The arrival of Kylian Mbappé to Real Madridrecent winner of the UEFA Champions League3 2024/25brings with it a maxim of world sport: losers are reinforced to start winning and winners are reinforced after triumphing to continue winning.
Mbappe comes from the hand of a monumental Florentino Pérez. A man who arrived at the White House at the dawn of 2000 and with the wrist of a successful businessman pushed the club to be the best in the world by miles with any competitor on the old continent.
There are all the clubs in the world, and on a pedestal of privilege, distanced, is the real Madrid. The arrival of Mbappé forces us to think about the team that caused the first revolution under Florentino: the galacticos of the dawn of 2000.
It is not the first time that Merengue has been reinforced with elite players after winning the Champions League. In 2018 they arrived after continental success Vinícius Junior and Thibaut Courtoisin 2014 James Rodriguezin 2002 Ronaldo Nazario and in 2000 Luis Figo.
Precisely these last two talents, Ronaldo and Figo, were part of the poker of Madrid stars who earned the nickname Galactic. Along with them, of course, Zinedine Zidane in 2001 (who would later also be successful as a coach in this house), and David Beckham, the marketing man, in 2003.
In just three years, Real Madrid won, with this team made up of ‘Zidanes and Pavones’, as it was said at that time, referring to the youth squad Francisco Pavón and what was the conjunction of stars with earthlings, two Spanish Leagues, one Champions League, two Spanish Super Cups, one of Europe and an Intercontinental Cup. Oh, in 2002 it was chosen by the IFFHS as the best team in the world.
It is not possible to establish precisely the end of the “Galactic Age”, but we can say that in March 2006, everything was reformulated with the elimination against Arsenal in the round of 16 of the Champions League. Zidane retired from football after the 2006 World Cup, Beckham said goodbye to the team and a new policy was put into place.
The arrival of Mbappé forces the inevitable comparison. Of course, they are different eras, a different football, and Real Madrid today has another prestige and the past on the back of having achieved important laurels. But when it comes to Galacticos, it is difficult to find in the world of football a genuine young player like Mbappe. We can be talking, without exaggeration, of the most coveted signing of any team in the world.
Let’s now analyze structure. From the Zidanes and Pavones era to the current one. Full of promising young people who anticipate golden years ahead. Because we have to see that: Mbappé is only 25 years old. With current sports medicine, if no significant injuries arise, a minimum of ten years of maximum performance are guaranteed.
When Figo arrived at the club in 2000, he was 28 years old. Zidane arrived in 2001 at 29. Ronaldo, who may be most similar to Mbappé, at 26. Beckham, like Figo, was 28. The coach was Vicente del Bosque.
Who would be the other current Madrid galacticos? Vinicius Junior is 23, Jude Bellingham is 20, Thibaut Courtois 32…
The group composition is different. The coach, Carlo Ancelotti, is perhaps the best of all time. Here there do not seem to be superstars and flat earthlings. It is a compact team, with elite players, but with defined roles. The most important thing is that more than present, it has a future. Because Vinicius and Bellingham are added Endrick (17 years old), Arda Güler (19), Eduardo Camavinga (21), Rodrygo (23), Aurélien Tchouaméni (24), Federico Valverde (25) and Éder Militão (26).
And to them is added the icing on the cake, Mbappe. Author of 191 goals in his career and aspiring to be the tenth player in history to reach 300 goals distributed in five different world leagues. Only Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Cristiano Ronaldo scored at least 100 in each of the domestic leagues of the countries in which they participated.
Mbappé fits with the young and aggressive style of Real Madrid. Last season he scored 17 goals and three assists, in 20 games, only on counterattacks. Who is second on the list worldwide? Vinicius Junior, with seven goals and nine assists in 16 games. Imagine the potential of a duo that can do such damage at maximum speed.
The French star joins Real to follow in the footsteps of other French offensive talents who made history at the Santiago Bernabéu. Karim Benzema scored 354 goals, Zinedine Zidane 49 and Raymond Copa 30. All at different times and very successful.
In short: Is this version better than the Galacticos? In the immediate present, we could say no. But If we look at potential, future, and synergistic construction together, the answer is yes..
The sports and business views of that time do not match those of today. Before, they not only had to win titles: they had to make a change at the marketing level to gain prestige and money. A lot of money. The need was to create an immediate impact and they achieved it. Today that money is there. Prestige is enough. Then the view, of course, stopped being short-term. The mission gave rise to the vision.
real Madridthe team that never settles, now goes for more. Greatness cuts across eras, has no limits and is contagious. Zidane, Ronaldo, Cristiano and now Mbappé.
Tell me who you are with.
And I’ll tell you who you are.
