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Real Madrid have offered an injury update on midfielder Luka Modric, revealing the Croatia international is struggling with a contusion to his right quadriceps.

Modric limped off during Croatia’s Euro 2020 qualifier with Wales on Sunday but downplayed the severity of the knock immediately after the game.

However, the former Tottenham star is now likely to miss Los Blancos’ game at Mallorca on Saturday, while ​MARCA claim he could also potentially be absent from the Champions League clash with Galatasaray and El Clasico.

Real Madrid’s ​statement reads: “Following the tests carried out today on our player Luka Modric by the Real Madrid medical department, he has been diagnosed with a contusion to his right quadriceps. His recovery will continue to be assessed.”

The 34-year-old has struggled with injuries so far this season, featuring in four La Liga games, starting just one of those.

​Modric also returned from the previous international break with an injury, missing four games after picking up a problem against Azerbaijan.

This latest injury poses another problem for ​Real manager Zinedine Zidane to solve. The former France midfielder has ​Toni Kroos currently sidelined with a tear in his abductor muscle in his left foot, while both Casemiro and Federico Valverde are expected to return late from international duty. Neither will have much time to settle back into their routines before Saturday’s game.

Zidane is also without Marco Asensio, who is out until 2020 with a cruciate ligament rupture, while Nacho has a medial collateral ligament injury. Left back Ferland Mendy is still struggling with a muscle problem and isn’t expected to play any part at the weekend.

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​The 20-man shortlist has been revealed for the 2019 Golden Boy Award, with Atletico Madrid’s Joao Felix featuring as one of the leading names to make the cut.

The award is handed to a player under the age of 21 who is playing in Europe, and is voted for by a panel of sports journalists from across the continent.

Felix is one of the favourites for the award after enjoying an outstanding 2019, shining for Benfica in the latter stages of last season, before playing a leading role in Portugal’s UEFA Nations League success in June. His performances saw Atletico pay €126m for his services over the summer, making him the second-most expensive teenager in history.

Matthijs de Ligt won the coveted prize last year, and has also made the final 20 this year, as revealed by Tuttosport (relayed by Football Italia). The Dutch centre back has continued to progress over the past 12 months, captaining Ajax to the semi-finals of the Champions League before moving to Italian giants Juventus in July.

England are represented on the list by three of their brightest prospects, with Jadon Sancho, Mason Mount and Phil Foden earning recognition for their achievements over the calendar year. Sancho has continued to thrive in Germany with Borussia Dortmund, whilst Mount has impressed for both Derby and Chelsea under Frank Lampard. 

Foden has struggled for game time during the early stages of this season, but still won an unprecedented domestic treble as part of Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City side earlier this year.

The Premier League has two further players who have made the list, with Arsenal’s Matteo Guendouzi and Everton’s Moise Kean also being named in the top 20. Both have continued to develop this year, and were rewarded by being handed their first call-ups to their respective national teams.

The winner of this year’s award will be announced on December 16 in Turin.

Here’s the shortlist in full: 

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Matthijs de Ligt (Juventus)

Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich)

Gianluigi Donnarumma (AC Milan) 

Ansu Fati (Barcelona) 

Phil Foden (Manchester City)

Matteo Guendouzi (Arsenal) 

Erling Håland (Red Bull Salzburg) 

Kai Havertz (Bayer Leverkusen) 

Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid) 

Dejan Joveljic (Eintracht Frankfurt) 

Moise Kean (Everton) 

Kang-in Lee (Valencia) 

Andriy Lunin (Real Sociedad) 

Danyell Malen (PSV Eindhoven) 

Mason Mount (Chelsea) 

Rodrygo (Real Madrid) 

Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund) 

Vinicius Jr. (Real Madrid) 

Ferran Torres (Valencia) 

Nicolo Zaniolo (AS Roma) 

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​Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric has admitted he hopes to see teammate Gareth Bale remain at the Santiago Bernabéu for the foreseeable future, amid constant speculation over the forward’s future.

