Raphaël Varane

Raphaël Varane is one of the most complete and decorated defenders of his generation, accumulating one of the most impressive résumés in the history of world football. Born in Lille, France, he was discovered at Lens and signed by Real Madrid in 2011 at the request of Zinedine Zidane himself, then a technical consultant for the Spanish club. At Real Madrid, Varane established himself as one of the pillars of Europe's most winning defense, winning four UEFA Champions League titles and four Spanish League titles. His partnership with Sergio Ramos in the merengue backline is considered one of the most solid defensive duos in football history. For the French national team, he reached his peak with the conquest of the 2018 World Cup in Russia, being one of the main defensive figures for Les Bleus. The combination of achievements with club and country placed Varane in an exclusive group of players who can be called complete winners. After ten years at Real Madrid, he transferred to Manchester United in 2021. Frequent injuries marked his English spell, but when available he showed all his quality. In 2024, he signed with Como 1907 from Italian Serie A, ending an extraordinary cycle in European football.