Alfredo Di STÉFANO (Young) (Patreon)

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Alfredo Stéfano Di Stéfano Laulhé (Spanish pronunciation: [alˈfɾeðo ði esˈtefano]; 4 July 1926 – 7 July 2014) was an Argentine-born professional footballer and coach who played as a forward, regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time. Nicknamed "Saeta rubia" ("Blond Arrow"), he is best known for his achievements with Real Madrid, where he was instrumental in the club's domination of the European Cup and La Liga during the 1950s and 1960s. Along with Francisco Gento and José María Zárraga, he was one of only three players to play a part in all five European Cup victories, scoring goals in each of the five finals. Di Stéfano played international football mostly for Spain after moving to Madrid, but he also played for Argentina and Colombia.

Di Stéfano began his career at Argentina's River Plate aged 17, in 1943. For the 1946 season he was loaned to Club Atlético Huracán, but he returned to River in 1947. Due to a footballers' strike in Argentina in 1949, Di Stéfano went to play for Millonarios of Bogotá in the Colombian league.[6] He won six league titles during the first 12 years of his career in Argentina and Colombia.[7][8] Following his signing by Real Madrid he was an integral part of one of the most successful teams of all time. He scored 216 league goals in 282 games for Real (then a club record, since surpassed by Raúl, Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema), striking up a successful partnership with Ferenc Puskás. Di Stéfano's 49 goals in 58 matches was the all-time highest tally in the European Cup. The record has since been surpassed by several players, including the aforementioned Real Madrid trio. Di Stéfano scored in five consecutive European Cup finals for Real Madrid between 1956 and 1960, including a hat-trick in the last. Perhaps, the highlight of his time with the club was their 7–3 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in the 1960 final at Hampden Park, a game many consider to be the finest exhibition of club football ever witnessed in Europe. He moved to Espanyol in 1964 and played there until retiring at the age of 40.

Honours

River Plate

• Argentine Primera División: 1945, 1947

• Copa Aldao: 1947

Millonarios

• Categoría Primera A: 1949, 1951, 1952

• Copa Colombia: 1953

• Small Club World Cup: 1953

Real Madrid

• La Liga: 1953–54, 1954–55, 1956–57, 1957–58, 1960–61, 1961–62, 1962–63, 1963–64

• Copa del Generalísimo: 1961–62

• European Cup: 1955–56, 1956–57, 1957–58, 1958–59, 1959–60

• Latin Cup: 1955, 1957

• Intercontinental Cup: 1960

• Small Club World Cup: 1956

Argentina

• South American Championship: 1947

Individual

• Argentine Primera División top scorer: 1947

• Campeonato Profesional top scorer: 1951, 1952

• Pichichi Trophy: 1954, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959

• Ballon d'Or: 1957, 1959; runner-up: 1956

• Super Ballon d'Or: 1989

• Small Club World Cup top scorer: 1956

• European Cup top scorer: 1958, 1962

• Spanish Player (Athlete) of the Year: 1957, 1959, 1960, 1964

• FIFA Order of Merit: 1994[46]

• World Soccer World XI: 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964[47]

• World Team of the 20th Century: 1998

• FIFA 100: 2004

• UEFA Jubilee Awards – Golden Player of Spain: 2004

• Golden Foot: 2004, as football legend[48]

• UEFA President's Award: 2007[49]

• World SoccerGreatest XI of all time: 2013

• IFFHS Legends[50]

• Ballon d'Or Dream Team (Silver): 2020[51]

• 11Leyendas Jornal AS: 2021[52]

• IFFHS All-time Men's B Dream Team: 2021[53]

• IFFHS South America Men's Team of All Time: 2021