The Welshman was moments away from sealing a move away from Los Blancos during the summer, only for a lucrative switch to Chinese Super League side Jiangsu Suning to collapse at the last minute as Real Madrid president Florentino Perez pulled the plug.

Bale’s relationship with manager Zinedine Zidane, which was already frosty, is believed to have gone sub-zero in recent weeks. However, speaking after Croatia’s 1-1 draw with ​Bale‘s Wales, ​Modric confessed he wants to see his teammate stay in Madrid.

He said (as quoted by The Sun): “[Bale] is an amazing player and very important for the team. He is showing that this season. Hopefully he will stay this season and the next seasons as well.”

After a tumultuous summer, Bale was brought back into the first-team fold to help ​Real cope with their injury crisis, and he managed to prove himself as one of the squad’s most important players during the challenging opening weeks of the season.

However, despite feeling as though he was coming into a good run of form, Bale was surprisingly dropped from the matchday squad altogether for the 2-2 draw with Club Brugge in the ​Champions League. 

Bale is thought to have been left furious by Zidane’s decision to drop him without warning, and that anger turned to confusion after he was reinstated to the lineup to face Granada soon after, again without being given any explanation as to why.

The Welshman confessed he was playing with ‘anger’ this season, but he was adamant that his only focus is on performing for both Real and the Welsh national team.

The likes of ​Manchester United and ​Tottenham Hotspur have both been linked with a move for Bale (again), whilst a fresh attempt at a move to China has also been suggested for the high-earning Welshman.

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For more from Tom Gott, follow him on Twitter!

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To call the summer a tumultuous one for Neymar would be to call Monday the worst day of the week – glaringly obvious. 

After all, Neymar’s tumults were played out for public attention all summer long. But were they played out in full? Of course not. Even with the microscopic eye for content the football world now has, there remains an underbelly of secret talks and dealings.

A report Marca now claims to shed further light on the state of mind of the Brazilian during those trying months. 

As per the publication, it is understood that between 1 August and 20 August, ​Neymar and his representatives held a number of talks with high-profile players at Real Madrid in an attempt to get a deal over the line. 

These players included captain Sergio Ramos, who praised of the player’s abilities, alongside compatriots Casemiro and Marcelo, who were understandably eager to give Neymar a warm welcome, with Ballon d’Or holder Luka Modric also involved. 

The principal message of those conversations was essentially his desire to join Real, and an attempt to pass it on to gain some credibility and influence.

As for the club, they are understood to have done a great deal of analysis over the potential for a transfer, while assessing who they could sell to get it over the line. This all happened, according to Marca, with the ‘knowledge’ of PSG’s sporting director Leonardo.

Florentino Perez is known to have been somewhat hesitant and thought the cost of the deal would end up being too much but he did acknowledge the player’s quality and was not dismissing the move out of hand.

Ultimately, of course, unwanted high earners like Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez were not shifted, and on 20 August the club officially told their French counterparts that they would not be submitting an offer, sparking panic from the player, who turned back to Barcelona without success.

More recently, the ​Brazilian picked up an injury on international duty and will be out of action for the next four weeks.

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​Around Europe, there are some utterly fascinating title races beginning to unfold, and there is fantastic football to be seen wherever you look.

The more popular leagues often dominate the headlines, but there are stories to be told from all of Europe’s major leagues, with teams all vying for a place in next season’s Champions League.

Here are the current standings of Europe’s top 20 leagues, as dictated by UEFA’s current ​league rankings.

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La Liga – Real Madrid

Crisis? What crisis?

Despite a rocky start to the ​La Liga season, ​Real Madrid currently occupy top spot, and they are actually unbeaten in their eight games to date.

If this is ‘the worst Real team in years’, Los Blancos fans must be fairly satisfied. You’d think.

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​Premier League – Liverpool

This season, nobody in the ​Premier League has come close to ​Liverpool.​

The Reds deservedly sit atop the standings thanks to eight wins from as many games, with Jurgen Klopp’s men looking to lift that elusive league title.

So far, so good.

