Real Madrid is arguably the best known football club in the World. On December 11th 2000, at its annual gala awards ceremony, FIFA presented Real Madrid with the "Club of the Century" award. The decision, voted by readers of FIFA Magazine, was overwhelmingly in favour of a club founded in 1902, leaving behind such historic greats as Manchester United and Bayern Munich.

Real Madrid is not the oldest football club in the World, not even in Spain (that privilege goes to Recreativo de Huelva) and it hasn't got the largest stadium, or the biggest number of season ticket holders. But throughout the world, when the name Real Madrid is mentioned, no person who has ever heard of football can fail to have heard of them. Whether it's because of the likes of Di Stéfano and Puskas, who played in Real's all-conquering team in the 1950s, or Butragueño, Míchel and Hugo Sánchez in the 1980s, or even some of today's stars, such as Raúl, Ronaldo, Figo, Zidane or Roberto Carlos, defending the colours of a club that has caused a unique and enduring impression on the world of football.