Six years ago on July 6, the Bernabeu was full to capacity for
the unveiling of the one and only Cristiano Ronaldo as a Real Madrid
player.
The Portuguese superstar had completed a then-world-record £80 million move from Manchester United, with his adoring public welcoming him to the club for whom he's now scored a scarcely believable 313 goals in 300 games.
The magnitude of the huge move still resonates today, but as this list shows, there have been plenty more stunning transfers down the years.
The Portuguese superstar had completed a then-world-record £80 million move from Manchester United, with his adoring public welcoming him to the club for whom he's now scored a scarcely believable 313 goals in 300 games.
The magnitude of the huge move still resonates today, but as this list shows, there have been plenty more stunning transfers down the years.
Luis Figo, Barcelona to Real Madrid, 2000
The fact Real Madrid broke the world transfer record for the very
first time barely registered when they signed Luis Figo in 2000, with
the Portuguese's move from hated rivals Barcelona attracting huge
attention in world football.
Figo won the Champions League and two Liga titles with Madrid—and infamously received a pig's head on one of his returns to Camp Nou.
Still one of the most puzzling instances of the world transfer record
being broken, Real Betis' £21.5 million move for Brazilian midfielder
Denilson in 1998 never quite worked out the way both the club and player
imagined.
Although clearly gifted, Denilson was unable to transfer his skills from South America to Europe on a consistent basis, and his seven-year career at the club ended up being pretty overwhelming
Figo won the Champions League and two Liga titles with Madrid—and infamously received a pig's head on one of his returns to Camp Nou.
Kaka, AC Milan to Real Madrid, 2009
Another time Real Madrid broke the transfer record came just weeks before they sealed the Ronaldo deal, when Kaka left AC Milan to join the ranks at the Bernabeu in 2009.
At the time, the Brazilian was regarded as one of the very best players in the world. But despite many seeing his switch to Spain as the perfect opportunity for him to showcase his various skills, he was never quite as potent as he had been in Serie A.
At the time, the Brazilian was regarded as one of the very best players in the world. But despite many seeing his switch to Spain as the perfect opportunity for him to showcase his various skills, he was never quite as potent as he had been in Serie A.
Denilson, Sao Paulo to Real Betis, 1998
Although clearly gifted, Denilson was unable to transfer his skills from South America to Europe on a consistent basis, and his seven-year career at the club ended up being pretty overwhelming
Roberto Baggio, Fiorentina to Juventus, 1990
Another world-record move saw Roberto Baggio switch from Fiorentina
to Juventus for £8 million in 1990, and the decision didn't go down well
with fans of the Viola.
According to an extract from a Sports Illustrated article, there were riots on the streets of Florence when Baggio's move to Fiorentina's deadly rivals went through. The animosity toward him didn't abate during his five years with the Old Lady, during which he won Serie A, the Coppa Italia and the UEFA Cup.
According to an extract from a Sports Illustrated article, there were riots on the streets of Florence when Baggio's move to Fiorentina's deadly rivals went through. The animosity toward him didn't abate during his five years with the Old Lady, during which he won Serie A, the Coppa Italia and the UEFA Cup.
Gianluigi Buffon, Parma to Juventus 2001
The record transfer fee for a goalkeeper is still held by Gianluigi
Buffon for his £32.6 million move from Parma to Juventus in 2001, and it
is safe to say the Italian veteran has proved to be value for money for
his club over the past 14 years.
Now 37, Buffon has lifted the Scudetto eight times with Juventus, but he was unable to pick up his first Champions League trophy as a result of the defeat to Barcelona in the competition's most recent final in June.
Now 37, Buffon has lifted the Scudetto eight times with Juventus, but he was unable to pick up his first Champions League trophy as a result of the defeat to Barcelona in the competition's most recent final in June.
Carlos Tevez, Manchester United to Manchester City, 2009
Not all stunning transfers have to be record ones, with Carlos
Tevez's switch across Manchester to join City after having left United
in 2009 showcasing just how the English football landscape had changed.
Just a few years earlier, the thought of a top player such as Tevez leaving United to head to City would've been be unthinkable, but by becoming the first player to move between the clubs in 10 years—though the clubs never dealt with each other during the process—Tevez came to symbolise a shift in power in one of English football's premier cities, a shift City are still enjoying to this day.
