title: Charlie Day

text: On film, he is best known for his performances as Dr Newton Geiszler the biologist in Guillermo del Toro's science-fiction monster movie "Pacific Rim" (2013) and its sequel "Pacific Rim: Uprising" (2018), Dale Arbus in the comedy "Horrible Bosses" (2011) and sequel "Horrible Bosses 2" (2014), and teacher Andy Campbell in the comedy "Fist Fight" (2017). He is also known for his voice roles in "Monsters University" (2013) and "The Lego Movie" film franchise (2014–2019). Day will be voicing Luigi in the upcoming Nintendo film "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" in April 2023.


title: Charlie Day

text: Charles Peckham Day was born in New York City on February 9, 1976. His family lived in the Riverdale section of the Bronx. He spent most of his childhood in Middletown, Rhode Island. He is the youngest of two children, with an elder sister named Alice. His father, Dr. Thomas Charles Day, who is of Italian and Irish descent, is a retired professor of music history at Salve Regina University in Newport, Rhode Island and his mother, Mary ("née" Peckham), was a piano teacher at The Pennfield School in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. She was of English descent. His paternal grandfather changed the family name from "Del Giorno" to "Day" to assimilate during WWII and died in a military training accident when his son Thomas was only four.


title: Charlie Day

text: Day attended Pennfield School and graduated from the Portsmouth Abbey School, both in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. He majored in art history at Merrimack College in North Andover, Massachusetts in 1998. At Merrimack, he was active in the Onstagers, Merrimack's student theater organization. In May 2014, Day gave the commencement speech for Merrimack College's graduating class and received an honorary Ph.D.


title: Charlie Day

text: After graduating, Day worked on small television roles, advertisements, and voiceovers for the Independent Film Channel, and supplemented his income by waiting tables and answering phones for a telethon.


title: Charlie Day

text: Beginning in summer 1997 as a college student, Day was active in the training programs at the Williamstown Theatre Festival, where he was a contemporary of actors such as Jimmi Simpson, David Hornsby, Kathryn Hahn and Sterling K. Brown. Day went on to play the lead role in "Dead End", at the Huntington Theatre in Boston. In the early 2000s, he appeared on several television shows such as "Third Watch", "Law & Order", "Reno 911!" and the cancelled sitcom "Luis".


title: Charlie Day

text: As a young actor living in New York City, Day had lived with Simpson, and the two had often made comedy sketches and absurd short films with Hornsby, Nate Mooney, Logan Marshall-Green and other actor friends. These served as the inspiration for several scripted home movies he later developed with Rob McElhenney and Glenn Howerton in 2003, including a few about three struggling actors getting into schemes and awkward situations in their spare time while living in LA. The scripts evolved and went on to become the pilot episode of the comedy series "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia". In 2005, the first season was released on FX television. In addition to being a co-creator, executive producer and writer on the show, Day plays Charlie Kelly, one of the main characters on the show. In 2021, "It's Always Sunny" became the longest running live action comedy on American television with the release of its fifteenth season.


title: Charlie Day

text: In July 2011, Day starred in New Line Cinema's "Horrible Bosses" with Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Aniston, Colin Farrell, and Jamie Foxx. The film was a commercial success and Day's performance was praised by critics. He also had a role in the 2010 film "Going the Distance", alongside Justin Long, Jason Sudeikis, and Drew Barrymore. In 2013, he voiced the character Art in the Pixar animated film "Monsters University" and appeared in the Guillermo del Toro science fiction "kaiju" film "Pacific Rim", in which he played biologist Dr Newton "Newt" Geiszler, who is the focus of the secondary comedic plot with Burn Gorman and Ron Perlman. In 2018, he reprised the role for the sequel "Pacific Rim: Uprising" directed by Steven S. DeKnight.


title: Charlie Day

text: In 2017, Day starred in "Fist Fight", with Ice Cube. In it, Day plays Andy Campbell, a high school English teacher challenged by his co-worker, history teacher Ronald Strickland (Cube), to a fight after getting him fired. In 2018, he had a role in Drew Pearce's film "Hotel Artemis", with Jodie Foster, Sterling K Brown, Brian Tyree Henry and Jenny Slate.


title: Charlie Day

text: Most recently, Day played his first leading role in a romantic comedy on "I Want You Back" with Slate for Amazon Studios released on 11 February 2022.


