Sergio Ramos

BIOGRAPHY

Sergio Ramos is an ace Spanish footballer who currently plays as a center-back for Sevilla FC. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest defenders of all time. Known for his tackling, aerial ability, and leadership, he won four Champions League titles with Real Madrid during his 16 seasons there. He also captained Spain to victories in two European Championships and the 2010 World Cup.

His individual honors are a testament to his skill. He holds the record for most selections to both the FIFPro World 11 (11 times) and the UEFA Team of the Year (9 times) as a defender. He’s also been named La Liga’s Best Defender a record five times.

Sergio was born on March 30, 1986, in Camas, Sevilla, to José Maria Ramos and Paqui Ramos. He started his career as a player for Sevilla as a defender at the age of 14. He proved his mettle and was eventually promoted to the main squad of the club. His brilliant performances had him acquired by Real Madrid in 2005.

For the first few years after the transfer, he struggled to make a strong impression and his contribution was mostly average. His performance peaked, however, in 2009. Since he was a defender, his goal tally was not so high, but due to his defending skills, he became one of the four captains of Real Madrid in the 2009–2010 season.

In July 2011, his leadership and skill were rewarded with contract extensions, first in 2011 until 2017, and again in 2015, securing his place with the team until 2020.

Sergio Ramos enjoying his time in Sevilla, almost two decades after he left the city as a young player. (Image source Forbes.com)

Although he loved playing football, Sergio’s initial dream was to become a bullfighter. He grew up with two siblings, a brother, and a sister, and was soon talked out of a career in bullfighting by his parents, as it was a dangerous sport. His elder brother, Rene, who also happens to be his current football agent, introduced him to football, and Sergio was soon addicted to it. His parents were happy with Ramos’ choice and supported him by appointing a private trainer.

As a child, Sergio joined the football club FC Camas, which turned out to be a great learning experience for him. The club was where his real talents were revealed. He won many Man of the Match awards and garnered some media attention too.

At the age of 14, he was acquired by the local club Sevilla FC, which catered to young talented players. Sergio joined the club’s youth program. Finally, in 2004, he was included in the main squad, and a bright and successful career awaited him.

LIFE OFF THE FIELD

Ramos entered a relationship with journalist/presenter Pilar Rubio in September 2012. This was confirmed by both at the FIFA Ballon d’Or. They have four sons together: Sergio Jr (born 6 May 2014), Marco (born 27 November 2015), Alejandro (born 25 March 2018), and Máximo Adriano (born 26 July 2021).

On 16 July 2018 Ramos proposed to his long-term girlfriend Pilar Rubio and the couple got engaged. They married in Ramos’ hometown of Sevilla on 15 June 2019.

Sergio Ramos with his wife Pilar Rubio.

Passion for Bullfighting and Horses

Sergio Ramos is a fan of bullfighting, which is popular in his hometown, and he is a personal friend of matador Alejandro Talavante. He celebrated victories for both club and country by playing with a matador’s cape.

He is also a keen horse aficionado. He owns a stud farm in his native Andalusia which is specifically dedicated to breeding Andalusian horses. His horse, Yecutan SR4 became a World Champion in 2018.

Tattoos

Sergio Ramos is heavily tattooed and covered in over 42 designs. These include religious symbols like Jesus and Mary, a Star of David honoring his grandmother, and personal tributes like a map of Spain and family members.

Sergio Ramos Documentaries

The football player shared his life story with two Amazon Prime documentaries. “El Corazón de Sergio Ramos” (2019) offered fans a glimpse into his personal side and family. The follow-up, “La Leyenda Sergio Ramos” (2021), highlighted his career’s defining moments.

Club career

Sevilla

Ramos began his career at local side Sevilla, emerging through the club’s youth system alongside Jesús Navas and Antonio Puerta. He made his first-team – and La Liga – debut on 1 February 2004, coming on as a 64th-minute substitute for Francisco Gallardo in a 0–1 away loss against Deportivo de La Coruña. In the 2004–05 season, Ramos appeared in 41 games as Sevilla finished sixth and qualified for the UEFA Cup, scoring in home fixtures against Real Sociedad (2–1) and Real Madrid (2–2). In the season’s edition of that European tournament, he scored his first continental goal, heading to conclude a 2–0 win over CD Nacional at the Estadio Ramon Sánchez Pizjuán in the first round (4–1 aggregate).

