Can you sign seven footballers for five million euros for an elite club? It sounds impossible. What about finding a player who can excel in nearly every position on the pitch for that price? Unthinkable—unless you find a hidden gem. And that’s exactly what Real Madrid did when they signed Federico Valverde in 2016. At the time, Valverde was playing in the South American Under-17 Championship, and it wasn’t until he turned 18 that he officially joined Castilla. He only spent a season there before going on loan to Deportivo de La Coruña for the 2017-18 season. Though the loan didn’t go as hoped, Valverde returned to Real Madrid, where Zinedine Zidane had been an admirer for some time—an endorsement that carries great weight at the club.

Seven years later, Valverde is now a cornerstone of Carlo Ancelotti's Real Madrid squad, acting as a versatile, key player who can fill in any position. While the spotlight shines on Madrid’s star forwards, Valverde is always there, plugging gaps when needed. During a recent match in Manchester, with Lucas Vázquez injured, Valverde slotted in as a right-back—a position he has filled nine times for the team. Ancelotti even remarked earlier, "After Carvajal and Lucas, Valverde is the best right-back in the world." His performance against Manchester City justified that high praise.

Valverde is no stranger to the right wing either, having played 32 games as a winger, including the famous match in which he assisted Vinicius Jr. for the winning goal in the 2022 Champions League final against Liverpool.

Despite his versatility, Valverde’s natural position is in midfield, where he has become one of the best in the world. The five million euros Madrid paid for him in 2016 has ballooned to a market value of 130 million, according to Transfermarkt. In truth, he’s invaluable. Valverde can play as a right midfielder, defensive pivot, attacking midfielder, or central midfielder—his preferred position, where he learned from one of the best, Toni Kroos, who once described Valverde as his heir.

Valverde has even made appearances in more unusual roles, like when he played as a left-footed midfielder in his Champions League debut in 2018 against Viktoria Plzen. In total, Real Madrid’s number 8 has excelled in seven different positions, truly making him a "7-in-1" footballer.

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