Real Madrid Player

20.Gonzalo Higuain

• Place of Birth : Brest, France
•  Date of Birth  : 10/12/1987
•  Position         : Forward
•  Weight          : 81.5 kg
•  Height           : 184 cm
•  Nationality    : Argentine/French

Gonzalo Higuaín jumped onto the world football stage after being named Breakthrough Player on Argentina’s 2006 Torneo Apertura. "Pipita" is known for his speed in the last third of the pitch, his great striking ability, and his precisionpassing. Quick, elegant, and a knack for decision-making make Higuaín a fashionable forward in today's world of football.
After several unsuccessful attempts, Higuaín scored his first goal as Madridista against Atletico Madrid at the Vicente Calderón Stadium in 2006/07. His propensity for scoring in derbies dates back to his first Boca-River clash, when he led Los Millonarios to victory with a stunning brace. During his first year with Real Madrid he was criticised for rushing his shots on goal, but his few successful finishes were worth their weight in gold; Higuaín netted the game winner in the team’s amazing 4-3 comeback against Espanyol and lit a spark under his teammates in the season-closer against Mallorca.
“People criticise me for not scoring goals,” says the player now, “But every striker has his ups and downs. Scoring is something you also have to work hard on. I’m going to be more patient because last year I missed many chances by being rushing too much.” Whether he plays close to the six-yard box or along the right wing, Higuaín has what it takes to be a goal-scoring machine.
 

Real Madrid Player

11.Karim Benzema

• Place of Birth : Lyon, France
•  Date of Birth  : 19/12/1987
•  Position         : Forward
•  Weight          : 83.5 kg
•  Height           : 184.1 cm
•  Nationality    : France

Karim Benzema was born in Lyon, France on 19 December 1987 to a working class family originally from northern Algeria; roots that defined his mature yet simple character. The early days of his life as a footballer began at the age of 9 with Olympique Lyonnais, a club he had never left until signing for Real Madrid. He was one of the youth system’s most outstanding players and scored 38 goals in one season with the Under-16 side followed by the UEFA European Under-17 title with France in 2004. He debuted with Lyon’s first team on 15 January 2005 against Metz. Although he did not score, he did provide an assist to Bryan Bergougnoux, who scored the winning goal. Despite the fact that Benzema had been crowned champion of Europe, club staff didn’t want to rush the player’s development and only played him in six matches that season. He did however go on to score 12 goals in 14 matches with France’s Under-18 side.
The following year he played in 13 matches, scored one goal and made his Champions League debut against Rosenborg. He played in 21 matches and scored five goals in 2006/07, but Benzema really exploded onto the scene in 2007/08. Lyon won the Ligue 1 title for the seventh straight year as well as the Coupe de France. It was also the year he debuted with the French national team. On 28 March 2007 Benzema suited up for Les Bleus against Austria and scored his first international goal. The major thorn in his side was the 2008 Euro after France fell in the opening round. This season was especially bittersweet for the striker. His coach kept him on a relatively tight leash, allowing Benzema to score just 17 goals in 36 matches. Despite being eliminated by Barcelona in the Last 16 of the Champions League, Benzema did manage to score five goals in Europe’s top competition.
Considered one of the most complete strikers in the world, Benzema calls himself a “forward through and through” capable of producing goals, scoring inside the box or assisting his teammates. “I like to play as a striker with the freedom to roam so that I can penetrate from the flanks or search through the middle. I like to score goals, but I also enjoy assisting my teammates.” Director General of Olympique Lyonnais, Marino Faccioli says Benzema reminds him of the best version of Ronaldo, the all-time top scorer in World Cup action. Benzema can’t receive any higher praise after calling the Brazilian “my source of inspiration.”
Benzema’s football is based on tremendous strength, his wicked moves, unlimited ball skills and a superb strike. The Madridista striker is intelligent and dominates every facet of what his position demands. He is an animal inside the box when his team needs him and he is the perfect man to initiate a counter-attack when his teammates feel pressured. This is Karim Benzema, a natural winner who has seen his lifelong dream come true.
 