Real Madrid

2005–09: Record Transfer and Early Struggles

In the summer of 2005, Ramos was purchased by Real Madrid for €27 million, a record for a Spanish defender. He was the only Spanish player brought in during Florentino Pérez’s first stint as Real’s president. At the club, Ramos was assigned the number 4 shirt, previously worn by Fernando Hierro. On 6 December 2005 he netted his first goal for the Merengues, in a 1–2 UEFA Champions League group stage loss at Olympiacos.

During his first seasons, Ramos played as centre back, being also used as an emergency defensive midfielder on occasion. However, with the arrival of Christoph Metzelder and Pepe in the 2007–08 season, he was again relocated to right back. In his first four seasons at Real Madrid, Ramos displayed a goalscoring instinct unusual to many defenders, netting more than 20 goals overall. He also received the first nine of his 24 red cards for the club, including four in his debut season.

His first red card came after two bookable offences in a 1–0 away loss to RCD Espanyol on 18 September 2005. During the 2006–07 season, Ramos scored five goals, including one in a 3–3 draw with FC Barcelona, as Real Madrid won a record 30th Spanish league championship.

On 4 May 2008, he assisted Gonzalo Higuaín in the 89th minute against CA Osasuna in an eventual 2–1 away win, the match that sealed the club’s 31st league championship. On the final day of the season, he scored twice in a 5–2 home win against already relegated Levante UD: one through a header, and another through an individual effort. These goals took his league tally for the 2007–08 season to five.

On 24 August 2008, Ramos scored in the 2008 Supercopa de España second-leg against Valencia CF, making the score 2–1 in an eventual 4–2 and 6–5 aggregate win. The victory came despite Real Madrid playing with only nine men for a long period of time after Rafael van der Vaart and Ruud van Nistelrooy were sent off.

Although Ramos experienced a slight dip in form during the early part of the 2008–09 season, he returned to his best on 11 January 2009, scoring an acrobatic volley in a 3–0 triumph at RCD Mallorca. He continued his scoring run the following week in a 3–1 home win against Osasuna. Ramos was named in both FIFA and UEFA’s 2008 Team of the Year, adding the FIFPro Team of the Year 2007–08 accolade. He also finished 21st in the European Player of the Year nomination for 2008.

2009–15: A Captain’s Role and Defensive Shifts

At the start of the 2009–10 season, Ramos was appointed as one of Real Madrid’s four captains. Because Pepe had suffered a serious knee injury during this campaign, Ramos was often deployed as a central defender. He scored four goals in 33 league matches; and, on 21 February 2010, he played his 200th official match for the capital team against Villarreal CF (150 in the first division).

Despite these personal highlights, Los Blancos finished the campaign without picking up any silverware. In Real Madrid’s 0–5 loss at Barcelona on 29 November 2010, Ramos was sent off after kicking Lionel Messi from behind, then pushing Carles Puyol in the ensuing melée. After this ejection, he equalled Fernando Hierro’s previous record of ten red cards at the club, despite having played in 264 fewer games.

2011: Copa del Rey Trophy and Contract Extension

On 20 April 2011, Ramos started in the season’s Copa del Rey final, a 1–0 win against Barcelona in Valencia. In the subsequent victory procession, while celebrating on the top of the club’s bus, he accidentally lost hold of the cup, which fell under the wheels of the vehicle; the trophy was dented as a result.

On 12 July 2011, Ramos extended his contract with Real Madrid until 2017. The following 25 April, in the Champions League semi-finals second leg against FC Bayern Munich, he missed his penalty shootout attempt as Real Madrid lost 1–3. The league campaign ended in conquest after a four-year wait, and he was the player with the most balls recovered in his team, third overall.

From Red Cards to Resilience

On 9 January 2013, Ramos was sent off for a second bookable offense midway through the second half of an eventual 4–0 home win over Celta de Vigo for the domestic cup. He subsequently received a four-match suspension, after it was revealed he also insulted referee Miguel Ángel Ayza Gámez. The following month, mere minutes after scoring the second goal at home against Rayo Vallecano and less than 20 minutes into the first half, he received two yellow cards within one minute in the eventual 2–0 home success, taking his red card tally with Real Madrid alone to 16; and 12 in the league.

In late February/early March 2013, due to the absence of Iker Casillas due to injury, Ramos captained Real to back-to-back wins over Barcelona in just four days: he netted the 2–1 home winner in the second game, heading home after a corner kick. On 14 December 2013, Ramos received a club record 18th red card for Real Madrid in a 2–2 draw at Osasuna, but the suspension was later lifted. His 19th came in a 3–4 home defeat to Barcelona, on 23 March 2014.