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Bundesliga – Borussia Mönchengladbach

No, that’s not a typo. ​Bayern Munich actually aren’t top of the ​Bundesliga.

Instead, that honour goes to Marco Rose’s Borussia Mönchengladbach, who truly have been the surprise package of the season so far.

Maintaining their lead is not going to be easy, but getting to the top in the first place wasn’t supposed to be straightforward either.

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Serie A – Juventus

Once again, it’s ​Juventus who find themselves top of the ​Serie A, but it hasn’t all been plain sailing for them this year.

I Bianconeri’s performances have been good, but they find themselves locked in a battle for top spot with Antonio Conte’s ​Inter, who have looked like a side reborn since the Italian’s arrival.

Will it be nine league titles in a row for Juventus, or will someone else spoil the party?

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​Ligue 1 – Paris Saint-Germain

Paris Saint-Germain have not been overly dominant so far this year, but they have still fought their way to top spot in France.

There are plenty of teams who are battling to keep pace with Thomas Tuchel’s men, so PSG know they can ill-afford to take their foot off of the gas pedal.

Les Parisiens are fighting for their third consecutive league title, and their seventh in eight seasons.

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​Premier Liga – Lokomotiv Moscow

After falling short against Zenit Saint Petersburg last season, Lokomotiv Moscow are trying to go one step further this time around.

There are four teams currently sat on the same points tally, but Lokomotiv’s goal difference sees them occupy top spot.

Their goalscoring saviour? None other than former ​West Bromwich Albion midfielder ​Grzegorz Krychowiak. Right then. Ok.

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Liga NOS – Famalicão

Undoubtedly one of the biggest feel-good stories from around Europe this season has been in Portugal’s Liga NOS.

Newly promoted Famalicão have fired their way to the top of the standings and into ​90min’s Definitive European Power Rankings. The minnows have won seven of their eight games and are undefeated so far.

The highlight of their run was a 2-1 win over Sporting CP, and fans across Europe are hoping to see their form continue.

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Pro League – Club Brugge

Every year, there are plenty of sides in with a shout of winning Belgium’s Pro League. With Vincent Kompany’s Anderlecht deciding not to bother this season, there’s room for even more contenders to join in the fun.

2017/18 champions Club Brugge currently find themselves in first place, having enjoyed an unbeaten start to the campaign.

They’re also unbeaten in the ​Champions League, and they were a matter of seconds from stealing three points away from Real Madrid.

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Eredivisie – Ajax

As we have come to expect, it’s a straight shoot-out at the top of the Eredivisie​ between Ajax and PSV Eindhoven, but it’s Erik ten Hag’s men who have the advantage right now thanks to their superior goal difference.

Dusan Tadic, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and new signing Quincy Promes have all been in scorching form this season, and this title race promises to be one of the most exciting around.

Ajax are looking to win back-to-back titles for the first time since the 2013/14.

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Premier Liga – Shakhtar Donetsk

Obviously it’s still early in the season, but the race for the Premier Liga title in Ukraine seems all but over.

Shakhtar Donetsk’s dominance doesn’t look to be coming to an end any time soon, because they have already opened up a huge lead over the rest of the competition.

Will it be four titles in a row for the Miners?

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​Süper Lig – Alanyaspor

With no runaway leaders this year, the Turkish​ Süper Lig really is up for grabs.

However, with the heavy hitters struggling to impress, it’s Alanyaspor who have taken advantage and fired themselves to the top of the table.

There are so many teams hovering around the upper end of the table, so there could still be plenty of twists and turns before this season is over.

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Austrian Bundesliga – Red Bull Salzburg

Austrian football has attracted plenty the interest of fans across Europe this season thanks to the emergence of young ​Erling Håland, who has been scoring goals for fun.

It should come as no surprise to hear that ​Håland’s side, Red Bull Salzburg, are comfortable leaders in the Bundesliga.

Their teenage sensation has been in outrageous form this year, but Salzburg are far more than just a one-man team, as Champions League sides are quickly figuring out.

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Fortuna Liga – Slavia Prague

After a long spell away from the Czech Fortuna Liga title, Slavia Prague finally got their hands back on the trophy last season, and they are on track to defend it this year.