Real Madrid Player

7.Raul Gonzalez Blanco

• Place of Birth : Madrid, Spain
•  Date of Birth  : 27/06/1977
•  Position         : Forward
•  Weight          : 74.5 kg
•  Height           : 182 cm
•  Nationality    : Spain

The name Raúl has become synonymous with records in the world of football. Hundreds of matches, hundreds of goals, an enviable track record, and a Gold Medal for Sports Merit are just a few of the countless accomplishments of one of the best Spanish football players of the last 50 years.
Raúl is a product of Atletico Madrid’s youth system but was picked up by Real Madrid in 1992/93. His ascent through the Madridista factory can only be described as meteoric. Jorge Valdano tabbed Raúl for first team duty when he was only 17, thus becoming the youngest player ever to wear a Real Madrid shirt. A legend was born.
The Real Madrid captain has scored over 190 goals in close to 500 games in 14 seasons in La Liga, numbers that don’t just highlight his tremendous talent, but also establish him as one of the best Spanish players ever to play the game. His acute goal-scoring instinct has earned him the Pichichi Trophy in 1999 (25 goals in 37 games) and 2001 (24 goals in 36 games).
Raúl embodies Real Madrid’s core values of commitment, hard work, and composure every time he dons the team shirt, the only one he’ll ever wear in Spain according to him. One of his greatest accomplishments is that of all-time top scorer of the Champions League. He’s also a three-time UEFA Club Football Best Forward Award winner and a two-time Champions League Golden Boot winner.
Since making his international debut in 1996 against the Czech Republic, Raúl has won 65 matches, drawn 23, and lost just 14 with the Spanish national side. He is the only active footballer to have played more than 100 games for his country (102) and he is the second-most capped player of all time after Andoni Zubizarreta. He is also the only active player in the world to have played in 11 World Cup matches. Raúl has scored 44 goals for Spain, surpassing the likes of Hierro, Butragueño, Di Stéfano and Santillana.
In 2006 the Real Madrid captain was awarded the Royal Order’s Gold Medal for Sports Merit.
 

Real Madrid Player

23.Rafael Van Der Vaart

• Place of Birth : Heemskerk, Netherlands
•  Date of Birth  : 11/02/1983
•  Position         : Midfielder
•  Weight          : 74 kg
•  Height           : 176.5 cm
•  Nationality    : Dutch

Rafael Ferdinand van der Vaart was born 11 February 1983 in Heemskerk. He started playing for De Kennemers, a small club in the town of Beverwijk, before moving to the Ajax youth academy. After racing through the ranks, he played his first game for the senior team on 19 April 2000, away at FC Den Bosch, but it was only the following season that he established himself as a regular starter, playing 27 league games and scoring seven times.

Still just 18, on 6 October 2001 he made his national team debut, as a second-half substitute in a World Cup qualifier against Andorra. As Holland had already failed to reach the World Cup, Rafael had to wait two years to play an official tournament for his country.

Injury forced him to miss the run-in to Ajax’s successful Eredivisie campaign and their Dutch Cup triumph against FC Utrecht in the 2001/02 season, but it did not stop him being named Holland’s Talent of the Year. And the following season, after his return to fitness, he scored a vital goal in the Champions League away to Lyon, which propelled Ajax into the knockout stages. Back on the domestic front, meanwhile, Rafael scored an impressive 18 goals in 21 league games in the Eredivisie. In 2003/04, he was once again an influential figure, as Ajax claimed another league title.
By that stage Rafael had firmly established himself as one of the stars of the Ajax team, not to mention one of the most popular players in Holland. His media profile was further increased by his relationship with popular Dutch actress Sylvie Meis. While Rafael was crowned as 2003 European Talent of the Year, Sylvie was voted as Holland’s Most Attractive Woman. In 2005, the couple married and the following year had their first child, a son who they named Damián.
By now his performances were attracting interest from some of Europe’s top clubs. He had previously been strongly linked to AC Milan, but in the summer of 2005 he signed for Bundesliga outfit SV Hamburg. In his first season he was one of the main driving forces behind the team’s qualification for the Champions League, scoring nine goals along the way, despite missing part of the season through injury. He also played a massive part in Hamburg’s impressive away form that season, scoring in each of their first four games on the road; in fact, in the course of his first one and a half seasons with the German club, they did not lose a single match away from home while he was on the pitch.
Rafael was expected to play an important part in Marco van Basten’s team for the 2006 World Cup, but was unlucky enough to suffer another injury during the run-up to the tournament, which restricted his role in Germany.
The 2006/07 season proved to be a difficult one for his club, and despite Rafael’s three goals in the Champions League group stages, they made an early exit from the competition, while languishing for several months in the bottom half of the Bundesliga table. However, the arrival of Rafael’s countryman Huub Stevens as head coach saw Hamburg march up the standings and they finished the season in a respectable 7th place, qualifying for, and indeed winning, the Intertoto Cup.
He responded in the first game of the 2007/08 season by putting in a big performance against Bayer Leverkusen; when his team was awarded a penalty, he stepped up to the plate and coolly slotted home the winner. Rafael has since played a key part in driving a galvanized Hamburg side that has been mounting a strong challenge for Bundesliga title.
 

