Biography

Iker Casillas Fernández is a Spanish footballer that plays for Real Madrid and the Spanish national side. He came through the Real Madrid youth training system and at only 18 years old he will become the first choice goalkeeper of Real. Indeed Iker Casillas will benefit from the injury of goalkeeper Bodo Illgner.

Particularly busy at a team that practices a very offensive football, Iker Casillas has been criticized sometimes for his inconsistency. He will even lose his place in the first team and be replaced during the 2001-2002 season by César Sánchez.

But in the final of the Champions League against Bayer Leverkusen in 2002, he will take advantage of Caesar’s injury, and participate in the victory of Real Madrid. Since then, he will get his place back in the first team and established himself as one of the best goalkeepers in Europe. He also became the first choice goalkeeper for the Spanish national team since the 2002 World Cup.

In the 2007/2008 season he will have another great season in which he will help Real Madrid win the 31st La Liga title. He will concede only 32 goals in 36 games allowing him to win the Zamora trophy. Thanks to the quality of his performances he will again be named in the UEFA Team of the Year.

In February 2009 he surpassed Paco Buyo’s record of 454 matches played and became the Real Madrid’s most capped goal keeper. He will keep on the good performances and will win praises from players such as Gordon Banks.

On the international scene Casillas will also enjoy his share of success. He will debut at the U–17 level and participate in the 1997 FIFA U-17 World Championship. He will go on and win the FIFA World Youth Championship. He will make his debut for Spain senior side in a match against Sweden but will remain most of the time as the second choice one. He will only break into the team when Cañizares was injured.

He will then participate in Euro 2004, 2006 FIFA World Cup and Euro 2008 as first choice goalkeeper for the Spanish national side. And since Euro 2008 he will become also the captain of the national side. At Euro 2008 he will save two penalties and kept clean sheets for the quarterfinal, semifinal, and final matches.

He also captained the Spanish national team that win the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. He was voted the tournament’s best goalkeeper and awarded the Golden Glove. He also kept 5 clean sheets which included saving a penalty in the quarter final.