Spain and Real Madrid legend Sergio Ramos has signed for Monterrey, the Liga MX club has announced.
Ramos has opted to wear the No. 93 shirt at his new club as a tribute to the minute in which he scored a famous header that took the 2014 Champions League final to extra-time. Los Blancos eventually triumphed 4-1 over city rivals Atlético Madrid in Lisbon to win their 10th Champions League title.
“The 93rd minute was the most epic moment,” told El Partidazo de COPE. “It’s a tribute to the Madridismo and to my career. What better way than to share it with all of you and your country.”
Real Madrid thanked Ramos, who also has the No. 93 tattooed on his head, for the sentiment in a post on X that read: “A tribute to all Real Madrid fans, a memory of a moment that changed our history. Always grateful, @SergioRamos. Good luck and success.”
“The No. 93 is ready to defend the blue and white jersey,” Monterrey said alongside a video on their social media account.
“A historic defender in world football, multiple champion with Real Madrid and PSG and World Cup champion with Spain. Welcome to Club de Futbol Monterrey. Your leadership, quality, and winning mentality will take the Blue and White to great heights,” the team said in a statement.
Ramos, a 2010 World Cup winner with Spain and two-time European Champion with Madrid, had been without a team since his contract with Sevilla expired last summer. The 38-year-old had rejoined his boyhood club from Paris Saint-Germain a year earlier.
“We have been trying to sign him since last summer, but we did not come to terms and we tried again in this new window,” said Monterrey’s team president Jose Antonio Noriega.
“The team needs him, he has quality, enormous experience, enormous personality and he is an undisputed leader.”
Monterrey, commonly known as Rayados, are one of three Mexican teams that will participate in the first edition of the expanded Club World Cup set to be played in the U.S. next summer. The other two are León and Pachuca.
Ramos spent 16 years at Real Madrid — after coming through Sevilla’s academy — captaining the club and winning four Champions Leagues and five LaLiga trophies.
Information from Reuters, the Associated Press and ESPN’s Adriana Garcia contributed to this story