Real Madrid Player

8.Ricardo Izecson Dos Santos Leite

• Place of Birth : Brasilia, Brazil
•  Date of Birth  : 22/04/1982
•  Position         : Midfielder
•  Weight          : 82 kg
•  Height           : 185.6 cm
•  Nationality    : Brazilian

Kaka is the complete package. His vision of the game is unparalleled and his shooting ability strikes fear into opponents. No one in Europe can control the tempo like the Brazilian. He is a consistent assist-man who concludes every season with more than a handful of goals. Kaka’s leadership skills allow him to shoulder any responsibilities that may arise. He’s a man whose football career has been based on his quiet, out-of-the-spotlight life and strong religious convictions.

Ricardo Izecson Dos Santos, Kaka, was born on 22 April 1982 in Brasilia and raised in Sao Paulo. In Brazil, Kaka is a common nickname for those named Ricardo, and it’s what Rodrigo, Kaka’s younger brother and also a football player, would call him. Kaka had a privileged childhood and his well-to-do family prozvided him with a good education. The most challenging time of his early years took place when he was 18 and suffered a career-threatening spinal fracture as a result of a swimming pool accident. Fortunatelty, however, no serious harm was done and he made a full recovery.

During his youth team years, Kaka tended to stand out above the rest. Sao Paulo first took notice and by 2001 he had earned a starting spot with the first team, played in 27 matches and scored 12 goals. The following season he knocked in ten goals in 22 matches. After leading Sao Paulo to the Super Campeonato Paulista title in 2002, Kaka debuted with the Brazilian national team. By then, steady European interest in the 21-year old culminated in his signing with AC Milan. 

During his first year with the Italian giants, Kaka played in 30 matches and scored ten goals en route to the Scudetto and Italian Super Cup. A Milan squad with players of the likes of Nesta, Maldini, Pirlo, Seedorf, Inzaghi and Shevchenko looked on as Kaka took over the role of team leader. In 2005, the attacking midfielder almost single-handedly carried his team to the Champions League final, which Milan lost in a penalty shootout against Liverpool.

In 2007, Kaka became the focal point of Milan’s offense and added Champions League and Club World Cup titles to his trophy case. That same year he went on to win all the top individual accolades, including the Ballon d’Or, FIFA World Player of the Year and FIFPro World Player of the Year.

Kaka made his debut for Brazil in a 2002 friendly against Bolivia. That summer he was a member of the 2002 World Cup-winning squad but received very little playing time. In 2005, Kaka was included in Brazil’s squad for the FIFA Confederations Cup and played all five matches, including a goal-scoring performance in the final, while in 2006 he started in his first World Cup. He has been a Seleção mainstay ever since.

Real Madrid Player

9.Cristiano Ronaldo Dos Santos Aveiro

•  Place of Birth : Madeira, Portugal
•  Date of Birth  : 20/5/1981
•  Position         : Forward
•  Weight          : 84.5 kg
•  Height           : 186.5 cm
•  Nationality    : Portuguese