title: Charlie Day

text: Day also produced the television shows "How to Be a Gentleman" and "Unsupervised", created by "It's Always Sunny" writers David Hornsby, Scott Marder and Rob Rosell. Day hosted the November 5, 2011 episode of "Saturday Night Live" (SNL) with Maroon 5 as the musical guest. He was the second cast member from "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" to host "SNL" (after Danny DeVito, though DeVito hosted "SNL" before "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" premiered, the last time being in 1999; notably, however, DeVito would make a brief cameo during Day's opening monologue in this episode). Day would also make another brief cameo in the following season's episode hosted by Jamie Foxx on December 8, 2012, as a congressman in the episode's sketch "Maine Justice". In September 2014, Day provided his voice for "The Sims 4" TV spots.


title: Charlie Day

text: He is the creator and producer of Fox comedy The Cool Kids, starring Vicki Lawrence, Martin Mull, David Alan Grier and Leslie Jordan and set in a retirement community. On August 9, 2019, "Mythic Quest", a new half-hour comedy series co-created by Day and, colleagues from "It's Always Sunny", Rob McElhenney and Megan Ganz, was announced as one of the original productions for the then-upcoming streaming service, Apple TV+.


title: Charlie Day

text: In September 2021, Nintendo announced that Day will be voicing Luigi, in "The Super Mario Bros. Movie", set to be released on April 7, 2023. Day is currently also working on his feature directorial debut with the upcoming comedy "El Tonto", featuring Kate Beckinsale, Edie Falco and John Malkovich. Day writes, produces, and stars as a silent man who becomes a celebrity and loses it all.


title: Charlie Day

text: Since November 2021, Day, McElhenney and Howerton have been releasing "The Always Sunny Podcast", originally intending on re-watching the entire series and sharing behind-the-scenes information, before the focus of the podcast naturally shifted to emphasize the banter and dynamic between the three creators.


title: Charlie Day

text: A skilled musician, Day can play the piano, accordion, trombone, guitar, and harmonica, and has written or improvised most of the songs featured on "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia". In 2014, he received an honorary doctorate in performing arts from Merrimack College, where he also delivered that year's keynote address.


title: Charlie Day

text: In 2001, Day met actress Mary Elizabeth Ellis. They were already dating in 2004 when they co-starred as incestuous siblings on "Reno 911!". Ellis has a recurring role on "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" as The Waitress, the object of the unrequited love and obsession for Day's character. The couple married on March 4, 2006. They had their first child, a son named Russell Wallace Day, in December 2011. They live in Los Angeles, California.


title: Allen Iverson

text: Allen Ezail Iverson (; born June 7, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player. Nicknamed "the Answer", he played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) at both the shooting guard and point guard positions. Iverson won NBA Rookie of the Year Award in 1997 and was an 11-time NBA All-Star, won the All-Star game MVP award in 2001 and 2005, and was the NBA's Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 2001. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016. In October 2021, he was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team. Iverson is often regarded as one of the greatest scorers and one of the most influential players in NBA history.


title: Allen Iverson

text: Iverson attended Bethel High School in Hampton, Virginia, and was a dual-sport athlete. He earned the Associated Press High School Player of the Year award in both football and basketball, and won the Division 5 AAA Virginia state championship in both sports. After high school, Iverson played college basketball with the Georgetown Hoyas for two years, where he set the school record for career scoring average (23.0 points per game) and won Big East Defensive Player of the Year awards both years.


title: Allen Iverson

text: Following two successful years at Georgetown University, Iverson declared eligibility for the 1996 NBA draft, and was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers with the first overall pick. He was named the NBA Rookie of the Year in the 1996–97 season. A four time scoring champion, winning the NBA scoring title during the 1998–99, 2000–01, 2001–02, and 2004–05 seasons, Iverson was one of the most prolific scorers in NBA history, despite his relatively small stature (listed at 6 feet, 0 inches, or 183 centimeters). His regular season career scoring average of 26.7 points per game ranks seventh all-time, and his playoff career scoring average of 29.7 points per game is second only to Michael Jordan. Iverson was also the NBA Most Valuable Player of the 2000–01 season, and led his team to the 2001 NBA Finals the same season. Iverson represented the United States at the 2004 Summer Olympics, winning the bronze medal.


title: Allen Iverson

text: Later in his career, Iverson played for the Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, and the Memphis Grizzlies, before ending his NBA career with the 76ers during the 2009–10 season. He was rated the fifth-greatest NBA shooting guard of all time by ESPN in 2008. He finished his career in Turkey with Beşiktaş in 2011. He returned as a player-coach for 3's Company in the inaugural season of the BIG3.