Drawn in the Champions League alongside ​Barcelona, Inter and ​Borussia Dortmund, Slavia might have to make do with domestic glory this year.

However, with a number of exciting players in their ranks, expect to see their name involved in Europe’s most prestigious competition next season as well.

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​Superliga – Midtjylland

Runners-up for the last two seasons, Midtjylland are looking to take that next step towards glory in the Danish Superliga.

Their run of ten games without defeat was a perfect way to start the season and, even though that streak may have come to an end, Midtjylland still look good value for their lead.

Copenhagen are not far behind, so this title race is one to keep an eye on.

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​Super League – Olympiacos

Olympiacos saw their run of seven consecutive Super League titles come to an end in 2018, so they are looking to get their hands on the trophy once more.

As Greece’s most successful side in history, they are often the favourite to win it all, but they are still locked in a battle with the numerous sides around them in the table.

There’s a lot of football left to be played, but it’s looking good for Olympiacos.

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First Division – Anorthosis Famagusta

Cast your eyes over to Cyprus and you’ll see Anorthosis Famagusta sit atop the First Division table.

They found themselves locked in a relegation battle last season, but they have clawed their way to the top of the table at this early stage in the season.

Teams have games in hand over others in the league, so the final standings in the First Division are far from a certainty.

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​Serbian SuperLiga – Red Star Belgrade

Red Star Belgrade were the runaway winners of the Serbian SuperLiga in the last two seasons, and they are eager to make it three in a row this year.

Vojvodina are not far behind, but Red Star’s impressive defence has been enough to see them climb into top spot.

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Regulars in the Champions League group stage, expect to see their name in the competition even more over the coming years.

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 1.HNL – Hajduk Split

As it stands, it’s Hajduk Split who sit at the summit of the 1.HNL in Croatia, but their lead is far from secure.

Dinamo Zagreb, who led for the opening weeks of the campaign, are incredibly close behind. With games in hand to consider, this league could go either way.

Hajduk were nowhere near the title picture last season, so this year could be theirs.

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Scottish Premiership – Rangers

Celtic aren’t having it their own way this season, and they recently lost their lead in the Scottish Premiership to Rangers.

As one of the fiercest rivalries around, you can guarantee that both teams are going to throw their all at this title race. Steven Gerrard’s men may have the advantage now, but whether they will be in the same position at the end of the year is a different question.

The Gers haven’t won the top title since 2011, and fans are desperate to see them end that dry streak at Celtic’s expense.

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​Swiss Super League – Basel

Last but not least, we have the Swiss Super League. At the minute, it’s Basel at the top of the table.

Basel were humbled by runaway winners Young Boys last season, and they are clearly out looking for revenge.

With only a few points in it, it will certainly be interesting to see which way this title race eventually goes.

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For more from Tom Gott, follow him on Twitter!​

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​​Real Madrid could agree a cut-price €25m deal for Tottenham playmaker Christian Eriksen in January, with a move for Napoli’s Fabian Ruiz likely to prove too expensive.

The Danish midfielder has been linked with a move from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium all summer long, with Eriksen having previously admitted that he’d like to sample a new challenge after six years in north London.

Zinedine Zidane’s Real Madrid have been touted as a potential destination for months on end, though the speculation thus far has been purely that – speculation. However, Spanish publications ​Marca and AS offer a fresh update that claims Los Blancos could snare Eriksen on the cheap in January, as his contract is up in the summer.

He would represent an affordable, and immediate, alternative to other top target, Manchester United midfielder ​Paul Pogba – who the publication reiterate is Zidane’s preferred choice. But having spent around €300m in the summer transfer window, Real may have no choice but to pursue Eriksen instead.

Currently, Zidane only has four central midfield options to choose from – Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, Casemiro and Federico Valverde – after sanctioning the permanent departures of Mateo Kovacic and Marcos Llorente to Chelsea and Atletico Madrid respectively, as well as the loan exits of Dani Ceballos and Martin Odegaard.