2013-14: Crucial Goals and La Decima Triumph

On 26 April, Ramos scored a header against Osasuna in La Liga at the Bernabeu, in a counter-attack which he began with a strong tackle. It was his first goal in La Liga in six months, since his volley against Levante on match-day 8. On 29 April 2014, Ramos scored two headers in four minutes in a 4–0 away win against Bayern Munich in the semi-finals of the Champions League, with the tie ending with a 5–0 aggregate score and Madrid’s qualification to the decisive match for the first time in twelve years. Ramos’ brace against Bayern (4 minutes) was the fastest brace in UEFA Champions League semi-final history at the time.

Sergio Ramos celebrating victory over FC Bayern München at the UEFA Champions League semi-finals. (Image source UEFA.com)

On 4 May, Ramos scored in the 2–2 draw with Valencia at home in La Liga with another header, scoring in back-to-back league games. Just three days later, Ramos scored his first free-kick for a 1–1 draw away to Valladolid, having scored in three consecutive La Liga matches and scoring four consecutive matches for Real Madrid for the first time. On 24 May, in the final against Atlético Madrid, he headed home in stoppage time to tie the game 1–1, and Real Madrid went on to win 4–1 in extra time to claim ‘La Decima’, their tenth trophy in the competition. He was also chosen by fans as Man of the Match. Ramos ended 2013/14 with 7 goals, which made it his highest-scoring season for Real Madrid at the time.

2014–15 Season Milestones

Ramos started the 2014–15 season on 12 August 2014 by playing the full 90 minutes in a 2–0 win against Sevilla to win their first trophy of the season, the UEFA Super Cup. He then played the two-legged Supercopa de España final against Atlético Madrid with Los Blancos losing 2–1 on aggregate. Ramos scored his first goal of the season on 31 August in week two of La Liga, a header in a 4–2 away loss against Real Sociedad. He netted his 50th Real Madrid goal which came off his knee on 8 November against Atheltic Club at the Bernabeu in La Liga as Real Madrid won 5–1. He scored in both the semi-final and the final of the 2014 FIFA Club World Cup and was voted the Player of the Match in both as Real Madrid won the tournament in Morocco. Ramos was also voted the player of the tournament, winning the Golden Ball.

Captaincy and Sustained Success

Ramos agreed to a new five-year contract with Real Madrid in August 2015, tying him to the club until 2020. He was also made captain after the transfer of Casillas to FC Porto. On 8 November, Ramos scored his first goal of the season away to Sevilla. It was an overhead kick that forced him to get substituted due to landing on his injured left shoulder.

On 20 December 2015, Ramos captained Madrid to a 10–2 victory over Rayo Vallecano, the club’s highest-scoring La Liga victory in 55 years. The following 13 March, he received his 20th red card for Real Madrid in a 2–1 win over Las Palmas, having earlier scored the game’s opening goal with a header from an Isco corner kick. On 2 April 2016, he returned from suspension in a 2–1 victory against Barcelona at Camp Nou, where he was again sent off, receiving his 21st red card and fourth in a Clásico fixture.

2015-16: Champions League Trophy and Super Cup

Real Madrid reached the 2016 UEFA Champions League Final, where they faced Atlético Madrid. Ramos once again scored in a final, putting Real ahead in the first half. After a second-half equaliser from Atlético, he then scored a penalty in the shoot-out which resulted in Real winning 5–3. Thus, he lifted his first UEFA Champions trophy as a captain.

Ramos started in the 2016 UEFA Super Cup, scoring Real Madrid’s second goal of the match in the 93rd minute, bringing the game into extra-time. Real Madrid were the eventual 3–2 winners, with Ramos being named Man of the Match. Ramos ended 2015–16 with 3 goals in 33 games which was his lowest goal tally and the fewest matches he played in any season at Real Madrid due to ongoing injuries.

La Liga Triumphs and Record-Breaking Red Cards

On 3 December 2016, Ramos scored his fourth Clásico goal, an equaliser against Barcelona in a 1–1 draw at Camp Nou in the 90th minute, extending Madrid’s unbeaten run to 33 games. One week later. He netted another late goal, this time after 92 minutes, to help Madrid claim a 3–2 victory against Deportivo de La Coruña.

On 15 January 2017, Ramos scored an own goal late in the game against Sevilla which equalised the score at 1–1, and eventually Real Madrid lost the match 2–1 in stoppage time, thus ending their unbeaten streak at 40 matches. A week later, he scored both goals in a 2–1 win over Málaga, registering his 50th goal in La Liga. On 11 February, in a 3–1 victory against Osasuna, Ramos marked his 500th match with the club.

