Raphael Varane

Raphael Varane is the French center back for the Spanish La Liga team Real Madrid. Previously he played for the French club Lens, from 2010 to 2011, after a successful stint as a youth international for France and under the youth team of Lens.

Varane was signed by Real Madrid in June 2011 with a transfer fee of 10 million euros.

Born: April 25, 1993 in Lille, France

Height: 6'3"

Weight: 76 kg

Website/Social Media: www.raphaelvarane.org

Career Highlights:

• earned caps for France national youth team in under-18 and under-21 levels
• Debuted for Real Madrid in a match vs. LA Galaxy, in a competitive match vs Racing Santander

Xabi Alonso

Xabi Alonso is a Spanish midfielder, currently playing for La Liga team Real Madrid. He previously played for Real Sociedad (1999-2004), Eibar (on loan, 2000-01), and Liverpool (2004-09) before he moved to his current team, where he got paid £30 million . He helped Liverpool win the Champions League crown in 2004. 

Alonso is also a Spanish international, having participated in various tournaments, notably Euro 2004 and 2008, as well as the 2006 and 2010 World Cups. Spain both won the Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup.

Born: November 25, 1981, in Tolosa, Spain
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 156 lbs
Website: Twitter


Achievements/Career Highlights:

• La Liga Spanish Player of the Year, 2003
• FIFA/FIFPro World IX, 2011
• Gold Medal of the Royal Order of Sporting Merit, 2011
• Club championships: UEFA Champions League, UEFA Supercup and FA Cup (Liverpool), Copa del Rey and La Liga (Real Madrid)

Real Madrid: Campiones

Spanish team Real Madrid clinched the La Liga title by beating Bilbao 3-0 with three games remaining. The title is Real's 32nd, and its first in four years. Cristiano Ronaldo, Gonzalo Higuain and Mezut Ozil scored to wrest the championship from their bitter rivals Barcelona, which won the championship in the last three years.

Barcelona was trailing Madrid at the start of the match versus Bilbao, having won 4-1 over Malaga prior, with the help of a hat trick by Lionel Messi. A win in Bilbao means that Real will have a lead of 7 points on the table, guaranteeing the championship.

Here's the team celebrating the win in the locker room:

Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi is an Argentine footballer. He plays as forward for FC Barcelona in the Spanish La Liga. He also plays for the Argentine national team. He is considered one of the richest footballers in the world, signing a contract with Barcelona that lasts until 2016 and with a buyout clause of 250 million euros.

Born: June 24, 1987, in Rosario Argentina 
Height: 5'6 1/2"  
Weight: 67 kg



Notable Achievements

• nominated for FIFA Footballer of the Year and Ballon d'Or at age 21
• won FIFA Footballer of the Year  in 2009
• won Ballon d'Or in 2009, 2010, and 2011
• won UEFA Best Player in Europe Award in 2009, 2010 and 2011
• won 5 La Liga titles and 2 Champions League titles
• named La Liga Player of the Year in 2009 and 2010