title: Allen Iverson

text: Iverson was born in Hampton, Virginia, to a single 15-year-old mother, Ann Iverson, and was given his mother's maiden name after his father Allen Broughton left her.


title: Allen Iverson

text: During his early childhood years in Hampton, Iverson was given the nickname "Bubba Chuck". A childhood friend, Jaime Rogers, said that Iverson would always look out for the younger kids and that "He could teach anybody." When Iverson was 13, father figure Michael Freeman was arrested in front of the teen for dealing drugs. Iverson then failed the eighth grade because of absences and moved to get out of the projects.


title: Allen Iverson

text: He attended Bethel High School, where he started as quarterback for the school football team while also playing running back, kick returner, and defensive back. He also started at point guard for the school basketball team. During his junior year, Iverson was able to lead both teams to Virginia state championships, as well as earn The Associated Press High School Player of the Year award in both sports.


title: Allen Iverson

text: Iverson played for the Boo Williams AAU basketball team and won the 1992 17-and-under AAU national championship.


title: Allen Iverson

text: On February 14, 1993, Iverson and several of his friends were involved in an altercation with several other patrons at a bowling alley in Hampton, Virginia. Allegedly, Iverson's crowd was raucous and had to be asked to quiet down several times, and eventually, a shouting duel began with another group of youths. Shortly after that, a fight erupted, pitting the white crowd against the black crowd. During the fight, Iverson allegedly struck a woman in the head with a chair. He, and three of his friends, who were also black, were the only people arrested. Iverson, who was 17 at the time, was convicted as an adult of the felony charge of maiming by mob, a rarely used Virginia statute that was designed to combat lynching. A videotape surfaced of the incident that shows Iverson leaving shortly after the fighting began. Of the incident, Iverson said: "For me to be in a bowling alley where everybody in the whole place know who I am and be crackin' people upside the head with chairs and think nothin' gonna happen? That's crazy! And what kind of a man would I be to hit a girl in the head with a damn chair? I rather have 'em say I hit a man with a chair, not no damn woman."


title: Allen Iverson

text: After Iverson spent four months at Newport News City Farm, a correctional facility in Newport News, he was granted clemency by Virginia Governor Douglas Wilder, and the Virginia Court of Appeals eventually overturned the conviction in 1995 for insufficient evidence. This incident and its impact on the community is explored in the documentary film "". Iverson's high school basketball coach stated: "They wanted to make an example out of Iverson." James Elleson, Iverson's lawyer, said: "Only defendants not given bond are capital murderers." Tom Brokaw and the public played a huge role in the release of Iverson. There were rallies and marches for all four black men that were incarcerated, and Brokaw did a special interview with Iverson from the jail. In this special, Iverson was very apologetic and somber. Brokaw even said: "I thought the sentence was surprisingly harsh."


title: Allen Iverson

text: Of his time in prison, Iverson said: "I had to use the whole jail situation as something positive. Going to jail, someone sees something weak in you, they'll exploit it. I never showed any weakness. I just kept going strong until I came out." The prison sentence forced him to complete his senior year of high school at Richard Milburn High School, a school for at-risk students, instead of competing in sports at Bethel. However, the three years Iverson spent at Bethel were enough to convince Georgetown University head coach John Thompson to come out and meet Iverson, and offer him a full scholarship to join the Georgetown Hoyas basketball team.


title: Allen Iverson

text: In his first season at Georgetown in 1994–95, Iverson won the Big East Rookie of the Year award and was named to the All Rookie Tournament First Team. That season, Iverson led the Hoyas to the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament, where they lost to the North Carolina Tar Heels.


title: Allen Iverson

text: In his second and final season at Georgetown in 1995–96, Iverson led the team to a Big East championship and all the way to the Elite Eight round of the NCAA tournament, where they lost to the Massachusetts Minutemen. He ended his college career as the Hoyas' all-time leader in career scoring average, at 22.9 points per game. Iverson was named as a first-team All-American. Iverson was also named the Big East Defensive Player of the Year in each of his two seasons at Georgetown.


title: Allen Iverson

text: Following his sophomore year, Iverson declared for the 1996 NBA draft. He was the first player under Coach Thompson to leave Georgetown early for the NBA.


title: Allen Iverson

text: After two seasons at Georgetown, Iverson was selected with the 1st overall pick in the 1996 NBA draft to the Philadelphia 76ers. Listed at tall, he became the shortest first overall pick ever, in a league normally dominated by taller players.


