For 9 of Real Madrid's 13 members participating in the 2022 World Cup (and 1 moved in the summer), they are facing a rare opportunity to join the club that won the Champions League and World Cup in the same year.
Up to the 2022 World Cup, only 9 people have lifted the European Championship Cup and the FIFA World Cup in the same year. And after being crowned at Stade de France in May, names like Karim Benzema (France) and Luka Modric (Crostia) are dreaming of being in this group.
In addition to Benzema and Modric, their teammates who are likely to win this double are Thibaut Coutois ( Belgian team), Eder Militao, Rodrygo Goes, Vinicius Junior and Casemiro (Brazil) - among them, Casemiro has moved to Manchester United, Eduardo Camavinga (France), Dani Carvajal (France), Federico Valverde ( Uruguay).
Notably, Eden Hazard is not in this group because according to UEFA's choice, the player must be on the field in both finals. Hazard did not play a minute in the Champions League final against Liverpool.
Toni Kroos did not have a chance because he has said goodbye to the German national team. David Alaba's Austria team did not participate in the 2022 World Cup.
In contrast to the past, there were 9 people who had won the European Club Championship and then joined the national team to win the world championship that year. However, 6 of them worked together.
Sepp Maier, Paul Breitner, Hans- Georg Schwarzenbeck, Franz Beckenbauer, Gerd Muller and Uli Hoeness inspired Bayern to their first European trophy in May 1974, before becoming the mainstay of the West Germany team that beat the Netherlands in the World Cup decision-making match in Munich 7 weeks later. They came back in both finals.
The remaining three players have achieved this feat after winning the UEFA Champions League with Real Madrid: Christian Karembeu in 1998, Roberto Carlos in 2002 and most recently Raphael Varane in 2018.
Sami Khedira also almost joined in 2014, but unfortunately an injury in the warm-up process prevented him from playing for Germany in the World Cup final against Argentina 1-0. He won the Champions League less than two months ago.
Who won the Champions League and EURO in the same year?
In addition to other statistics, up to this point, there have been 10 players who have won the European championship with the club and then were crowned at EURO with the national team. The great Luis Suaez was the first to win the first continental championship in 1964, before combining with two of Real Madrid's members to win the first major trophy with the Spanish team.
Hans van Breukelen, Ronald Koeman, Berry van Aerle and Donald Vanenburg are the next to achieve this achievement. The four played a key role when PSV beat Benfica on penalties in the 1988 C1 Cup final in Stuttgart.
Exactly 1 month later, still in West Germany, they had their first major trophy for the Dutch national team. Another PSV player, Wim Kieft, was left out of the bench in the EURO 1988 final.
Fernando Torres and Juan Mata completed a memorable summer 2012 when they continued their Champions League glory with Chelsea with a goal in the EURO final that year.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Pepe were two important factors in the Real Madrid and Portugal shirt 4 years later.
Jorginho is the only player to score a double at EURO/World Cup and European Cup in a single year, after EURO 2020 was postponed for 12 months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