2016–17: European Cup Double and Scoring Record

In the UEFA Champions League Round of the 16-second leg, Ramos scored an important equalising header against S.S.C. Napoli in a 3–1 away win as Real Madrid qualified for the quarter-final after winning 6–2 on aggregate. On 12 March, Ramos scored another late header winner for Real Madrid, this time against Betis at the Bernabeu in a 2–1 win, taking his goal tally to 10 for the season – scoring double-digit goals in a season for the first time in his career.

Ramos’ winner put Real Madrid back at the top of the La Liga table. Real Madrid won their 33rd La Liga title, giving Ramos his fourth league title overall and first as captain. They went on to win their first league and European Cup double since the 1957–58 season, as the team defeated Juventus in the 2017 UEFA Champions League Final. This also made Ramos the first man to captain a team to back-to-back European Cups in the Champions League era. His ten goals in 2016–17 made it the highest-scoring season of his career.

On 20 August 2017, in Real Madrid’s first game of the 2017–18 La Liga, he received his 23rd career red card. It was his 18th in La Liga, a joint-highest record. He went on to break that record, seeing his 19th La Liga red in a 0–0 draw with Athletic Bilbao. Ramos scored his first goal of the season on 13 September in the Champions League, scoring a bicycle kick against APOEL on match-day 1. In La Liga, Ramos netted four goals, including two penalties – against Leganes and Sevilla.

2017–18 UEFA Champions League

During the 2017–18 UEFA Champions League, he made eleven appearances, while scoring one goal, when Madrid won their third consecutive and 13th overall Champions League title. Ramos’ performance in the final, however, was met with criticism. A challenge on Mohamed Salah resulted in the Egyptian dislocating his shoulder and missing the rest of the game, and he hit Liverpool keeper Loris Karius in the head with his elbow, the goalkeeper later being diagnosed with concussion. Ramos later denied that he intentionally hit Karius, saying that Virgil van Dijk pushed him into Karius. Sergio became the first player to captain a team to three consecutive Champions League triumphs, having now lifted the Champions League in every season as captain.

Sergio Ramos lifting the UEFA Champions League trophy in Kyiv in May 2018. (Image source UEFA.com)

2018–19 Record-Setting Season: Penalties and Milestones

Ramos began the 2018–19 season by scoring a penalty in the eventual 2–4 loss to Atletico Madrid in the 2018 UEFA Super Cup. Taking the penalty ensured Ramos would be the team’s new penalty taker with the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo. On 26 August 2018, he scored another penalty in Real Madrid’s 1–4 away win against Girona FC, making him the only player along with Lionel Messi to score in each of the last 15 La Liga seasons.

One week later, Ramos scored his third penalty of the season, against Leganes in a 4–1 win – his first goal at the Bernabéu stadium since March 2017. On 20 October 2018, Ramos played his 400th La Liga match for Real Madrid in a 1–2 loss at home to Levante, becoming only the tenth Real Madrid player to reach this milestone. After a run of poor results and the sacking of Julen Lopetegui, Ramos scored his first goal for Real Madrid in two months through a Panenka (penalty kick), against Real Valladolid in Santiago Solari’s first 2018–19 La Liga game in charge of Los Blancos. Two weeks later, on 11 November, he got another Panenka against Celta Vigo – making them the 25th different team he scored against in La Liga. This was Ramos’ third Panenka from his last four penalties, with the inventor of the Panenka penalty, Antonín Panenka, saying Ramos was the best ‘imitator’ of his penalty technique. With five goals in the first three months of the season, Ramos had his best goal-scoring start to a season at Real Madrid.

2018 FIFA Club World Cup and Goal-Scoring Form

In the 2018 FIFA Club World Cup, he played in both Real Madrid’s semi-final against Kashima Antlers and the Final against Al Ain. He scored a header in the Final as Real Madrid won 3–1 to claim their third consecutive FIFA Club World Cup. Ramos became the first player to lift three consecutive FIFA Club World Cups while also becoming the first defender to score in two Club World Cup Finals.

On 9 January 2019, Ramos scored a penalty in the Copa del Rey game against Leganés, which was his 100th career goal, excluding 2 goals for Sevilla’s reserve team. To celebrate the goal, he chose to show the number 100 with his fingers. On 24 January, he scored a brace (2 goals) against Girona in the Copa del Rey Quarter-Final 1st Leg in a 4–2 home win. It was Ramos’ 4th brace for Real Madrid and his first in the Copa del Rey.

