Following his stellar performance against Manchester City, Federico Valverde has suddenly found himself in the spotlight as never before. The Uruguayan is a worthy successor to Toni Kroos – even if his style of play is quite different.
Rarely has the question of who was the “Man of the Match” been so easy to answer as it was after the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 between Real Madrid and Manchester City.
Real captain Federico Valverde (27) had led his team to a 3-0 victory with three goals in a single half, giving the Spanish record champions an excellent starting position for the return leg in Manchester on Tuesday (9pm).
Just how historic the evening at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu was was demonstrated by one of the first to offer his congratulations: shortly after the final whistle, Valverde posed with José Martínez Sánchez (81), better known in Spain as Pirri, a former Real Madrid midfielder and current honorary president. Pirri, to whom Valverde promptly handed the trophy for the souvenir photo, was the last Real midfielder to score a hat-trick in the Champions League 58 years earlier.
There were also congratulations from a former Real Madrid manager. Carlo Ancelotti, who now manages the Brazilian national team, revealed in an interview with *Marca* that he had sent his former player – who was born in the Uruguayan capital, Montevideo – a joking text message after the match, saying: “It’s a shame you don’t have a Brazilian passport”.
One of the three goals, the 3-0 in the 42nd minute, did indeed have a Brazilian feel to it. Just as the great Pelé once did in the 1958 World Cup final against Sweden, Valverde nonchalantly lifted the ball over his opponent Marc Guehi and then struck a crisp volley into the far corner.
Arbeloa gushes: “If there’s one player who embodies the spirit of Real Madrid, it’s Fede”
To compare Valverde – who had previously scored just three goals in his 75 Champions League appearances – to one of the greatest of all time would certainly be a bit of a stretch. However, his teammate Trent Alexander-Arnold also had a superlative ready immediately after the final whistle: “I’m lost for words. He is without doubt the most underrated player in the world,” said the Englishman on TNT Sports.
In fact, the Uruguayan has rarely been in the spotlight in recent years as much as he was last week. This is also down to his versatility and commitment to the team. Valverde is a textbook all-rounder, possessing both great attacking and defensive qualities, and always putting himself on the line for the team within Madrid’s star-studded squad. He doesn’t churn out highlights like the ones against Man City on a regular basis, but in reality he has hardly any obvious weaknesses. The 27-year-old is dynamic, technically gifted, aggressive in one-on-one situations and simply gets so many things right on the pitch. Moreover, as vice-captain behind Dani Carvajal, he is now also demonstrating leadership qualities. “If there is one player who embodies the spirit of Real Madrid, it is Fede; he can simply do everything,” enthused coach Alvaro Arbeloa after the gala performance against Man City.
A move from a good six years ago, which did not lead to a goal but prevented one, was emblematic of his team spirit and unbridled will to win: Back then, in extra time of the Spanish Super Cup against Atlético Madrid, the young Valverde accepted a red card in the 115th minute to prevent Álvaro Morata from equalising – for which he was subsequently even praised by the defeated Atlético coach Diego Simeone.
Toni Kroos: “There’s no limit to how far Fede can go.”
The 27-year-old has enjoyed a steady rise to prominence. Almost ten years ago, shortly after making his professional debut for Atlético Peñarol in Uruguay, he was signed by Real Madrid. Unlike other South American talents such as Vinicius Júnior or, more recently, Franco Mastantuono, however, he did not receive much hype. Valverde first had to find his feet, playing for the reserve team for a year before being loaned out to Deportivo La Coruña for a further season. He has been part of the first-team squad since 2018, learning from midfield greats such as Toni Kroos, Luka Modric and Casemiro. Back then, the slight youngster was still nicknamed El Pajarito (the little bird). Now – symbolic of his development – he is called El Halcón (the falcon).