There are legends who shine at the club level but cannot repeat that success with their national teams. The opposite can also happen. In Iker Casillas’ case, he belonged to the group that excelled in both, as he was a key figure for Spain when they won the World Cup in 2010. With his country still among the strongest teams in international soccer, the former goalkeeper picked their main rivals.
Casillas said: “I think the national team has a great squad right now, but if it is Spain vs Portugal, I think it is an even matchup, just like Spain vs Argentina or Spain vs France. I think anything can happen. The small details are going to decide the World Cup. It will not be as comfortable as people think, those details will make the difference. I see very balanced matches. We will also have to see how the bracket shapes up, because the best third-place teams advance.”
This comment was made to the local press during the presentation of his collection called “Casillas: el legado de una leyenda” (“Casillas: The Legacy of a Legend”) at Museo Legends in Madrid.
Casillas on Real Madrid elections
While winning trophies remains the main objective for everyone involved, Real Madrid are getting ready for a very important day. The club is preparing for Sunday’s elections, the first time members will get to vote for their president in 20 years.
Pérez called for presidential elections (Denis Doyle/Getty Images)
While much of the attention is naturally on Florentino Pérez trying to remain in charge in a contest with Enrique Riquelme, Casillas also spoke about the club where he became a legend, with another icon like Raúl potentially becoming sporting director.
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Casillas said: “I have not been approached for any role. I am looking forward to it as a member and a Real Madrid supporter. As for Raúl becoming sporting director, we are talking about Raúl. There is not much more that needs to be said, he is 100% Madridista. They must have thought it through carefully. Anything that is good for Real Madrid is fantastic.”
Casillas on his career
There may be very little left for someone like Casillas to accomplish after winning every major trophy in the sport. His achievements include one World Cup, two UEFA European Championships, three Champions League titles, five La Liga titles, and two Copa del Rey trophies among the highlights of his career, yet he still wanted more.
Casillas said: “I would have liked to win more trophies, but I cannot complain. I have achieved everything you dream about as a kid. I became a European champion with both my club and my national team. I used to watch those moments at home when I was young and thought they were impossible to reach.”