Three days later, he achieved his 10th goal of the campaign with a header against Espanyol in a 2–4 away win, which was also his 60th La Liga goal. With ten goals to his name, Ramos equaled his highest-scoring season at Real Madrid which he set in 2016–17. On 6 February 2019, Sergio Ramos was playing in the Clásico for the 40th time. The captain has played in more encounters between Real Madrid and Barcelona than any other member of the current squads. Three days later, in the Madrid Derby, Ramos scored his eighth penalty of the season and his 11th goal in all competitions – making it his best goal-scoring season at Real Madrid.

Deliberate Yellow Card: UEFA Disciplinary Two-Game Ban

Four days later, in the Champions League Round of 16 First Leg away win over Ajax, Ramos became just the seventh player to play 600 matches for Real Madrid. In the match against Ajax, he was booked for what seemed to be a needless challenge in the 90th minute. The booking meant that Ramos would miss the Second Leg against Ajax at the Bernabeu due to a suspension for accumulating yellow cards. This sparked controversy after Ramos hinted to journalists in a post-match interview that the yellow card was deliberate, which violates UEFA’s rules. Two and a half weeks later, UEFA opened a disciplinary investigation regarding this matter and decided to give Ramos a two-game ban, meaning he will also miss both the Champions League Round of 16 Second Leg against Ajax and the quarter-final First Leg should Real Madrid qualify.

On 17 February, Ramos played his 601st match for Real Madrid against Girona in La Liga, equaling the record of Real Madrid legends Hierro and Gento. Ten days later, he played in his 41st El Clasico, in the Copa del Rey Semi-final 2nd Leg at home. This was Ramos’ 602nd match for Real Madrid, taking him up to fifth in Real Madrid’s all-time appearances list.

2019 El Clásico Records and Controversy

On 2 March, Ramos played in the La Liga El Clasico at the Bernabeu, making him equal the all-time record of Sanchis, Gento, and Xavi by playing in 42 Clasicos. On 5 March, Real Madrid were eliminated from the Champions League by Ajax after losing 4–1 at the Bernabeu (aggregate 5–3). Ramos did not feature due to being suspended after forcing a yellow card in the first leg and thus faced criticism for doing so. Moreover, he faced even more criticism as he was caught with a camera crew in the stands, filming for his new Amazon Prime documentary. Ramos took to his Twitter and Instagram accounts to discuss the controversy surrounding his actions in which he admitted forcing the yellow card against Ajax in the first leg which ‘was an error and I take the blame 200%’. Regarding filming the documentary, Ramos claimed there were ‘certain commitments’ made prior and he did not imagine the game would pan out as it did.

Ramos netted his debut goal for the club with a powerful header during the opening Champions League match of the season. The game ended in a 2–2 draw against Brugge, and the goal came at a crucial moment for Real Madrid, who were trailing by two goals at halftime following Casemiro’s header. Notably, this marked Ramos’ first Champions League goal in two years.

On October 30th, he found the net again, this time from the penalty spot, as Real Madrid dominated Leganés with a resounding 5–0 victory at home. This achievement extended his remarkable streak of scoring in 16 consecutive La Liga seasons, putting him on par with Messi.

Fast forward to November 6th, and Ramos converted another penalty in the Champions League, once again from the spot. This time, it was during a convincing 6–0 home win against Galatasaray. His ‘Panenka’ style penalty made it even more memorable, as it marked the first instance of him scoring twice in the same Champions League group match within a single season.

Just a week later, on December 18th, Ramos etched his name in history by participating in his 43rd El Clásico, setting an all-time appearance record for the iconic fixture.

2020 Supercopa Triumph and La Liga Milestone

On January 12, 2020, Sergio Ramos secured a historic moment by scoring the winning penalty in a shoot-out against Atletico Madrid during the Supercopa de España final in Jeddah. Real Madrid emerged victorious with a 4–1 win on penalties after a goalless draw in extra time. Notably, this marked Ramos’ first successful penalty in a shoot-out throughout his career. The 2020 Supercopa title became his 21st trophy with Real Madrid. Just a month later, Ramos continued to shine, scoring a header in La Liga against Osasuna, contributing to Real Madrid’s 4–1 victory and maintaining their top position in the league table. His goal at El Sadar also meant that he had now scored in 20 different La Liga stadiums. Remarkably, this was Ramos’ first La Liga goal of 2020, making him the sole player to have scored in La Liga during each of the last 17 calendar years, dating all the way back to 2004.