Cristiano Ronaldo was born and raised in a working class neighborhood on the Portuguese island of Madeira. He officially began playing football in 2003 for Clube Futebol Andorinha de Santo Antonio. By the age of ten, the islands more prominent teams began expressing interest in the phenom. Ronaldo joined Nacional da Ilha da Madeira, where he continued his meteoric rise and one year later was on the move to Lisbon, where he signed for Sporting in 2001. He is still the only player in club history to be promoted by four academy teams until debuting with the first team in one season. Ronaldo scored a brace in his first match against Deportivo Moreirense and went on to win the Superliga that same year as a mainstay One season later he made his European debut in a Champions League qualifier against Inter.
The turning point of his career was a brilliant performance during a friendly against Manchester United in 2001. Ferguson later admitted that his players couldn’t stop talking about Ronaldo. Even on the flight back to England, players of the likes of Roy Keane and Van Nistelrooy insisted that the manager sign Cristiano. The official announcement was made one week later after ManU paid £12.24 million for his services; a record transfer fee for an adolescent.
Ronaldo proved his quality during his first year in England in the 2004 FA Cup final; he scored the first of his team’s three goals, which eventually gave them the trophy. He became one of the best young players in the world during his second campaign in England and earned FIFPro’s Special Young Player of the Year award. He entered Manchester United history on 29 October 2005 by scoring the team’s 1,000nd goal in the Premier League. Ronaldo netted 17 strikes the following year, becoming the second top-scorer in the Premiership. He also made the championship’s 2006/07 Team of the Year alongside six other ManU players.
Cristiano Ronaldo perfected his quality in the following years and also managed to stand out for his intelligence and great physique. He became the top-scoring right winger in Manchester United’s history in March 2008, breaking legendary George Best’s 32-goal record of the 1967/68 campaign. This was the first of a series of achievements, which also included winning the Community Shield, the Premiership title and the Champions League trophy. On a personal level, he won the Ballon d’Or, the Golden Boot, the FIFA World Player award, the FIFPro award, the UEFA Club Forward of the Year distinction, and became the top-scorer of the Champions League.
At just 24, Ronaldo is the second captain on the Portuguese national team behind Nuno Gomes. He made his international debut on 20 August 2003 against Kazakhstan and represented his country in the 2004 Olympic Games of Athens. Scolrai didn’t count on him much at the start of the Euro 2004, despite the insistence of fans and journalists, but he eventually became a prominent player on the team, which lost the final 1-0 against Greece. Ronaldo played at a very high level in the 2006 Germany World Cup, but the team lost against France in the semis and against Germany in the fight for third place. Portugal lost against Germany again in the quarterfinals of the Euro 2008.
 

Real Madrid Player

24.Esteban Granero Molina

• Place of Birth : Madrid, Spain
•  Date of Birth  : 02/07/1987
•  Position         : Midfielder
•  Weight          : 76.5 kg
•  Height           : 179.7 cm
•  Nationality    : Spain

Esteban Granero's versatility makes him a player that all team's wish to have. He can play as an attacking midfielder or along either flank. An offensive-minded player, Granero is a creative workhorse who has a powerful kick. The new Real Madrid player is a product of the Madridista academy, where he played for 12 years before heading to Getafe. Granero returns home with a bright future and as a player who has made a name for himself in La Liga.
A youth-teamer as of the age of eight, Esteban Granero's dream of landing on Real Madrid's first team has come true. Now 22, the midfielder has dedicated almost his whole life to the club. He first signed on following the Torneo Social, where he caught the eye of several scouts; something he continues to do to this day. He has won championships, led team's to promotion, lifted trophies and also experienced the agony of defeat, but his maturity both on and off the pitch has prevented him from ever throwing in the towel.
Granero first suited up for Real Madrid with the Under-10 squad; a division he would score 83 goals in. The years passed by and Granero continued to improve. In 1999 he captained the Under-14 team that won the International Football Seven Tournament in Barcelona. Granero scored the game-winner and was named Best Player of the championship.
At the age of 17, Granero joined Real Madrid C and was soon the center of attention of not just the team, but of Real Madrid Castilla coach Michel, as well. In December of 2005/06 he debuted with the 'B' team against Albacete and finished the match with a goal assist. That same season he went on to win the Under-19 European Championship in Poland.
The 2006/07 season saw Granero really step onto the scene. He had earned the playing time and the opportunity to gain experience in Spain's top flight, both of which were provided by Getafe. It didn't take long for Granero to become the go-to guy on the team, and his arrival coincided with the best run ever by Getafe, who made it to the semifinals of the UEFA Cup and the club's second-ever Copa del Rey final, the latter of which Granero scored Getafe's only goal in.
 

