242713/inter-milan-forwards-serie-a/
Rellum
Roar Guru
I actually think the Inter side at the turn of the century was the greatest assembled in my lifetime. But they were no coached at all well and had many injury issues. The Galacticos were some side as well though.