title: Allen Iverson

text: Iverson came to a Philadelphia team that had just finished the previous season with a dismal 18–64 record. In his NBA debut, Iverson recorded 30 points and 6 assists on a 103–111 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. He tied Willie Anderson for the third highest scoring output by a rookie guard in his debut. On November 12, 1996, Iverson recorded a then career-high of 35 points to go along with 7 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals on a 101–97 road win over the Knicks. In a game against the 55–8 Chicago Bulls, Iverson scored 37 points and memorably crossed over Michael Jordan. He broke Wilt Chamberlain's rookie record of three straight games with at least 40 points, doing so in five straight games, including a 50-point effort in Cleveland against the Cavaliers. Averaging 23.5 points per game, 7.5 assists per game and 2.1 steals per game for the season, Iverson was named the NBA Rookie of the Year. Iverson was only able to help the Sixers to a 22–60 record in 1996–97.


title: Allen Iverson

text: Aided by the arrivals of Theo Ratliff, Eric Snow, Aaron McKie, and new coach Larry Brown, Iverson continued to help the 76ers move forward the following season, as they improved nine games to finish 31–51.


title: Allen Iverson

text: On January 26, 1999, Iverson signed a six-year, $70.9 million max contract extension. The lockout-shortened 1998–1999 season would mark great improvement for the 76ers. Iverson averaged 26.8 points (which led the league, earning his first scoring title) and was named to his first All-NBA First Team. The Sixers finished the season at 28–22, earning Iverson his first trip to the playoffs. He started all ten playoff games and averaged 28.5 points per game despite being hampered by a number of nagging injuries. Iverson led the Sixers to an upset over the number three seeded Orlando Magic in four games, before losing to the Indiana Pacers in the second round in six games.


title: Allen Iverson

text: During the 1999–2000 NBA season, the Sixers would continue to improve under Iverson's leadership, as they finished 49–33, once again qualifying for the playoffs (this time earning the fifth seed, one spot higher than the previous year's sixth seed). In the playoffs, Iverson averaged 26.2 points, 4.8 assists, 4 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game. Philadelphia would advance past the Charlotte Hornets in the opening round, but was eliminated by Indiana in the second round in six games for the second straight year.


title: Allen Iverson

text: That season, Iverson was selected to the Eastern Conference All-Star team for the first time of what would be 11 straight selections. He was the only player other than Shaquille O'Neal to receive an MVP vote that year. In the 2000 off-season, the 76ers actively tried to trade Iverson after his numerous disagreements with then-coach Larry Brown, and had agreed to terms with the Detroit Pistons before Matt Geiger, who was included in the deal, refused to forfeit his $5 million trade kicker.


title: Allen Iverson

text: During the 2000–01 season, Iverson led his team to a franchise record 10–0 start to the season, and was named a starter at the 2001 NBA All-Star Game, where he won the game MVP. The Sixers posted a 56–26 record on the year, the best in the Eastern Conference that season, earning the top seed. He also averaged a then-career-high 31.1 points, winning his second NBA scoring title in the process. Iverson won the NBA steals title at 2.5 a game. Iverson was named NBA Most Valuable Player; at 6 feet and 165 pounds, he became the shortest and lightest player to win the MVP award. He had 93 first-place votes out of a possible 124. He was also named to the All NBA First team for his accomplishments. In the playoffs, Iverson and the Sixers defeated the Indiana Pacers in the first round, before meeting Vince Carter-led Toronto Raptors in the Eastern Semifinals. The series went the full seven games. In the next round, the Sixers defeated the Milwaukee Bucks, also in seven games, to advance to the 2001 NBA Finals against the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers, featuring the duo of Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal.


title: Allen Iverson

text: Iverson led the Sixers to their first finals since their 1983 championship. In game one of the 2001 NBA Finals, Iverson scored a playoff-high 48 points and beat the heavily favored Lakers 107–101; it was the Lakers' only playoff loss that year. In the game, he notably stepped over Tyronn Lue after hitting a crucial shot. Iverson would go on to score 23, 35, 35, and 37 in games 2–5, all losing efforts though the Sixers were not swept like many predicted. Iverson enjoyed his most successful season as an individual and as a member of the Sixers during the 2000–01 NBA season.


title: Allen Iverson

text: Iverson began using a basketball sleeve during this season during his recovery from bursitis in his right elbow. Other players, including Carmelo Anthony and Kobe Bryant, adopted the sleeves as well, as did fans who wore the sleeve as a fashion statement. Iverson continued wearing his sleeve long after his elbow had healed. Some believed that the sleeve improved Iverson's shooting ability. Steven Kotler of "Psychology Today" suggested that such sleeves may act as a placebo to prevent future injuries.