Red Card Record and Clasico Triumph

On February 26, 2020, Sergio Ramos matched the record for red cards received in the UEFA Champions League. His four red cards put him on par with Zlatan Ibrahimović and Edgar Davids. This particular dismissal occurred during a 2–1 home loss to Manchester City in the Round of 16 first leg, following a tactical foul on City striker Gabriel Jesus. Just four days later, Ramos played a crucial role in Real Madrid’s 2–0 victory over Barcelona in La Liga, propelling them to the top of the standings. Notably, this marked Ramos’ 21st consecutive Clasico appearance across all competitions and his 30th in La Liga while representing Real Madrid.

From Red Cards to La Liga Glory

When La Liga resumed after a three-month pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sergio Ramos made a significant impact for Real Madrid. Here are the highlights:

1. Goal Against Eibar: Ramos scored in Real Madrid’s first game back, helping secure a 3–1 victory against Eibar. His goal showcased his defensive prowess and attacking ability, as he covered 70 meters to find the net.
2. Penalty Streak: On June 21, Ramos converted a penalty against Real Sociedad, extending his streak to 20 consecutive successful penalties for club and country.
3. Free-Kick Record: In a 2–0 win over Mallorca, Ramos scored a free-kick, becoming La Liga’s all-time highest-scoring defender with 68 goals. It was also his eighth league goal of the season.
4. Espanyol Victory: Ramos played his 645th match for Real Madrid, contributing to a 1–0 away win against Espanyol.
5. Getafe Winner: Ramos scored his 15th consecutive penalty, securing a narrow 1–0 home win against Getafe. This equalled the record for most goals in a La Liga season by a defender.
6. Century Mark: His goal against Getafe was his 100th career club goal and his 70th in La Liga.
7. Athletic Bilbao Penalty: Ramos continued his penalty streak, netting his 22nd in a row in a 1–0 away victory over Athletic Bilbao. He became the first centre-back to score 10 goals in a La Liga season since Fernando Hierro.
8. Season Finale: Ramos scored his 11th league goal in a 2–2 draw against Leganes, capping off his most prolific season with 13 goals across all competitions.
9. League Title: At the end of the season, Ramos celebrated his fifth La Liga title with Real Madrid, contributing to their 34th overall league triumph.

Sergio Ramos’ impact extended beyond defense, making him a key figure in Real Madrid’s success.

Farewell from Real Madrid

On June 16th, Real Madrid officially announced that Sergio Ramos would be departing the club after an impressive 16-year tenure. During his farewell event the following day, Ramos disclosed that he had initially requested a two-year contract extension. However, he ultimately accepted a one-year renewal with a reduced salary, unaware that the offer had already expired.

Paris Saint-Germain

2021-22: Ligue 1 Victory

In July 2021, it was officially announced that Ramos had signed a two-year contract with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). Opting for the number 4 jersey, he explained that this choice was rooted in superstition and personal history. Throughout his career, the number 4 had brought him luck and victories.

Despite a series of injury setbacks, Ramos finally made his debut appearance for PSG in a Champions League group stage match against Manchester City on November 24, 2021. Just four days later, he played in a 3–1 league victory over Saint-Étienne. His first goal for the club came on January 23, 2022, during a home league match against Reims. In his inaugural season, Ramos contributed to PSG’s victory in the 2021–22 Ligue 1.

2022–23: Farewell Season at PSG

The 2022–23 season began on a positive note for PSG, as they secured the 2022 Trophée des Champions in Tel Aviv. Ramos played a crucial role, scoring a goal in the 4–0 win over Nantes. His Champions League debut followed on September 6, 2022, when PSG defeated Juventus 2–1. However, on June 2, 2023, Ramos announced his departure from PSG as his contract expired. In his final appearance for the club, he opened the scoring in a 2–3 defeat against Clermont, while PSG clinched their 11th Ligue 1 title.

Emotional Homecoming to Sevilla After 18 Years

On September 4, 2023, Sergio Ramos made a triumphant return to his boyhood club, Sevilla, after an absence of 18 years. He signed a contract that would keep him at the club until the end of the season. His second debut for Sevilla occurred on September 17, when he played a crucial role in their 1–0 victory over Las Palmas at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium. Just three days later, he stepped onto the Champions League stage with Sevilla, contributing to a 1–1 draw against Lens.

