Topend Sports Logo

Alfredo Di Stéfano: Football Legend

Alfredo Di Stéfano (July 4, 1926 – July 7, 2014) was an Argentine soccer player who won two European Player of the Year awards, and led Real Madrid to a record five straight European Cup championships.

Alfredo Di StéfanoAlfredo Di Stéfano

Greatest Sporting Achievements

Alfredo Di Stéfano is currently the fifth highest scorer in the history of Spain’s top division. He is Real Madrid’s second highest goal-scorer of all time with 216 goals in 282 league matches from 1953 to 1964 and the second highest goal-scorer in the history of El Clasico. Di Stéfano was declared honorary president of Real Madrid in 2000 for his years of distinguished service as a player and manager. In 2011, he was named the first inductee to the FIFA Hall of Fame by the governing body’s president, Sepp Blatter.

He first played for Argentine and Columbian soccer clubs from 1943 to 1945 then moved to Spain and won two Ballon d’Or Awards while leading Real Madrid to eight league titles and five straight European Cup championships. After his retirement, Di Stéfano managed football teams in Spain from 1967 to 1991 including Elche, Valencia, River Plate, Real Madrid and Boca Juniors.



Why Was He So Good?

Di Stéfano was nicknamed “La Saeta Rubia”, meaning “the blonde arrow” due to his hair color, dominant forward, great stamina, tactical flexibility and vision who could play anywhere and be anywhere in the pitch.

What You May Not Know

Was he a legend?

Do you agree with Alfredo Di Stéfano being a legend of football / soccer?

How would you rate their greatness? (from good to 'the best')



Related Pages

send us a comment Any comments, suggestions, or corrections? Please let us know.

More Football

Football (some call it soccer) is the world's most popular sport. There are many major football tournaments, the pinnacle is the FIFA World Cup. See a calendar of what is coming up. There have been many legends of the game, particularly winners of the Ballon d'Or. For players, there are articles about Football Fitness and Fitness Testing.

Profiles Extra

There are profiles of past athlete champions from a large range of sports. See also profiles of Olympic athletes and pages about sporting heroes.

 → How to Cite