Sergio Ramos reaches 100 goals for Real Madrid: Is he the best defender ever?
Last updated on .From the section European Football
Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos said he hopes he can get a few more records after his 100th goal for the club.
Ramos' header gave Real a 2-0 lead against Inter Milan as they eventually won 3-2 for their first Champions League win of the season.
That was his 55th header for the club - on top of 21 penalties, two free-kicks and 22 goals using his feet from open play.
"It's not bad," the 34-year-old said. "Individual records are secondary, but you like hitting them. As long as they keep on helping the side win then hopefully I can get a few more."
He has scored 14 Champions League goals across 11 seasons (only Raul and Karim Benzema have scored in more Champions League seasons for Real than Ramos). He has netted a record 74 in La Liga (including two for Sevilla), seven in the Spanish Cup and a smattering across other competitions.
In total he has played 659 times for the club and won 22 trophies.
The records keep tumbling
Ramos has scored 23 goals for Spain - which makes him the top scoring defender in international history - and another three for Sevilla, giving him a career total of 126 goals.
He became the top scoring defender in La Liga history back in June, overtaking Ronald Koeman's record of 67.
Real looked in control in Tuesday's game when Ramos headed in Kroos' corner to go 2-0 up but Inter battled back to level before Rodrygo's winner.
"You have to leave like this," said Ramos. "It was a final, a life or death match. When you see that they equalise, you have to play it, go upstairs. We bet on a card and it went well."
He is only the 21st player to score 100 goals for Real, taking him level with Fernando Morientes. He is five goals behind Gareth Bale and four off Brazil legend Ronaldo.
Ramos has scored some crucial goals for Real, including in the 2014 (an injury-time equaliser) and 2016 Champions League final wins against Atletico Madrid.
He has scored five goals against Barcelona, including an 82nd-minute winner and 90th-minute equaliser.
The Spaniard is not the highest scoring defender of all time though.
Daniel Passarella - the previous highest scoring international ever (22) - is thought to have scored 175 goals for Argentina, Fiorentina, Inter and clubs in his homeland in the 1970s and 1980s.
Current Barcelona boss Koeman scored about 250 goals for teams including PSV, Barca and the Netherlands but played a significant amount of his career in midfield.
Ramos is not even the top scoring defender for Real yet, although - like Koeman - Fernando Hierro also played in midfield. He scored 124 goals for the club, and another 30 for Spain.
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Is Ramos the greatest defender ever?
Last week France Football readers voted Ramos as the greatest defender of all time.
Do you agree?
The magazine - which organises the Ballon d'Or - came up with a 10-man shortlist of defenders for their Ballon d'Or Dream Team.
So how do you think Ramos compares to England World Cup winner Bobby Moore, Germany and Bayern Munich icon Franz Beckenbauer, Koeman, Passarella, Italians Franco Baresi, Fabio Cannavaro and Gaetano Scirea, former France and Chelsea man Marcel Desailly and German Matthias Sammer?
If you are viewing this page on the BBC News app please click here to vote.
Comments
Join the conversation
No.
He’s just a cheat.
Ramos isn't in the same universe, let alone league as Beckanbaur and Koemen.
BBC.. have a day off.
Best cheat ever? - Possibly
Best beard ever? - Definitely not
The question is asinine. The job of a defender is to DEFEND. Goals scored are a nice bonus, but otherwise irrelevant. The BBC has been scraping the barrel with some really dumb articles lately, but this one... Sheeesh!
Undoubtedly one of the best going forward and as a threat but nowhere near the best in defending.
I would have him in my team in a second though!