7 former Real Madrid players we can’t believe are still playing in 2024

Real Madrid have an army of ex-players across the football world – including some who are continuing to defy the passage of time by playing deep into their 30s.

While some such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Sergio Ramos and Karim Benzema are well-known, others have taken a different path, either playing for Spanish teams with a lower profile or winding down their careers with their hometown clubs.

We’ve picked out seven former Madrid stars it’s hard to believe are still playing football in a professional capacity in 2024.

Marcelo

The 36-year-old has a trophy cabinet that most players can only dream of and even in his twilight years, he’s still as hungry as ever for silverware.

Since returning to Fluminense last year, Marcelo has already got his hands on three trophies by winning the Campeonato Carioca, Copa Libertadores and Recopa Sudamericana. Proper hustler mentality.

Raul Albiol

Another former Madrid defender, and one of Spain’s 2010 World Cup-winning squad members that’ll leave you stumped at a pub quiz, Albiol remains the reliably beating heart of Villarreal’s backline.

Aged 39, Albiol is the club captain of Spain’s perennial over-achievers and made 30 appearances in 2023-24 as El Submarino Amarillo finished eigth in La Liga.

During his four years at Madrid, between 2009 and 2013, the centre-back was a bit-part player who covered injuries and suspensions to Ramos and Ricardo Carvalho.

But he still made 119 appearances for the club and won three major honours. No esta mal.

Sergio Canales

The No.10 is far better known for his stints at Real Sociedad and Betis. First-team football was difficult to come by for Sergio in Madrid, due to the presence of Cristiano Ronaldo and Mesut Ozil during his time with the Spanish giants.

Aged 33, Canales is in Mexico these days and is busy unlocking defences for Monterrey. Nice work if you can get it.

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Javier Hernandez

With Carlo Ancelotti looking to add an extra punch to his Real Madrid side in 2014, the reigning European champions signed Hernandez on a season-long loan from Manchester United.

He scored nine goals across all competitions, but despite the club having the option to sign him on a permanent basis, they ultimately opted not to.

Following stints with Bayer Leverkusen, West Ham and Sevilla, Hernandez eventually ended up spending four years at LA Galaxy.

After missing the majority of 2022-23 through injury, he’s since returned to Mexico and now stars for Guadalajara in Liga MX.

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Jose Callejon

Callejon was used regularly by Jose Mourinho and, in some ways, was the opposite of the (still to come) Pedro Leon in the manager’s eyes — hard-working and passionate.

The winger really secured his legacy at Napoli, playing roughly 79,000 games for the Italians, and is now turning out for Marbella in the Spanish third tier.

Asier Illarramendi

Having developed at Real Sociedad, helping them to qualify for the Champions League in 2013, Illarramendi moved to Real Madrid for €32.2 million – the most they had ever paid for a Spanish player at the time.

But the move was a disaster for the player; Illarramendi struggled to break into Madrid’s first XI and moved back to San Sebastian for half the original fee just two years later.

A solid defensive midfielder, Illarramendi helped Sociedad qualify for the Champions League in 2022-23 before moving to the MLS and FC Dallas.

Pedro Leon

You’d be forgiven for forgetting that Leon ever played for Real Madrid – but we doubt the player himself forgets his time working under Jose Mourinho.

After impressing at Getafe, Madrid splashed out €10million for his signature and proceeded not to play him much. In fact, we suspect Leon was bought solely to become a sacrificial lamb in Mourinho’s political manoeuvring.

After dropping Leon for a Champions League tie with Auxerre, the prickly Portuguese was asked why by the Spanish press and replied: “You talk of Pedro Leon as if he was [Zinedine] Zidane, [Diego] Maradona or [Alfredo] Di Stefano. I don’t have to justify his absence.”

Yikes.

Aged 37, Leon is turning out for third-tier outfit Real Murcia.