Napoli’s Fabian Ruiz and Ajax’s Donny van de Beek are also being considered as potential targets, but it’s reported that deals for either player will be too complicated to complete – and also too costly, given Real’s aforementioned outlay on the likes of Eden Hazard, Ferland Mendy and Luka Jovic.

An early recall for Norwegian prodigy Odegaard, currently on a two-year loan at Real Sociedad, is another option, but Real would prefer that the young Danish playmaker continues his education away from the Santiago Bernabeu limelight.

Pogba remains Real’s primary target, and Zidane’s in particular, but he may have to compromise and settle on a deal for Eriksen instead, given his more affordable market price.

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Another eventful day of Euro 2020 qualifiers are out the way, and we’re starting to get a clearer idea of who will be heading to the summer’s showpiece event. 

Sunday’s action saw two more teams qualify, as Wales just about kept their hopes of making the finals alive and Scotland restored some pride thanks to a spectacular showing from John McGinn. 

Because we’re good to you, we’ve broken down all of tonight’s results in one place for your perusal… 

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Belarus 1-2 Netherlands (Group C)

It was a long way from pretty by Ronald Koeman’s men in Minsk, but if they’ve shown one thing in this qualification campaign so far, it’s a resolve to win games when they aren’t quite at their best – and that can take you a long way in international football.

They were hard-pushed against Northern Ireland on Thursday, a remarkable turnaround in the last ten minutes securing a 3-1 victory, and it all looked to be going swimmingly in Belarus when a terrific double from ​Liverpool’s Georginio WIjnaldum had them cruising at half-time.

As it happened, a second-half header from Stanislav Dragun made a game of it, but the Dutch were able to see it out and take another step towards qualification – something they will now achieve if they can overcome Michael O’Neill’s men in Belfast. 

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Estonia 0-3 Germany (Group C)

With the Netherlands winning the earlier game, the same was required from Germany if they were to move level on points with the group leaders and keep the pressure on ahead of the final round of fixtures next month. 

It proved to be far from straightforward against an Estonia side who had previously picked up just one point, and would have been sweating as they went into the break scoreless. However, in the end, the quality of the former world champions shone through, as strikes from Ilkay Gundogan (2) and Timo Werner made sure of the points. 

Read a ​full match report of Germany’s win here…

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Hungary 1-0 Azerbaijan (Group E)

In Wales’ group, Hungary got things back on track after successive defeats to Slovakia and Croatia dented their qualification hopes, as they confidently brushed aside Azerbaijan – if only by a single goal. 

A strike from left-back Mihaly Korhut set the tone on ten minutes, and no second goal would be forthcoming, with the visitors opting to frustrate and play on the counter – but to no avail. The home side saw it out with minimal fuss, and on 12 points from their seven games, have put themselves in a really good position to qualify. 

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Wales 1-1 Croatia (Group E)

Wales are still just about in with an opportunity of making the finals, but will need victories in their final two matches – and a helping hand from Croatia if they are to do it, after earning an admirable draw with the Croats on home turf. 

In a feisty atmosphere in Cardiff, a Gareth Bale equaliser on the stroke of half-time cancelled out Nikola Vlasic’s early opener to secure a share of the spoils for the home side. Croatia are almost there, but a disaster against Slovakia coupled with other results going against them could knock them out. 

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Poland 2-0 North Macedonia (Group G)

Poland will be in the hat after a late show from substitutes Przemyslaw Frankowski and Arkadiusz Milik earned them a hard-fought victory against North Macedonia, whose own unlikely qualification hopes now hang by a thread. 

Both goals were assisted by one Robert Lewandowski, who yet again proved his value as his side’s go-to man for the big occasions. 

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Slovenia 0-1 Austria (Group G)

Austria, meanwhile, moved to within one win of the finals after right-back Stefan Posch earned them a victory in Slovenia. 

They sit five points ahead of their hosts and North Macedonia, both of whom will need to win their final two matches and pray for a favour from Latvia – who are yet to pick up a point – if they are to catch Matjaž Kek’s side.