title: Allen Iverson

text: Fresh off their trip to the NBA Finals, Iverson and the Sixers entered the 2001–2002 season with high expectations, but were plagued by injuries, and only able to muster a 43–39 record to barely get into the playoffs. Despite playing in only 60 games that season and being hampered by injuries, Iverson averaged 31.4 points per game to earn his second consecutive scoring title. The 76ers lost to the Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs 3–2 in the five-game series. After the defeat, Brown criticized Iverson for missing team practices. Iverson responded by saying, "We're sitting here, I'm supposed to be the franchise player, and we're in here talking about practice," and went on a rant that included the word "practice" 24 times. He repeatedly said "We're talking about practice. Not the game."


title: Allen Iverson

text: The 2002–2003 season started off poorly for the Sixers, who had just traded defensive-standout Dikembe Mutombo to New Jersey, and saw a decrease in both offensive and defensive production from Aaron McKie and Eric Snow, all three of whom were key components to their Finals appearance two years prior. Iverson would once again put up stellar scoring numbers (27.6 points per game) however, and the Sixers regrouped following the All-Star break to make the playoffs with a 48–34 record. They were able to defeat Baron Davis and the New Orleans Hornets in the opening round of the playoffs. Iverson later described Davis as the most difficult opposing point guard to defend in his career. In the six-game second round series, the 76ers were eliminated by the Detroit Pistons.


title: Allen Iverson

text: Head Coach Larry Brown left the 76ers in 2003, following the playoff loss. After his departure from the 76ers, both he and Iverson indicated that the two were on good terms and genuinely fond of one another. Iverson later reunited with Brown when Iverson became the co-captain of the 2004 United States Olympic men's basketball team. In 2005, Iverson said that Brown was without a doubt "the best coach in the world".


title: Allen Iverson

text: Randy Ayers became the next coach of the 76ers, but failed to develop any chemistry with his players, and was fired following a 21–31 start to the season. During the latter part of the 2003–04 NBA season, Iverson bristled under the disciplinarian approach of the Sixers' interim head coach Chris Ford. This led to a number of contentious incidents, including Iverson being suspended for missing practice, fined for failing to notify Ford that he would not attend a game because he was sick, and refusing to play in a game because he felt "insulted" that Ford wanted Iverson to come off the bench as he worked his way back from an injury. Iverson missed a then-career-high 34 games in a disastrous season that saw the Sixers miss the postseason for the first time since 1998.


title: Allen Iverson

text: The 2004–2005 season saw Iverson and the Sixers bounce back under the tutelage of new head coach Jim O'Brien, and additions of their first round draft pick Andre Iguodala, and All-Star forward Chris Webber, who was acquired in a mid-season trade.


title: Allen Iverson

text: On February 12, 2005, Iverson scored a career-high 60 points on 24-for-27 shooting from the free throw line to go along with 6 assists and 5 steals in a 112–99 win over the Orlando Magic. On April 8, 2005, Iverson recorded 23 points, 7 rebounds and a career-high 16 assists in a 103–98 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.


title: Allen Iverson

text: A rejuvenated Iverson won his fourth NBA scoring title with 31 points and averaged 8 assists for the year, and helped the 76ers climb back into the postseason with a 43–39 record. They would go on to lose to the eventual Eastern Conference champion Detroit Pistons, who were led by Larry Brown, in the first round. In the series, Iverson had three double-doubles, including a 37-point, 15-assist performance in Philadelphia's lone win of the series.


title: Allen Iverson

text: Despite O'Brien helping the team back into the postseason, disagreements with players and management led to his firing after just one season. He was replaced by Sixers' legend Maurice Cheeks, in a personnel move Iverson praised, as Cheeks had been an assistant coach with the team when they reached the NBA Finals in 2001. During the 2005–2006 season, Iverson averaged a career-high 33.0 points per game. The Sixers, however, missed the playoffs for the second time in three years.


title: Allen Iverson

text: On April 18, 2006, Iverson and Chris Webber arrived late to the Sixers' fan appreciation night and home game finale. Players were expected to report 90 minutes before game time, but both Iverson and Webber arrived around tipoff. Coach Maurice Cheeks notified the media that neither would be playing, and general manager Billy King announced that Iverson and Webber would be fined. During the 2006 off-season, trade rumors had Iverson going to Denver, Atlanta, or Boston. None of the deals were completed. Iverson had made it clear that he would like to stay a Sixer.


