An internationally renowned singer, this artist with a career spanning more than fifty years and millions of albums sold could have played for Real Madrid.
Many people would dream of playing for Real Madrid. In its more than 120-year history, the Spanish club has attracted the biggest stars, from Di Stefano to Cristiano Ronaldo and perhaps soon Kilian Mbappé.
Among the most popular clubs in the world, Real Madrid is also the favorite club of many stars: NBA players like Lika Doncic or Joel Embiid, but also politicians like the former Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy or the former King Juan Carlos. Many artists have also shown their attachment to the club from the Spanish capital, like Viggo Mortensen, Tom Cruse or Ricky Martin.
Among Real Madrid fans, however, there is one singer who has something extra. Indeed, the famous Spanish singer Julio Iglesias is not only a regular in the stands of the Santiago Bernabeu stadium, but he also played for Real, and could have even become a professional with the Merengues. Julio Iglesias was born in Madrid in 1943, and played for Real from the age of 13 to 19, as a goalkeeper. After learning the ropes in the youth teams, he even joined the reserve team in the early 1960s.
“I wasn’t a super star like Iker Casillas, but the club was enthusiastic because I was physical and disciplined. I knew I wouldn’t become a great player like Di Stefano, Gento or Puskás who played for Real Madrid in those years in 1961, 1962, 1963. It was the best team in the world at that time,” he said a few years ago to the microphone of CNN.
It was a road accident that would put an abrupt end to Julio Iglesias’ professional football career. At the age of 19, he had to lie down for several months due to a shock that damaged his spine. This moment that put an end to his dreams with Real was also the beginning of his musical career, as he learned to play the guitar and released his first album a few years after the end of his rehabilitation, in 1968.
With a career spanning over fifty years, Julio Iglesias is today one of the most famous Spanish singers, both in his country and internationally, as he sings in several languages. In 1983, he finally set foot on the pitch at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium, on the occasion of a concert that he gave in the home of his favourite team. Since then, he has been a regular at Real’s home matches.