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Kazakhstan 0-2 Belgium (Group I)

Belgium made it eight wins from eight in what has been a routine qualification campaign for them so far, comfortably overcoming a sturdy Kazakhstan side thanks to strikes from Michy Batshuayi and Thomas Meunier. 

They rattled nine past San Marino on Thursday to make sure of qualification, but nonetheless, Roberto Martinez went full strength for this one. Eden Hazard combined tremendously with younger brother Thorgan down the left throughout a functional if unspectacular display, in which they netted their 29th and 30th goals of the campaign. 

Favourites for Euro 2020? Quite possibly.

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Cyprus 0-5 Russia (Group I)

The Belgians will be joined in the finals by Russia, who booked their passage thanks to an emphatic win in Cyprus inspired by Denis Cheryshev, who scored two and assisted two more in a masterful display. 

Having thumped Scotland on Thursday, they look in good shape heading into the finals and will do all they can to win the group when they face Belgium in their penultimate qualifier next month. 

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Scotland 6-0 San Marino (Group I)

Scotland, meanwhile, had only pride to play for in a match that was effectively a friendly. Their resounding defeat against the Russians means their playoff in March is now their only opportunity to qualify for next summer’s games.

The remit was a big win to get the feel-good factor back at Hampden, however, and in a game that looked in jeopardy at one point due to the biblical weather conditions, they did just that. Aston Villa’s John McGinn netted a first-half hat-trick before Lawrence Shankland hit the net on his full debut. 

Goals from Stuart Findlay and Stuart Armstrong – the latter a stunning free-kick from the edge of the area after the San Marino keeper bizarrely handballed on the edge of the area – then put it to bed, and hinted at a step or two in the right direction for Steve Clarke’s men.

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Despite sitting atop the table, there is already talk of Zinedine Zidane fighting to save his job at Real Madrid with rumours of old boss Jose Mourinho lurking in the background like a bad smell. 

Los Blancos made headlines over the summer window with multiple high-profile signings after a disappointingly trophy-free 2018/19, spending around £300m in search of old glory. 

However, not all have made an instant impact. Here’s a (very) early assessment of the club’s summer recruits.

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​Eden Hazard

Eden Hazard arrived in the summer for a staggering £90m rising to £130m from Chelsea but has so far struggled to have the impact most would have expected from him. Having missed the first four games of La Liga football due to a hamstring injury, Hazard has only completed 90 minutes twice this season. 

Possibly due to a struggle for match sharpness, the Belgian has only been able to contribute one goal and one assist in all competitions, both coming in last week’s 4-2 win against Granada. As for the Champions League, Hazard was unable to impose himself on the game as Madrid were comfortably beaten 3-0 by Paris Saint-Germain and laboured to a 2-2 draw against Club Brugge. 

Real Madrid need Hazard to start coming up with more match-defining performances to begin to justify his marquee signing. 

Grade: C-

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Luka Jovic

After an impressive season last year for Eintracht Frankfurt, finding the net 17 times in the Bundesliga, Jovic was snapped up by Real Madrid for around £53m shortly after making his move to the German side from Benfica permanent. 

As with Hazard, however, the young Serb has so far failed to have the influence expected of him, heading into the international break without a goal or assist to his name in all competitions. 

Jovic has so far only started two league games this season. He has struggled for game time, having completed 90 minutes once so far this season, with Karim Benzema preferred ahead of him to lead the line.

Should Jovic fail to score when Real arrive to face Real Mallorca on 19 October, it will be 63 days without a goal since his signing. ​No striker since the year 2000 has ever needed so many days to find the back of the net for Real.

Amazingly there has already been exit talk…

Grade: D

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Eder Militao

After a breakthrough season at Porto, Real Madrid parted ways with £45m to secure the signature of the highly rated Brazilian defender Eder Militao. 

Most likely viewed as a player for the future, the 21-year-old has so far only played three games in all competitions, playing the full 90 minutes in two of them. Currently sat behind Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane, he is unlikely to displace either men for the time being, but will be expected to impress when called upon to deputise.

