Top 10 Astonishing Facts about Sergio Ramos

Sergio Ramos. Picture Courtesy of Ruben Ortega. Wikimedia

Top 10 Astonishing Facts about Sergio Ramos

Talent needs to be identified at a young age so that it can be properly nurtured to develop players. This was the case for Sergio Ramos a very talented, famous, and hardworking professional footballer. 

Sergio Ramos Garcia is a Spanish professional football player who plays as a defender for the Spain national team and Spanish club Real Madrid and transferred to Paris Saint-Germain in 2021. Born on 30 March 1986 in Seville, Spain, Ramos is regarded as one of the best modern defenders.

Known for his aerial threat and in-the-box tackles, Ramos captains the national team and plays as a defender for PSG. He has scored 52 goals from 385 appearances to date.

Let’s look at some of the astonishing facts about Sergio Ramos;

1. Ramos’s nickname as a child was Schuster

As a child, Sergio played upfront and was nicknamed ‘Bernd Schuster’ after the great German goalscorer by the friends he played with on the grass outside his apartment block.

He’d go on to play in defense throughout his career, at right-back and center-back, but has maintained his brilliant goalscoring ability.

Coincidentally, he was even coached by Schuster at Real Madrid between 2007 and 2008.

2. He has only ever worn the number 4 shirt at Real Madrid, but never for Spain

Real Madrid Jersey Number 4 Sergio Ramos in Action. By Jan S0L0 Wikimedia

When Ramos arrived at Real Madrid, he was touted to fill the void left by the departing legend Fernando Hierro.

Ramos wasn’t shy about taking on the challenge and adopted Hierro’s famous No.4 jersey from day one. That has been the number on his back during his entire decade-and-a-half career at the Santiago Bernabéu.

Funnily enough, though, Ramos picked a different number for when he plays with the Spanish national team.

3. He has never scored for Spain at a major tournament

Sergio is Spain’s all-time record appearance holder (170) and has scored 21 goals for his country, a mightily impressive tally for a defender.

Bizarrely enough, though, he’s never scored for Spain at a major tournament. Each of his 21 strikes has come in qualification rounds, in friendlies, or in the UEFA Nations League.

Beyond penalty shootouts, he’s never scored at a World Cup, European Championship, or even the Confederations Cup.

4. He didn’t win a Champions League knockout tie until he was 25

Sergio Ramos with The Champions League Trophy. By BY-SA 4.0 Wikimedia

Ramos has four Champions League titles to his name, winning the tournament in 2014, 2016, 2017, and 2018.

He may undoubtedly be one of the all-time greats of the competition, but it’s easy to forget that he didn’t reach the competition’s quarter-final until the age of 25. He never played in the Champions League with Sevilla, then his first few years at Real Madrid coincided with a barren spell for the capital city club in which they were consistently knocked out in the first knock-out phase.

Finally, in 2010/11 after the arrival of Jose Mourinho, Ramos made it to his first quarter-final, against Tottenham Hotspur. He’s certainly overcome that initial disappointment as the years have gone on.

5. His horse Yucatán de Ramos is a world champion

Like any true Andalusian, Sergio loves horses and has done since childhood. He owns stables near his hometown of Seville, and Yucatan de Ramos, his star horse, won a world championship at the 2018 International PRE Horse Fair recognizing it as the finest pure-bred Spanish horse in the world.

6. Ramos holds the record for the highest number of red cards got by a Real Madrid player.

He is a solid player who exceeds expectations noticeable all around, a goal machine on set-pieces, and he is additionally a skillful, aggressive tackler. Great pace, fantastic specialized technique, just as good passing, and crossing skills.

Be that as it may, he holds the record for the highest number of red cards got by a Real Madrid player.

The previous manager, Carlo Ancelotti contrasted him with Paolo Maldini, because of his character, his athletic and specialized ability, and his capacity to exceed expectations both in defense and offense, just as his strategic flexibility, which permits him to be played as a fullback and center back.

7. He is Spain’s most capped footballer ever 

He will be looking to play more ahead of hanging up his boots. He outperformed Iker Casillas with 167 caps.

8. Ramos is One of the top ten goalscorers for Spain’s national team

Sergio Ramos on International Duty. Among top scorers of the national team. By Football U.A Wikimedia

Ramos’ international goals put him among the lofty rundown in the Spanish goalscoring list, a perfect accomplishment considering another center-back being on the rundown is legendary defender Fernando Hierro. 

Penalty opportunities are only one of the numerous strings on Ramos’ apparently endless bow, with 7 effective free kicks for his nation, while another twelve have followed in ​La Liga matches for Real Madrid.

9. Youngest European footballer to win 100 caps

Sergio Ramos among Spain International squad. By soccer.ru Wikimedia 

At the point he is on the way to breaking some records in the future, the 34-year-old had broken some of them years prior. 

Ramos won his 100th cap for Spain In 2013, turning into the most youthful footballer ever to earn that achievement. It happened against Finland during a 2014 World Cup match, a game wherein he netted to make sure of a 1-1 draw. 

While the record is great, what is progressively noteworthy is the reality he not just turned into the most youthful Spanish player to win that accomplishment, but also the most youthful European to do as such too.

Lukas Podolski held the former crown, however, Ramos outperformed Poldi, doing so ahead of his 27th birthday celebration.

10. UEFA Champions League record breaker

His preeminent ability has been proved outside of La Liga and for the national team as well, with no under eight UEFA Team of the Year nods as a record for a defender, he was likewise registered in the UEFA Euro Team of the competition in 2012, which Spain won by beating Italy 4-0.

Combined with nods from UEFA, Ramos has been listed in the FIFPro World XI 9 times, while additionally listed in the CL Squad of the campaign on 4 events.