Real Madrid Player

14.Jose Maria Guttierez Hernandez

• Place of Birth : Torrejón de Ardoz, Spain
•  Date of Birth  : 31/10/1976
•  Position         : Midfielder
•  Weight          : 78 kg
•  Height           : 182.5 cm
•  Nationality    : Spanish

‘Madridista’ is the perfect word to describe Guti. The player has spent most of his life with Real Madrid and is a great example of the kind of talent that emerges from the youth system. Guti has played for almost every youth team since his arrival at the age of nine and has been considered as a special player by every one of his coaches. His rise to stardom kicked into high gear when he averaged 30 goals per season with the Under-20 team, and he wasn’t even played as a striker!
He joined Real Madrid B (now Castilla) for the 1995/96 campaign, during which his one-of-a-kind passing and class A attitude caught the attention of Jorge Valdano, who gave him the chance of making his First Team debut on 2 December 1995 against Sevilla; a match the Whites won 4-1.
Guti got his first real break in top flight football from Vicente del Bosque, who stepped in for John Benjamin Toshack and managed to lead the club to its eighth European Cup in 1999/00. Hours on end in the gymnasium and drastic improvements to his physiognomy earned Guti, until then a tactical, but frail magician, consistent playing time as well as his first call-up from the Spanish national team.
The Madridista finally established himself as a member of the First Team one year later. After replacing injured Fernando Morientes, he paired up with Raúl and scored 14 goals, which played a decisive role in the team’s 28th League title.
Coaches have always taken special interest in Guti because he can adjust to any position on the pitch. He natural position is that of attacking midfielder, but he has also been lined up as a second striker, a left winger, and a defensive midfielder.
In November 2006 Guti signed a contract extension with Real Madrid through 30 June 2010.
 

Real Madrid Player

22.Xabi Alonso Olano

• Place of Birth : Tolosa, Spain
•  Date of Birth  : 25/11/1981
•  Position         : Midfielder
•  Weight          : 79 kg
•  Height           : 182.7 cm
•  Nationality    : Spanish

Born into a family known for its football prowess, Xabi Alonso came into this world on 25 November 1981 in the Basque town of Tolosa. Following in the footsteps of his father, Periko Alonso, Xabi lived in Barcelona until he was six before moving to San Sebastian, where he began his career as a footballer.La Playa de la Concha, the famous beach in San Sebastian, was the first pitch used by the Madridista and the site where his passion for the game grew. Along with his best friend, Mikel Arteta (now playing for Everton), Alonso began laying the groundwork to enjoy the same success that his father had achieved as a professional in the 1980’s.
Xabi Alonso’s youth career began at Antiguoko, where he quickly stood out for his football prowess. Real Sociedad soon came calling, and his progress through the ranks culminated in his first team debut in Copa del Rey action against Logroñes. By the age of 18 he was easily the best player on the academy squad, so Real loaned the player to a Segunda Division side where he could better develop his skills. It was his first stint with Eiber, who he left in 1998 to debut in Spain’s top flight with Real Socieded before returning again in 2000. The following year marked his definite return to San Sebastian, where he played until 2004 and led the team to a second place finish in La Liga.
Prior to the 2004/05 season, Alonso completed a switch to Liverpool, where he dazzled Kopites with his incredible vision and eye for the pass. Additionally, his powerful long-range shot converted him into one of Europe’s best centre midfielders.
Still in his first season in England, Alonso had his ankle broken and was sidelined for three months. He managed to return for the quarterfinal round of the Champions League and helped guide Liverpool to the final against Milan. The Italians led the match 3-0 before halftime rolled around, but the Reds were able to do the unthinkable and forced extra time, where they defeated Milan in the penalty shootout for the club’s fifth European Cup.
Xabi Alonso has featured for Spain since debuting in 2003. He participated in both the 2004 and 2008 European Championship as well as the 2006 World Cup. His career high was no doubt the 2008 Euro won by Spain. Alonso was also named Man of the Match in the third group stage game against Greece.
An eye for the pass, speed in distributing, vision for the game, a powerful shot… just some of the attributes of the Basque footballer who managed to conquer English football. He has now landed at the Bernabeu to play for Real Madrid, who in a matter of weeks he will accompany to the city and stadium that witnessed his rise. And that is because the Whites play Real Sociedad on 15 August as part of the Txuri.urdin’s centenary celebrations.
 

Real Madrid Player

10.Lassana Diarra

• Place of Birth : Paris,France
•  Date of Birth  : 03/10/1986
•  Position         : Midfielder
•  Weight          : 73 kg
•  Height           : 172.2 cm
•  Nationality    : French

Despite being just 23 years old, Lassana Diarra is already a very experienced player. The French midfielder joined Real Madrid hoping to become the master of its midfield, but his versatility also enables him to play as a right back.