The highly anticipated clash against his former club, Real Madrid, took place on October 21. In a La Liga match at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium, Ramos helped secure a point for Sevilla in a 1–1 draw. His impact continued as he scored his first goal for Sevilla following his return. On November 29, in a thrilling Champions League encounter against PSV Eindhoven, Ramos found the net, marking his 1000th appearance in professional football. Notably, he equaled the record for most goals by defenders, a feat previously achieved by Roberto Carlos and Gerard Piqué.

Ramos’s journey came full circle on December 12 when he broke the record, scoring his 17th goal with a Panenka-style penalty in a 2–1 away defeat against Lens. On February 25, he returned to the Santiago Bernabéu, facing Real Madrid for the first time since his departure from the club in 2021. Despite his efforts, his team suffered a narrow 1–0 defeat.

Sergio Ramos returns to Sevilla club.

National career

Early International Career and 2006 FIFA World Cup

In 2004, Ramos became an instant hit for Spain’s under-21, for whom he played six international matches. During the 2004 U21 Euro, Ramos was a key figure for Spain as he started in four out of five of their matches on the way to winning their fifth U21 European Championship, including scoring a decisive penalty in the Semi-final penalty shoot against Ukraine. On 26 March 2005, in a 3–0 friendly win over China in Salamanca, he first appeared for the senior side at only 18 years and 361 days of age, making him the youngest player to play for the national team in the last 55 years. He held this record until 1 March 2006, when it was broken by Cesc Fàbregas in a friendly match against Côte d’Ivoire.

On 12 October 2005, Ramos scored his first two international goals in a 6–0 away thrashing of San Marino for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. He was selected for the final stages in Germany. After the international retirement of Real Madrid teammate Míchel Salgado, he became the undisputed first-choice right-back. Despite wearing the number 4 jersey for Real Madrid, Ramos admitted he wears the number 15 for Spain in memory of his close friend and former Sevilla teammate Puerta, who died in August 2007.

Euro 2008

Throughout Spain’s UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying campaign, Ramos was a regular member of the starting eleven as the national side finished first in its group, above Sweden. He scored two goals, including one in a 3–1 away win over Denmark, in 11 appearances. In the tournament’s final stages, Ramos played in all matches and minutes, except the 2–1 group stage win against Greece. In the final, his pass nearly set up Marcos Senna’s first international goal, but the latter missed his opportunity by inches. During the celebrations after the 1–0 defeat of Germany, he wore a T-shirt in honour of his late friend Puerta.

2009 FIFA Confederations Cup and 2010 FIFA World Cup

Ramos was selected in the squad for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa, as Spain finished in third. On 3 June 2010, he captained Spain for the first time, in a 1–0 friendly win over South Korea in Innsbruck, Austria. At the 2010 World Cup, held in the same country, Ramos played every minute of the tournament as a right back, helping Spain keep five clean sheets and reach the final, which they won 1–0 against the Netherlands; he topped the tournament’s Castrol Performance Index with a score of 9.79.

Euro 2012

Sergio Ramos at a quarter-final match against France during the Euro 2012.

Ramos returned to the heart of the defence for Euro 2012. When asked about his role change, he replied:

“I have adapted and feel comfortable in the middle, but I am a World and European champion at right-back.”

He played all the games in Poland and Ukraine alongside Barcelona’s Gerard Piqué and, in the semi-finals against Portugal, he converted his penalty shootout attempt in an eventual 4–2 win (0–0 after 120 minutes), scoring for the eventual champions in Panenka-style. On 1 July, Ramos won his third trophy with the Spanish senior National Team as they thrashed Italy 4–0 in the Final. Ramos’ performances during the Euro earned him a place in the Team of The Tournament. Ramos wore another T-shirt during Spain’s Euro 2012 celebrations to pay homage to his late friend Puerta.

2013 FIFA Confederations Cup and 2014 FIFA World Cup

On 22 March 2013, Ramos celebrated his 100th cap by opening the scoring in a 1–1 draw with Finland in Gijón for the 2014 World Cup qualifiers. He became the youngest European player ever to reach that figure in the process, surpassing Germany’s Lukas Podolski. In June, Ramos contested in the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil, starting every match as Spain lost to the hosts in the final. He captained the side for their second group game, a 10–0 win over Tahiti at the Maracanã, which was the biggest win of his career. On 30 June, he missed a penalty kick in the 3–0 Confederations Cup Final loss to Brazil.

Ramos was selected for his third World Cup in 2014. He played the full 90 minutes of each of the team’s matches in Brazil, each with a different partner in central defence, as the reigning champions were eliminated from the group stage.

