Ashish

You’ve made the best choices in life.

As a Madrid fan, I spent years mocking Messi through his Barça & PSG days. I watched Messi’s Argentina debut in the 2006 WC & 20 years later, watched his final World Cup pass in 2026. Seeing both Messi and Ronaldo one last time wasn’t about rivalry. It was a privilege! #EndOfEra

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Cristiano Ronaldo didn’t just change clubs he changed a nation. 🏆 UEFA Euro Champion (2016) 🏆 UEFA Nations League (2019, 2025) 🥈 Euro Runner-up (2004) 🥉 Confederations Cup 3rd Place (2017) From heartbreak in 2004 to glory in 2016, Ronaldo’s journey with Portugal is pure history. My 🐐

From a kid in school watching Ronaldo’s first stepovers at Manchester United and Benzema’s breakout at Lyon, to a grown man in the corporate world suit on, dreams different, but heart still the same. I’ve seen Ronaldo lift 5 Ballon d’Ors, Benzema finally get his in 2022, and both of them winning countless UCL nights in white. Watched them redefine greatness at Real Madrid and now, watched them light up a whole new chapter in Saudi Arabia. Two legends. One journey. From the classroom TV to the boardroom screen still watching, still inspired. 🐐⚪

Franco Mastantuono to Real Madrid looks close. The talent is undeniable the real question is, who loses their spot in this XI?

In 20 years of watching football, I’ve never seen a player this motivated playing with the same hunger from his debut all the way to 40. Cristiano Ronaldo is Unreal.

Thoughts on Franco Mastantuono to Real Madrid?

There was a time when dribbles at Barcelona meant magic Messi, Neymar, and Pep’s tiki-taka turned them into trophies. Now, the dribbles are still there just without the goals, the assists, or the glory. A sad fall for a once untouchable empire.

Karim Benzema didn’t just score goals he carried Real Madrid through giants. For me this season goes down one among the greatest I’ve witnessed. Hat-tricks against PSG and Chelsea. A brace to break Manchester City’s heart. And finally, lifting the trophy in Paris. This wasn’t just a Champions League campaign it was a masterclass in stepping up post Ronaldo era. When Madrid needed a hero, Benzema became the GOAT 🐐

If the Nations League was a Ballon d’Or criterion, Benzema or Mbappe would have won it over Messi in 2021 and Ronaldo over Messi in 2019. If I speak… 😂

I’ve only seen the last six of these nine, but every one of them feels like a piece of history. From Mijatović’s calm finish in 1998, Raúl’s domination in 2000, to Zidane’s timeless volley in 2002 those early glories built the feeling of “Unbeatable”. Despite following the club since this long, it took a Ramos’ miracle in 2014, that got me emotional. Cristiano’s reign, La Decimotercera, Bale’s magic in the finals memories that defined an era. Then 2022, when Karim Benzema carried us through a campaign that felt impossible, that season was special. Now Vinícius’ rise and Carvajal’s leadership have written a new chapter. Real Madrid isn’t just a club. It’s history written in silver and white. Let’s hope this new Era with Xabi Alonso and Mbappe can yield some more glories. Proud. Eternal. Real Madrid.

PSG winning their first UCL after billions spent on stars from Ibrahimović to Messi to Neymar to Mbappé proves football isn’t won by Galácticos alone. Remember Real Madrid 2004–2007? Exactly that. Real Madrid reinvented the wheel with that 2011-2020 squad.

Luis Enrique has done the impossible delivering PSG’s first European glory after 15 years of the Qatar project. Luis wasn’t a huge success with Spain, but he built the iconic MSN, delivered Barcelona’s last UCL while I was still in college, and now leads PSG to their first. Enrique is good just always under the radar. Salute 🫡

Dembélé always had the talent injuries just held him back at Barcelona. Now with 32 goals & 13 assists, he’s finally showing he’s one of the top-tier talents. As much as I want Mbappé to win it, if PSG lifts their first UCL and Treble it should be Dembélé’s moment 🙌🏼

What a game this was man.

It’s hard to understand the logic behind clubs like PSG and Liverpool not selling players who wanted to leave. Real Madrid had 180M ready for Mbappé (2021) and 40M bid for Trent Alexander-Arnold (January). Two decades ago, clubs made financial decisions. Now it’s all ego? Weird.

Everyone talks about Trent Alexander-Arnold for being a world-class player without a massive fee. Real Madrid and Perez have done it many times: Casemiro €6M Varane €10M Valverde €5M Carvajal €6.5M Rodrygo €18.5M Asensio €3.9M Vázquez €1M Even Toni Kroos was just €25M generational robbery. Not every star needs a €100M tag. 🐐 Business.

Luka Modric ended the whole Xavi vs Iniesta debate that Barcelona fans pushed for a decade and half. Modric belongs among the all-time greats ahead of both.

Karim Benzema was named Saudi Pro League Player of the Season & won the league title with Al Ittihad. Hard to believe his final season at Real Madrid despite battling injuries still saw him rack up 37 goal contributions (G+A) in just 3,600 minutes. Now delivered a 32 G+A in only 2,700 minutes with Al Ittihad. The guy has aged gracefully, without making much noise.

It’s unfair to compare any new coach to the likes of Ancelotti, Zidane, or Del Bosque. While their teams may not have played the most attractive football, these three are responsible for 8 of Real Madrid’s 15 UEFA Champions League titles over the club’s 123-year history. ✨