Marcelo

Marcelo Vieira da Silva Júnior (born 12 May 1988), known as Marcelo, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a left-back for Campeonato Brasileiro Série A club Fluminense.

Known for his offensive capabilities, trickery, and technical qualities, Marcelo is often regarded as one of the greatest left-backs of all time.

He spent most of his career with Spanish club Real Madrid and is the club's most decorated player, with 25 trophies won.

Starting his professional career with Fluminense in 2005, Marcelo won a Campeonato Carioca title on his debut season and was named in the 2006 Brasileirão Team of the Season.

Having debuted for Brazil in 2006, Marcelo was called up for the 2008 Olympic squad, where he won a bronze medal.

In January 2007, he joined Real Madrid for an $8 million fee.

In Madrid, he went on to be a mainstay and has won five UEFA Champions League titles and six La Liga titles, among other honours.

In 2021, Marcelo became the captain of Real Madrid from the start of the 2021–22 season, making him the first foreign captain since 1904.

After leaving Madrid in 2022, he had a five-month spell at Olympiacos, followed by a return to Fluminense in 2023, where he managed to win the Copa Libertadores.

Marcelo joined Real Madrid during the January transfer window in 2007.

On his arrival, club President Ramón Calderón said, "He is an important signing for us. He is a young player who will inject some freshness into the side and is part of our plan to bring younger players into the squad. We're very happy because he's a pearl that half of Europe wanted."

Many spectators hailed him as Brazilian and Real Madrid great Roberto Carlos' potential successor in the left-back role.

Marcelo made his debut as a substitute in the 2–0 defeat against Deportivo La Coruña on 7 January 2007.

On 14 April 2007, then coach Fabio Capello gave Marcelo his first start for Real Madrid against Racing de Santander.

Real Madrid controversially lost the game 2–1.

In the 2007–08 season, Marcelo started nearly all of Madrid's league games under the new manager Bernd Schuster.

His ability, speed running across the field, attack, and defence had enabled him to become a very important player for Real Madrid.

After a string of poor performances in 2009, Marcelo found himself on the bench for much of the remaining season while under new manager Juande Ramos, mainly as deputy to the more defensive-minded Gabriel Heinze.

Ramos deployed Marcelo as a winger on more than one occasion, and the Brazilian adapted well to his new role.

He scored his first goal after receiving a heel flick from striker Gonzalo Higuaín and slotting the ball past the goalkeeper in Madrid's 4–0 thumping of Sporting Gijón.

After the game, coach Ramos declared that Marcelo's future would be positioned as a winger, but will push back to defense when required.

Marcelo scored his second goal for Real Madrid in a victory over Almería, a powerful strike from outside the box with his weaker right foot.

On 18 April 2009, he scored his third goal of his Real Madrid career, when he scored the only goal of the game against Huelva away from home.

He scored his fourth goal against Sevilla at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán in April 2009.

Under the next head coach Manuel Pellegrini, Marcelo consistently featured in the starting XI for his versatility and pace along the left flank in offensive and defensive roles.

He continued to be employed as a left-winger under Pellegrini, and reached the top of the assist charts of La Liga in the 2009–10 season.

He admitted in a press conference at the end of 2009, "I now feel better playing as a winger."

He was also named to France Football 's "Team of the Decade (2010–2019)".

His successful performance in Real Madrid's 2009–10 campaign earned him a contract extension on 5 February 2010 with the club until June 2015.

This season proved to be his breakthrough season at the club.

In the 2010–11 season under new coach José Mourinho, Marcelo was back in his natural position of left back.

He started all league games, paying back the coach's confidence in him with defensive steel and attacking intent and gained the coach's admiration.

On 25 November 2010, Marcelo was named as a part of the 55 player shortlist for the FIFA World XI.

He scored his first goal of the new season in a 1–0 win against Espanyol on 13 February.

Four years later, he was part of Brazil's 2012 Olympic team as one of the three over-age players, winning a silver medal.

Marcelo was selected to play in the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup and started all five matches, as Brazil won 3–0 against Spain in the final.

He was part of Brazil's squad at two FIFA World Cups (2014 and 2018) and he was named in both tournament's Dream Teams.

Marcelo started playing futsal at age nine and by age 13, he was on the books of Fluminense in Rio de Janeiro.

He came from a very poor background and even considered quitting football, but his grandfather convinced him to continue with the sport.

He has been named in the FIFPro World XI six times, the UEFA Team of the Year three times, and La Liga's Team of the Season in 2016.