Euro 2016 and 2018 FIFA World Cup

In February 2016, Ramos won the Luis Aragones Award by Marca which distinguished him as the best player of the National Team in the past year. With David de Gea selected ahead of Iker Casillas in Spain’s starting line-up, Ramos captained the team at UEFA Euro 2016. On 21 June 2016, he had a penalty kick saved by Danijel Subašić in a 2–1 loss to Croatia. Spain finished their Euro group as runners-up and crashed out in the Round of 16 against Italy. On 23 March 2018, days before turning 32, Ramos earned his 150th cap for Spain in a 1–1 friendly draw with Germany in Düsseldorf. Only Iker Casillas had previously reached the mark for the team.

Ramos was included in the Spain squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup and would go into his fourth tournament, and first World Cup as Captain after Iker Casillas missed out. He played in all three of Spain’s group stage matches as they topped the ‘Group of Death’ ahead of European Champions Portugal. In the Round of 16 against Russia, Ramos believed he scored the opening goal but it was later credited as Sergei Ignashevich’s own goal. The match ended 1–1 after Extra Time and was decided on penalties (4–2) as the hosts eliminated La Roja. Ramos scored Spain’s fourth penalty but it wasn’t enough as teammates Koke and Aspas both had their penalties saved.

2018–19 UEFA Nations League

With new coach Luis Enrique, Ramos retained captaincy of the national team. He played in all four of Spain’s 2018–19 UEFA Nations League group matches, becoming the nation’s top scorer in the group with three goals – scoring once against England and twice against Croatia. Spain finished second in their UEFA Nations League Group, which saw them miss out on the 2019 UEFA Nations League Finals.

In March 2019, Ramos scored the winner in Spain’s first UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying match against Norway through another Panenka penalty in a 2–1 win. This was his tenth penalty of the season, scoring them all. It was also his fifth consecutive match scoring for Spain, which is a personal record. Spain manager Enrique hailed Ramos as a ‘unique player in history’ after the match.

Euro 2020 Qualification

In the second Euro 2020 qualification match against Malta, Sergio Ramos missed scoring for the first time in six matches for Spain, ending his scoring streak. Despite this, Spain secured a 2–0 victory, marking Ramos’ 121st win with La Roja. This achievement equaled the all-time record set by Iker Casillas.

On June 7, 2019, Ramos surpassed the record for most international victories, reaching 122 wins after Spain’s 4–1 triumph against the Faroe Islands. He even contributed to the victory by scoring Spain’s opening goal. Just three days later, Ramos received a plaque from the Spanish Football Federation in honor of his achievement. The match against Sweden ended with a 3–0 win for Spain, and Ramos added another goal to his tally, reaching 123 international victories.

Ramos’ Record-Breaking Moments

September 5, 2019, was a significant date for Ramos. He scored his 21st international goal from a penalty kick, helping Spain secure a 2–1 away win over Romania in a Euro 2020 qualifier. This goal also made him the joint 10th top scorer in the history of the national team, alongside Míchel. On September 8, Ramos earned his 167th cap for Spain during a 4–0 home win over the Faroe Islands in another Euro 2020 qualifier. With this appearance, he equaled Iker Casillas as Spain’s most capped player of all time. Later, on October 12, 2019, Ramos became the sole most capped player in the nation’s history.

September 6, 2020, witnessed Ramos’ brilliance once again. He scored a brace in Spain’s 4–0 victory over Ukraine in the 2020–21 UEFA Nations League, taking his international goal tally to 23. This achievement also placed him on par with Alfredo Di Stéfano as Spain’s eighth-highest all-time goalscorer. On November 14, 2020, Ramos made his 177th appearance for Spain, surpassing Gianluigi Buffon’s record as the European player with the most international caps.

Farewell to International Football

The 2010 World Cup winner and Spain’s most capped player, made his final international appearance on March 31, 2021, during a 3–1 home victory against Kosovo in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Unfortunately, he was left out of the squad for UEFA Euro 2020 due to injuries, breaking his streak of ten consecutive tournament appearances since Euro 2004. A year and a half later, he faced exclusion again, this time from the 2022 FIFA World Cup squad.

On February 23, 2023, at the age of 36, Ramos reluctantly announced his retirement from international football. His decision came after a conversation with new coach Luis de la Fuente, who informed him that he would no longer be selected for the national team. Despite his impressive career, Ramos acknowledged that football isn’t always fair and expressed admiration for players like Luka Modric, Lionel Messi, and Pepe, who continue to excel regardless of age.