Just a few years earlier, the thought of a top player such as Tevez leaving United to head to City would've been be unthinkable, but by becoming the first player to move between the clubs in 10 years—though the clubs never dealt with each other during the process—Tevez came to symbolise a shift in power in one of English football's premier cities, a shift City are still enjoying to this day.
lan Shearer, Blackburn to Newcastle, 1996
Back in 1996, £15 million was an eye-watering amount of money, but
that's how much it cost Newcastle United to bring Alan Shearer home to
Tyneside from Blackburn Rovers.
The England captain had just finished as the top goalscorer at Euro '96 in his home country, and although his time with Newcastle would bring him lots of wonderful memories and establish him as a true Geordie icon, the Premier League title would always elude him at St James' Park.
The England captain had just finished as the top goalscorer at Euro '96 in his home country, and although his time with Newcastle would bring him lots of wonderful memories and establish him as a true Geordie icon, the Premier League title would always elude him at St James' Park.
Ronaldo, PSV Eindhoven to Barcelona, 1996
A stellar couple of seasons with PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands
meant Barcelona knew Ronaldo could handle the demands of European
football when they made a move for him in 1996, and so it proved, as the
most remarkable of seasons brought the most remarkable of talents to
worldwide attention.
Ronaldo scored 47 goals in 49 appearances for Barcelona and became the youngest player to win the FIFA World Player of the Year award when he did so at the age of 20 in 1996.
Ronaldo scored 47 goals in 49 appearances for Barcelona and became the youngest player to win the FIFA World Player of the Year award when he did so at the age of 20 in 1996.
Ronaldo, Barcelona to Inter, 1997
It seems difficult to fathom now, but back in 1997, if you performed
well in La Liga, then it was seen as the next logical step to go to the
more superior Serie A.
Ronaldo made that switch for a then-world-record £19.5 million after just one season at Camp Nou, but his five years at Inter saw him reap a solitary UEFA Cup, which was won at the end of his first season at the club.
Ronaldo made that switch for a then-world-record £19.5 million after just one season at Camp Nou, but his five years at Inter saw him reap a solitary UEFA Cup, which was won at the end of his first season at the club.
Christian Vieri, Lazio to Inter, 1999
The world transfer record received what was then its biggest price
hike when Christian Vieri swapped Lazio for Inter in 1999, with the
£32.1 million fee almost £11 million more expensive than Denilson's move
to Real Betis the previous summer.
A symbol of the money floating around Serie A at the time, Vieri was nonetheless one of the top European forwards of the late 1990s, and he would stay at Inter for six seasons, by far his longest spell at any club during a long and varied career.
A symbol of the money floating around Serie A at the time, Vieri was nonetheless one of the top European forwards of the late 1990s, and he would stay at Inter for six seasons, by far his longest spell at any club during a long and varied career.
Gianluigi Lentini, Torino to Milan, 1992
Ask people to name the footballers who have broken the world transfer
record, and the chances are Gianluigi Lentini will come quite far down
their list.
But Italy was the place to play your football in the 1990s, and the gifted Lentini was a hot property. Following his £13 million move from Torino to Milan in 1992, the winger was the world's most expensive footballer for four years, the longest period of time anyone had that tag until Zinedine Zidane held it for eight years between 2001 and 2009.
But Italy was the place to play your football in the 1990s, and the gifted Lentini was a hot property. Following his £13 million move from Torino to Milan in 1992, the winger was the world's most expensive footballer for four years, the longest period of time anyone had that tag until Zinedine Zidane held it for eight years between 2001 and 2009.
Zinedine Zidane, Juventus to Real Madrid, 2001
And speaking of Zizou, here he is completing his huge switch from
Juventus to Real Madrid in the summer of 2001. In his first season in
Madrid, he so memorably helped his team to Champions League glory
against Bayer Leverkusen at Hampden Park with one of football's most
iconic goals.
In broader terms, Zidane's move might have seen football's glamour switch from Italy to Spain, as La Liga suddenly became the place to be and more and more imports suddenly seemed to favour a move to one of the Spanish top flight's big two as opposed to the big Italian clubs.
In broader terms, Zidane's move might have seen football's glamour switch from Italy to Spain, as La Liga suddenly became the place to be and more and more imports suddenly seemed to favour a move to one of the Spanish top flight's big two as opposed to the big Italian clubs.
Ruud Gullit, PSV Eindhoven to AC Milan, 1987
Back in the late 1980s, though, Italy was still the place to be, and
Ruud Gullit's 1987 switch from PSV Eindhoven to Milan for a world-record
£6 million fee certainly captured the attention of the continent at the
time.
