Sergio Ramos: How brilliant is the new Sevilla signing?

After 16 seasons, 22 trophies, 671 games and 101 goals, club captain Sergio Ramos waved goodbye to Real Madrid and joined Paris Saint-Germain in 2021. Now, two years later, the defender is making a sensational return to Spain after signing for Sevilla – the club where his incredible career began.

A modern-day great with the Merengues as well as Spain, the 37-year-old's trophy haul contains four UEFA Champions League titles, five Spanish Ligas, two French championships, UEFA EUROs 2008 and 2012, and the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

"I'm looking forward to going home," said the defender. UEFA.com celebrates his achievements and wonders if he could add more silverware with his boyhood club?

What they say

"Ramos doesn't surprise me. It's what he has – a big personality. He's always there, always encouraging players and he never drops his guard. He never gives up."
Zinédine Zidane, former Real Madrid coach

"There are defenders with extraordinary technical ability, others have unique defensive qualities – like [Fabio] Cannavaro, brilliant at marking. Others, like [Franco] Baresi, can command a back line while others influence with strong personalities. But factoring everything together to evaluate a defender then Sergio Ramos is the most complete. He's got a bit of everything: technical ability, strength, personality and leadership."
Carlo Ancelotti, Real Madrid coach

"He defends well, can play, and manages all facets of the game. He's a very complete footballer."
Thiago Silva, Chelsea defender

"Sergio Ramos is the toughest opponent I've come up against. He is very strong, has a lot of experience, and is a very competitive player."
Luis Suárez, Atlético de Madrid forward

"You wanted to take on the world. You were just a boy when you arrived and I'm so proud of everything you've achieved. You're forever one of the greatest legends of Real Madrid."
Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez

Career tally*

International: 180 appearances, 23 goals
UEFA club competition: 147 appearances, 18 goals

*Also made six outings for Madrid in the FIFA Club World Cup, scoring three goals

Claims to fame

Sevilla & Real Madrid
• His €27m transfer from Sevilla to Madrid in 2005, when aged 19, was a record fee for a Spanish teenager.

• Ramos has scored in 17 consecutive Liga campaigns – a record for a defender. He netted 13 goals on all fronts for Madrid in 2019/20, a personal best for a single season.

• Part of an elite group of defenders to have scored in two different European Cup finals, Ramos is the only one to have done so in the Champions League era. His strikes in the 2014 and 2016 finals, both against Atlético, put him alongside Tommy Gemmell (1967, 1970) and Phil Neal (1977, 1984).

• His added-time equaliser in the 2016 UEFA Super Cup against boyhood team Sevilla means he has scored in the finals of the Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup. Not bad for a centre-back!

Paris Saint-Germain
• Having ended his 16-year stint at Madrid, on 8 July 2021 Ramos signed for Paris on a contract until 2023. Despite his injury issues in the French capital, he still made 58 appearances, and won Ligue 1 in both campaigns.

Spain
• Ramos became Spain's youngest full international for 55 years when debuting four days before his 19th birthday, which he then marked with a first competitive start – in a 2006 World Cup qualifier against Serbia and Montenegro.

• He was a regular as Spain won UEFA EURO 2008, the 2010 World Cup and UEFA EURO 2012; he donned a T-shirt remembering his ex-Sevilla team-mate Antonio Puerta, who died suddenly in 2007, when celebrating both EURO wins. He wore Puerta's No15 shirt for Spain (as opposed to his No4 for Madrid).

• With David de Gea picked ahead of Iker Casillas, Ramos captained Spain at UEFA EURO 2016 and remained skipper until he was overlooked for the 2020 finals squad.

• Ramos overtook Casillas' record of 167 Spain caps in October 2019's 1-1 draw with Norway during UEFA EURO 2020 qualifying.

• He also became the most-capped European player ever when he got to 177 caps in November 2020 against Switzerland, eclipsing Italy's Gianluigi Buffon, though his final tally of 180 has since been overhauled by former Madrid team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo.

What you might not know

• The defender left Madrid as their most prolific recipient of red cards, having been dismissed a club-record 26 times in all competitions. He was sent off in a record five Clásico games, most recently as Barcelona won 3-2 in the Spanish capital in 2017.

• His record 19th Liga red card arrived versus Athletic in December 2017, surpassing the 18 compiled by both Xavier Aguado and Pablo Alfaro. His dismissal against Manchester City in the 2019/20 round of 16 was his fourth in the Champions League.

• Ramos is not unfamiliar with charity work and in 2014 was appointed one of Spain's national ambassadors to UNICEF.

Sergio Ramos has quite the tattoo collection©Getty Images

• Fond of body art, he has four tattoos on his fingers – the numbers 35, 32, 19 and 90+. The first two denote his first two squad numbers with Sevilla; 19 is the number he first wore for Spain; and 90+ represents his stoppage-time equaliser against Atlético when Madrid lifted their tenth European Cup in 2014.

• Ramos loves horses and owns a stud farm in his native Andalusia where he can "switch off and enjoy" himself. One of his animals, Silencio de Ramos, was proclaimed Andalusian Champion 2016; another, Yecutan SR4, was a world champion in 2018.

• He has four sons, Sergio, Marco, Alejandro and Maximo Adriano; he married their mother, TV presenter Pilar Rubio, on 15 June 2019.

• Two documentary series on Ramos' life on and off the pitch have been released – The Heart of Sergio Ramos and The Legend of Sergio Ramos.

What he says

"I get up every day with the same desire to keep improving which I've had since I was a kid. I'm not looking for recognition. All I want to do every year is do even better, forget what we've won and set new challenges. I'll keep going as long as the body allows it."

"My grandfather and father always told me that even if there's only one second left, there's still hope. You've got to have that attitude; that's always been the attitude at Madrid."

"To set an example, you have to perform well, work hard and give your all; show the younger lads so you can ask the same of them. I'm very happy to have the chance to lead this team [Madrid]."

"I'm happy if I'm a role model. I think I've fought and sacrificed a lot, so that when I retire I can do so with my conscience clear, after having won everything there is to win."

"One of the toughest times of my life has arrived, to say goodbye to Real Madrid. Thanks to the club, you will always be in my heart. It brings an end to an incredible time, a unique time in my life. This is just a see you later, because I’ll be coming back in the future."

"I am very happy to join Paris Saint-Germain. It is a big change in my life, a new challenge and a day that I will never forget. I am proud to be part of this very ambitious project, to join a team with great players. It's a club that has already proven at the highest level with solid foundations. I want to continue to grow with Paris and help the team work to win titles."

"I'm looking forward to going home, it didn't make sense to go anywhere else without going through here. It was a debt with my father, with my grandfather, with Sevilla and with Puerta, with many things that have meant a lot and I think it was the moment."

What he might achieve yet

• His eye for goal means he could become the first defender to score in three Champions League finals.

• Reach 150 Champions League outings? He is on 137 right now.

• He also needs two more winners' medals to equal Francisco Gento's record of six. Sevilla, of course, are specialists when it comes to winning European trophies, having scooped the UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League seven times.

What he won at the Bernabéu

4 UEFA Champions Leagues (2014, 2016, 2017, 2018)
3 UEFA Super Cups (2014, 2016, 2017)
5 Spanish Ligas (2007, 20008, 2012, 2017, 2020)
4 Club World Cups (2014, 2016, 2017, 2018)
2 Copa del Reys (2011, 2014)
4 Spanish Super Cups (2008, 2012, 2017, 2020)