Militao is most likely seen as a player for the long term, so is gradual introduction is of less alarm than Jovic. 

Grade: B-

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Ferland Mendy

Frenchman Ferland Mendy joined Real Madrid from Lyons for £43m this summer after a stellar two years in Ligue 1. Unfortunately, the left back has so far struggled for match fitness, missing a total of five games so far this season as a result of a hamstring injury. 

Mendy has played the full 90 minutes three times this season, including the 3-0 defeat to PSG (where he was a rare bright spark) but has not been involved in the last three games as a result of a muscle injury. 

Tipped as the successor to the ageing Marcelo, Real Madrid need Mendy to stay fit if he is to hold down a place in Zidane’s new-look team.

Grade: C+

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Rodrygo

Very much a signing for the future, 18-year-old winger Rodrygo was this summer’s Vinicius Junior, making the move from Santos to Real Madrid for £40m.

As expected, despite the price tag on his head, he has only played 19 minutes in the league this season. However, he did score his first for the club in a 2-0 win against Osasuna but will likely spend most of this season with the Real Madrid B team in Segunda División B.

Grade: B

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​Over the years, we have seen countless superstars fail to hold down a place in Spain’s squad as a result of the ludicrous competition in their ranks. So, when a player does cement their place as a starter, it speaks volumes of their talent.

Some of the greatest footballers in the history of the game have hailed from Spain, whilst La Roja have been one of the most dominant sides in recent memory. Unsurprisingly, they have had some incredible players over the years.

Here are the ten most capped players in Spain’s history.

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10. Cesc Fàbregas (110)

Cesc Fàbregas became the youngest player to appear for Spain in 70 years when he made his debut in 2006. 

Then with ​Arsenal, the central midfielder was tipped for greatness from a young age, and that’s exactly what he has achieved. He has gone on to make 110 appearances for his country, the last of which came in the round-of-16 defeat to Italy at Euro 2016.

Now 32, the former ​Barcelona and ​Chelsea man enjoyed a fantastic career with Spain, winning two European Championships in 2008 and 2012, as well as the World Cup in 2010.

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10. Fernando Torres (110)

Fernando Torres was one of the most prolific forwards in the history of Spanish youth football, which earned him a debut call-up to the senior side in September 2003.​

He went on to win 110 caps of his own, and he managed to rack up an impressive 38 goals before retiring from football in August.

The former ​Liverpool, Chelsea and ​Atletico Madrid star was also part of that dominant Spain squad between 2008 and 2012, and will always be remembered as one of the game’s finest.

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8. Xabi Alonso (114)

Spain have always been known for their majestic passers, and Xabi Alonso certainly played his part in establishing that reputation.

After making his debut in April 2003, the midfield maestro racked up a huge 114 caps for La Roja, and he was yet another core part of the Spain side that took control over both Europe and the wider world. Can you see why they were so successful?

His final appearance came at the 2014 World Cup, before Alonso retired from international duty later that summer. He spent three more years with ​Bayern Munich, before hanging his boots up altogether in 2017.

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7. Sergio Busquets (115)

After Spain won Euro 2008, they began looking for a young defensive midfielder to replace veteran Marcos Senna, and they ended up committing to Sergio Busquets. Good call.

The Barcelona man made his debut in April 2009 and needed just three appearances to establish himself as a starter. He has gone on to make 115 appearances to date, but will certainly expect to add to that tally as the years go on.

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To date, Busquets has won the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012, and there is still time for the 31-year-old to add to his impressive trophy cabinet.

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6. David Silva (125)

Another example of the phenomenal quality of Spain’s midfielders, ​David Silva enjoyed a stellar international career.

His debut came against Romania in 2006, which was the first of his huge haul of 125 caps. He also lifted two European Championships and one World Cup, before retiring from international duty in 2018.

Silva still plays a starring role for ​Manchester City at club level, but he has already confirmed his intention to leave the Etihad Stadium at the end of the season.