The French international has spent most of his career in England. Determined to become a football player, he joined Nantes' youth system as a child and later landed at Le Mans, with whom he played in the French Second Division. The last French side he played for was Le Havre (2003-05).
Chelsea took interest in Lass' excellent performances in the French championship and signed him in 2005, making him the youngest player in club history. He won the Premiership and a Carling Cup with the Blues. Arsene Wenger later brought him toArsenal, where he remained only half a season before joining Portsmouth, where he would immediately see more playing time. He became one of the best players in the Premiership with Pompey.
France has produced many excellent midfielders in recent years, includingh Marcel Desailly, Patrick Viera and Claude Makelele. Diarra is the latest to join such an illustrious list because he is strong, solid in defence and covers a large part of the pitch. He is excellent in the aerial game despite not being too tall and he is capable of scoring goals from a distance thanks to a powerful shot. His versatility allows him to play both as a midfielder and as a right back.
 

Real Madrid Player

5.Fernando Ruben Gago

•  Place of Birth : Buenos Aires, Argentina
•  Date of Birth  : 14/04/1986
•  Position         : Midfielder
•  Weight          : 72.5 kg
•  Height           : 176.9 cm
•  Nationality    : Argentine

Rubén Gago was born on 14 April 1986 in Ciudadela, Buenos Aires. He began his career at Parque, a modest Club where former Madridistas Fernando Redondo and Esteban Cambiasso, whose styles resembles that of Gago, also got their start. His next stop was the Boca Juniors youth system, where his entire professional career was developed. He made his First Division debut with Boca on 5 December 2004 in a 1-0 win over Quilmas, but it was during the 2005 season that his career took off and made him the star he is today. In 2005/06 Gago was one of the centrepieces of a team that won five titles in as many competitions.
Gago is a very dynamic footballer who predicates his game on ball movement. He a knack for distributing the football as his mental prowess tends to surpass his strength. Gago became a Boca mainstay shortly after he debuted and all offensive series had to develop at his feet. He is also capable of reaching the opponent's box, perhaps even more so than Redondo, who he reminds us of in terms of vision for the game, his way of covering ground, and his ball protection. Gago also knows how to take advantage of his elbows and is never scared to get a little rough.
Maradona has described Gago as one of the best defensive midfielders in the world and said that “he should never be left off an Argentina squad list.” Fernando Redondo, who so many compare him to, assured that Gago is the type of player that he always wanted on his team. “He’s got everything that I like in a midfielder. He’s always rises to the occasion, he keeps his head held high, and he’s got what it takes to read the game,” said the former Madridista. According to Jorge Valdano, Fernando Gago “is a footballer who thinks well and thinks fast, and who helps facilitate the distribution of the ball from in the midfield.
Fernando Gago won the 2005 FIFA Under-20 World Cup 2005 with fellow teammates Oscar Ustari, Lionel Messí, and Sergio Agüero before making his Argentine national team debut in February 2007.
 

Real Madrid Player

6. Mahamadou Diarra

• Place of Birth  : Bamako, Mali
•  Date of Birth  : 18/05/1981
•  Position          : Midfielder
•  Weight           : 80 kg
•  Height            : 182.2 cm
•  Nationality      : Malian

Mahamadou Diarra was born in Bamako, Mali on 18 May 1981. The six foot, 168-pound midfielder began his football career in the CSK Bamako youth system and hit the big time in 1998 when called to play for the First Team. European football opened its doors to Diarra soon thereafter, and OFI Crete was the first European team to give him an audition at the start of 1998/99 season. He didn’t disappoint and went on to sign his first professional contract. Shining in the small Cyprus league was hard for the Mali native, who signed for Dutch club SBV Vitesse Arnhem shortly after the season came to a close.
Adjusting to Dutch football was hard at first, but the Vitesse manager and former Barcelona star Ronald Koeman took Diarra under his wing to help him improve his technique. The usually-mediocre side went on to finish sixth and fifth in the Eredivisie the two following seasons (2000/01 and 2001/02).
In 2001 Diarra signed with France's Olympique Lyonnais for €3.8 million. His arrival coincided with Lyon’s explosion onto the Ligue 1 scene. The team won four consecutive league titles and French Super Cups and earned international respect by defeating numerous European heavyweights including Real Madrid.
International career
Diarra first caught the attention of European scouts when he led Mali to a third-place finish in the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship. He was soon called up by the Malian national team, with whom he played to a fourth-place finish in the 2002 African Cup of Nations. Diarra was named Best Young Player of the competition.