Gullit teamed up with compatriots Marco van Basten and Frank Rijkaard during his time at Milan, creating one of the great European football forces of the era and producing some quite remarkable football.
Gullit teamed up with compatriots Marco van Basten and Frank Rijkaard during his time at Milan, creating one of the great European football forces of the era and producing some quite remarkable football.
Diego Maradona, Boca Juniors to Barcelona, 1982
For five years in the mid-1980s, Diego Maradona twice became the most expensive footballer in the world.
The Argentina superstar's big move to Europe came about when he swapped Boca Juniors for Barcelona after impressing at the 1982 World Cup. Although Maradona's Barca career lasted just two seasons, he still managed to score 38 goals for the club and pick up a Copa del Rey winners' medal.
The Argentina superstar's big move to Europe came about when he swapped Boca Juniors for Barcelona after impressing at the 1982 World Cup. Although Maradona's Barca career lasted just two seasons, he still managed to score 38 goals for the club and pick up a Copa del Rey winners' medal.
Diego Maradona, Barcelona to Napoli, 1984
Injuries and arguments with the club authorities led Maradona to want
out of Barca by the summer of 1984, and he was the subject of the world
transfer record for the second time in two years when he joined Napoli.
So began surely the best years of the legendary Argentinian's career, as he led the club to two Serie A titles and the UEFA Cup during a period in which he became a world star because of his efforts for his country, scoring 115 goals in 259 Napoli games along the way.
The biggest move between two Premier League rivals that there's ever been, Fernando Torres'
switch from Liverpool to Chelsea for £50 million in January 2011 looked
to be a move that would give one of the division's best players a fresh
start, but it soon turned into a nightmare.
Torres might have been part of more successful teams at Stamford Bridge, but he was never quite the same player we saw at Anfield, and his three-and-a-half seasons at Chelsea ended with something of a whimper when he left last summer
So began surely the best years of the legendary Argentinian's career, as he led the club to two Serie A titles and the UEFA Cup during a period in which he became a world star because of his efforts for his country, scoring 115 goals in 259 Napoli games along the way.
Fernando Torres, Liverpool to Chelsea, 2011
Torres might have been part of more successful teams at Stamford Bridge, but he was never quite the same player we saw at Anfield, and his three-and-a-half seasons at Chelsea ended with something of a whimper when he left last summer
Angel Di Maria, Real Madrid to Manchester United, 2014
The biggest transfer ever completed by an English club was one which
signalled that Manchester United meant business after a disappointing
season in the summer of 2014.
The arrival of Angel Di Maria at Old Trafford was a sign that United wanted to compete again, and although the Argentinian from Real Madrid didn't quite consistently hit the heights during his first campaign in England, he did at least help the club back into the Champions League and offers hope that more is to come in the future.
The arrival of Angel Di Maria at Old Trafford was a sign that United wanted to compete again, and although the Argentinian from Real Madrid didn't quite consistently hit the heights during his first campaign in England, he did at least help the club back into the Champions League and offers hope that more is to come in the future.
Robinho, Real Madrid to Manchester City, 2008
Making a huge signing from Real Madrid is a pretty good way to
announce to the world that you're a new major player on the world stage,
and that's exactly what Manchester City did following Sheikh Mansour's
takeover in the summer of 2008.
Robinho's arrival at what is now the Etihad Stadium certainly caught the imagination of City's fans, but the Brazilian never quite hit the heights in English football and turned out to be a disappointment.
Robinho's arrival at what is now the Etihad Stadium certainly caught the imagination of City's fans, but the Brazilian never quite hit the heights in English football and turned out to be a disappointment.
Gareth Bale, Tottenham Hotspur to Real Madrid, 2013
We started with Cristiano Ronaldo's move to Real Madrid (and will end
with it in a second) but the current world-record fee belongs to a
Welshman.
Gareth Bale's move from Tottenham Hotspur to Real Madrid in the summer of 2013 was on the cards for a while, but when it happened, it confirmed a staggeringly quick rise for the one-time struggling left-back, who might have had his ups and downs in Madrid but is still one of the very best footballers on the planet.
Gareth Bale's move from Tottenham Hotspur to Real Madrid in the summer of 2013 was on the cards for a while, but when it happened, it confirmed a staggeringly quick rise for the one-time struggling left-back, who might have had his ups and downs in Madrid but is still one of the very best footballers on the planet.
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