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5. Andoni Zubizarreta (126)

The only player on this list to not be part of Spain’s recent golden generation, goalkeeper Andoni Zubizarreta actually held the record for the country’s most capped player for many years.

His debut came in 1985, and Zubizarreta quickly established himself as the clear starter in the squad. He racked up 126 appearances and appeared in multiple major tournaments – four World Cups and two European Championships – but he failed to win any major honours with La Roja.

As one of the most dominant goalkeepers in ​La Liga history, all of Zubizarreta’s honours came at club level with Athletic Club and Barcelona.

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4. Andrés Iniesta (131)​

The epitome of Spanish football, Andrés Iniesta deserves his place as one of football’s all-time greats.

A versatile midfielder in his youth, Iniesta often featured on the wing after making his international debut in 2006, but he soon made the centre-midfield role his own. He racked up a huge 131 appearances for his country, before bringing the curtain down on his international career in 2018.

His metronomic genius was vital to Spain’s three major trophy victories between 2008 and 2012, and he was pretty decent for Barcelona as well.

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3. Xavi (133)

Alongside Iniesta, Xavi was part of perhaps the greatest central midfield duo which has ever been seen at both club and international level.

The older of the two, Xavi’s senior debut for Spain actually came in a friendly in 2000, but he was in-and-out of the squad until around 2004. He went on to accumulate 133 appearances for La Roja, also getting his hands on the trophies between 2008 and 2012.

He called time on his international career in 2014, before hanging his boots up completely in May 2019.

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2. Iker Casillas (167)

Undoubtedly one of the greatest goalkeepers in history, Iker Casillas’ international career actually got off to a pretty bizarre start.

After making his debut in 2000, the former ​Real Madrid star was predominantly a backup to ​Santiago Cañizares, but was handed a permanent place in the starting lineup in 2002 after Cañizares severed a tendon in his foot after dropping a glass aftershave bottle.

Casillas never looked back as he racked up a whopping 167 appearances for Spain, and he held the record for Spain’s most capped player from November 2011 until October 2019.

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1. Sergio Ramos (168)

Now the out-and-out holder of the record, ​Sergio Ramos moved ahead of his former Real teammate by ​starting in the recent 1-1 draw win Norway.

He was handed his debut in 2005 and became Spain’s first-choice right back in early 2006. He went on to play a vital part in the squad’s glory days and in 2019 he remains one of the finest defenders around.

Ramos’ tally will likely continue to grow as the years pass, meaning his record may be incredibly tough to break.​

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Sergio Ramos wrote his name into the record books on Saturday evening, as he became Spain’s most capped international footballer of all time. 

Ramos was named in the Spanish starting XI to face Norway, making his 168th appearance for the 2010 World Cup champions and overtaking previous record-holder Iker Casillas. 

The Real Madrid defender is one of the most decorated players in history, and was part of Spain’s World and double European cup winning sides. The Spanish National ​Team Twitter​ page confirmed Ramos’ position in the lineup, and celebrated the 33-year-old’s legendary status. 

Los Merengues’ captain has scored 21 goals for his national team, and had been on the winning side an incredible 125 times​​ before Saturday’s match against Norway. 

Former ​Madrid teammate Casillas led the appearance list with 167 caps, and the 38-year-old was also a key component in La Furia Roja’s most successful and dominant period.

Spain currently lead Group F in search of Euro 2020 qualification, and ​Ramos will be keen to add another trophy to his long list of accolades. 

The former Sevilla defender also became Madrid’s fourth most capped player in the club’s history this season, overtaking Gento who pulled on the Spanish giants’ white shirt 283 times during his illustrious career. 

Although Ramos has toppled Casillas from the summit of Spain’s appearance list, he has a long way to go until he catches the Porto shot-stopper at club level, who played an incredible 334 matches for Los Merengues. 

Ramos is a divisive character on the domestic stage, but he is considered one of Spain’s most influential players at international level, and was handed the captaincy in 2016, once again following in the footsteps of Casillas. 

The combative defender also holds the record for the most red cards in La Liga history, and he is the most carded player in the history of the Spanish national team. 

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