Real Madrid’s so-called “Galácticos” policy — built around signing some of football’s most recognisable individual talents almost every transfer window — dates back to the early 2000s, when the club brought in players such as Luís Figo, Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldo Nazário in successive seasons. The approach was as much about global commercial reach as it was about results on the pitch, and it became a defining feature of the club’s identity.
That tradition has continued into more recent eras, culminating in the 2024 signing of Kylian Mbappé on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain — a move that had been anticipated in football media for years given his stated admiration for the club growing up. His arrival was widely framed as a continuation of Real Madrid’s decades-long habit of assembling rosters built around the sport’s most prominent names.