Monterrey

Players do not come much more decorated than Ramos. His spell at Real Madrid, where he made 671 appearances, resulting in four Champions Leagues and five La Liga titles. Plus four Fifa Club World Cups.

He was a key cog in one of international football’s most dominant teams as he won Euro 2008, the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012 during his 180-cap Spain career.

But by February 2025 he had not played competitive football for almost nine months, having ended his second spell at Sevilla at the end of 2024-25.

And so came the call from Monterrey, who are also known by their nickname of Rayados.

They are five-time champions of Mexico – and five-time Concacaf Champions League winners – including in 2021, which meant they would compete in this summer’s Club World Cup.

Ramos accepted the offer, a one-year deal to become Monterrey’s top earner.

Rayados president Jose Antonio Noriega spoke to the Athletic, external in February about how they persuaded Ramos to join.

“It’s a package deal. There is no single aspect, Sergio is not convinced by just one thing,” said Noriega, a former midfielder for Monterrey and Mexico.

“We are a team that fights for titles and that attracts Sergio. But surely that wouldn’t be enough.

“It’s a serious team with a good reputation and the city is nice. It’s an accumulation of things that Sergio found fulfilling. Also the fact that each year there are five championships and one of them this year is the Club World Cup, which is special.”

He added: “We knew there was a market for Sergio. We heard about the interest from San Diego FC, from some clubs in Brazil and some in Saudi Arabia.

“Let me tell you a metaphor – it’s like when you want to fall in love with a girl. The only way to make a girl fall in love is to be yourself. We were like that with Ramos.

“We told him ‘this is who we are, this is what we can give you’. Fortunately, we understood each other.”

Mexico’s Monterrey advanced to the round of 16 at the Club World Cup by thrashing Urawa Red Diamonds 4-0 on Wednesday at the Rose Bowl in the third and final match of the group stage, while Argentina’s River Plate was eliminated with a 2-0 loss to Inter Milan in Seattle.

As the third-place team in Group E, the Rayados needed to win, scoring as many goals as possible, and then hope for a winner at Lumen Field during the match between River Plate and Inter Milan, because if the match was tied 2-2, Monterrey would be eliminated no matter what happened in Pasadena.

But Inter Milan’s win gave the club first place in the group with seven points, followed by Monterrey with five and River Plate with four points. Urawa did not earn any group points.

“We have to enjoy now, the present,” said Domenec Torrent, Monterrey’s technical director. “I’m very happy for the people who came here and for Mexican soccer in general.”

Torrent added that he was happy to finish unbeaten during three group stage matches, earning one win and two draws.

“We knew it was going to be a complex match. Urawa, despite being eliminated, we knew they were going to play a difficult game,” Monterrey midfielder Óliver Torres said. “In fact, in the first few minutes they made it very difficult for us. After the goal, we started to grow in the match. We knew it was a very important day for all the club’s workers, for all the fans who were here and at home, and well, for all of Mexico.”

Monterrey settled the match in a matter of nine minutes.

Monterrey’s Germán Berterame, front, and Sergio Ramos embrace after winning their Club World Cup Group E match against Urawa on Wednesday at the Rose Bowl.

(Jae Hong / Associated Press)

Colombian Nelson Deossa fired a powerful shot from outside the box at Urawa goalkeeper Shūsaku Nishikawa, who could not block the shot as the ball rolled in for a goal in the 30th minute. Two minutes later, Argentine Germán Berterame fired a low shot on the right side of the Japanese goal and scored. Then, Jesús “Tecatito” Corona fired a long-range missile, extending Monterrey’s lead to 3-0. The fourth goal came in stoppage time when Berterame finished off a diagonal cross from the right.

“I didn’t expect what tonight was like,” said Berterame of his brace, the win and the qualification. “We were coming to win, but I think it was a dream night.”

Monterrey will face Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta while Inter Milan will face Fluminense on Monday at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C., in the round of 16 of the tournament.

Monterrey fans cheer for their team during a Club World Cup Group E soccer match against Urawa Red Diamonds at the Rose Bowl on Wednesday.

(Jae Hong / Associated Press)

“The next game we know is very difficult,” said Torrent, who added Dortmund plays a style very similar to Inter Milan. “It’s another European team that competes very well, they have won things. We already know how they play, I’ve seen them very well.”

“Every game is like a chess match. Getting through the group was not easy. It’s going to be very difficult for them to beat us and if they beat us, let the fans know that we’re going to give everything.”

Sergio Ramos’ Monterrey and Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami are the only two CONCACAF teams to survive the first round, as Pachuca, Seattle and LAFC were eliminated during the group stage.

This article first appeared in Spanish via L.A. Times en Español.

A stunning header from the veteran Spanish defender delights the pro-Mexican fans as the European giants are held.

Sergio Ramos rolled back the years to score a brilliant header as Monterrey held Inter Milan to a 1-1 draw in their FIFA Club World Cup clash at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, United States.

The former Spain and Real Madrid defender towered above the Inter defenders to find the back of the net and give his Mexican club a lead in the 25th minute of their Group E fixture, much to the delight of the thousands of Monterrey fans gathered at the famous venue in Southern California on Tuesday.

European giants Inter levelled the scoreline in the 42nd minute, as Lautaro Martinez tapped in from close range from a Carlos Augusto pass in a superbly crafted team goal.

However, it was Ramos’s goal and ensuing celebrations – both by the player and the Monterrey fans – that stole the limelight on the fourth day of the club competition.

“There is always joy to contribute to the team by scoring, but if we can get points, that’s even better,” the Monterrey captain said after the match.

“We played very well as a team. Of course, football showcases the goal, but we’re here to share this experience.”

Both sides had plenty of opportunities to take the lead in the second half but missed their chances, with a Martinez strike being called offside in the 68th minute.

It was a hard-fought draw for Inter, who lost the UEFA Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) on May 31 and welcomed new manager Cristian Chivu.

According to the 39-year-old Ramos, his team lacked the energy in the final moments of the game.

“For most of this match, we created quite a few chances, but at this moment, we don’t have much energy,” he said.

Monterrey and Inter have one point apiece in the group led by River Plate, who beat Urawa Red Diamonds 3-1 in the earlier game in Seattle.

Goals from Facundo Colidio (12 minutes), Sebastian Driussi (48 minutes) and Maximiliano Meza (73 minutes) helped the Argentinian club beat their Japanese opponents with ease, but they lost their forward to an ankle injury while scoring the second goal.

A successfully converted 58th-minute penalty from Yusuke Matsuo brought Urawa back into the game momentarily, but Meza’s goal 15 minutes later consolidated River Plate’s lead again.

On the second match day for the group on Saturday, Inter take on Urawa, and Monterrey face River Plate.

In the Group F fixtures on Tuesday, Brazilian Serie A side Fluminense held German club Borussia Dortmund to a goalless draw at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, while Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa beat South Korean side Ulsan HD 1-0 in Orlando, Florida.

Iqraam Rayners scored in the 36th minute for Mamelodi, who now lead Group F with three points. Dortmund and Fluminense have one point each.