title: Allen Iverson

text: Iverson and the Sixers began the 2006–07 NBA season at 3–0 before stumbling out to a 5–10 record through 15 games. Following the disappointing start, Iverson reportedly demanded a trade from the Sixers (which he denied). As a result, Iverson was told he would not play in any more games. During the following game against the Washington Wizards, which was televised nationally on ESPN, Sixers Chairman Ed Snider confirmed the trade rumors by stating "We're going to trade him. At a certain point, you have to come to grips with the fact that it's not working. He wants out and we're ready to accommodate him."


title: Allen Iverson

text: Iverson ended his 10-year Philadelphia tenure with the highest scoring average in team history (28.1), and is second all-time on the points list (19,583), and the Sixers did not win another playoff series after his departure until 2012.


title: Allen Iverson

text: On December 19, 2006, the Philadelphia 76ers sent Iverson and forward Ivan McFarlin to the Denver Nuggets for Andre Miller, Joe Smith, and two first-round picks in the 2007 NBA draft. At the time of the trade, Iverson was the NBA's number two leading scorer, with new teammate Carmelo Anthony being number one.


title: Allen Iverson

text: On December 23, 2006, Iverson played his first game for the Nuggets. He had 22 points and 10 assists in a losing effort to the Sacramento Kings. In his first year as a Nugget they made the playoffs. They won the first game and lost the next four to the San Antonio Spurs.


title: Allen Iverson

text: Iverson was fined $25,000 by the NBA for criticizing referee Steve Javie following a game between the Nuggets and Iverson's former team, the Philadelphia 76ers, played January 2, 2007. During the game, he committed two technical fouls and was ejected from the game. After the game, Iverson said, "I thought I got fouled on that play, and I said I thought that he was calling the game personal I should have known that I couldn't say anything anyway. It's been something personal with me and him since I got in the league. This was just the perfect game for him to try and make me look bad."


title: Allen Iverson

text: Former referee Tim Donaghy supported the claim that Javie had a longstanding hatred for Iverson in his book, "Personal Foul: A First-Person Account of the Scandal that Rocked the NBA", which a Florida business group published through a self-publishing arm of Amazon.com after it was dropped by a division of Random House, who cited liability issues after reviewing the manuscript.


title: Allen Iverson

text: In a December 2009 interview with "60 Minutes", Donaghy said he and fellow referees thought the punishment was too light. Before Iverson's Nuggets played the Utah Jazz on January 6, 2007, Donaghy said he and the two other officials working the game agreed not to give Iverson favorable calls as a way to "teach him a lesson." Iverson attempted 12 free throws, more than any other player on either team. On 12 drives to the basket, he drew five fouls, three of which Donaghy whistled himself, and did not receive a call on one play in which Utah's Mehmet Okur clearly fouled him.


title: Allen Iverson

text: Iverson returned to Philadelphia on March 19, 2008, to a sell-out crowd and received a standing ovation in a 115–113 loss.


title: Allen Iverson

text: On November 3, 2008, Iverson was dealt from the Denver Nuggets to the Detroit Pistons for guard Chauncey Billups, forward Antonio McDyess and center Cheikh Samb. Iverson, who had worn a #3 jersey his entire NBA career, switched to number 1 for the Pistons, which Billups previously wore for the team.


title: Allen Iverson

text: Iverson scored at least 24 in four of his first five games with Detroit (they won 3 of the 5), and would score 20 or more with 6 or more assists on a consistent basis, but as the season wore on, he would lose playing time to Rodney Stuckey. Some speculated that Pistons President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars did not envision a long-term role for Iverson on the team, but traded for him to make Stuckey the point guard of the future and free cap space with Iverson's expiring contract.


title: Allen Iverson

text: On April 3, 2009, it was announced that Iverson would not play the remainder of the 2008–09 season. Dumars cited Iverson's ongoing back injury as the reason for his deactivation, although two days prior Iverson stated publicly that he'd rather retire than be moved to the bench as Pistons coach Michael Curry had decided.


title: Allen Iverson

text: On September 10, 2009, Iverson signed a one-year contract with the Memphis Grizzlies. He stated that "God chose Memphis as the place that I will continue my career," and that "I feel that they are committed to developing a winner."


title: Allen Iverson

text: However, Iverson again expressed his displeasure at being a bench player, and left the team on November 7, 2009, for "personal reasons." On November 16, the Grizzlies announced the team terminated his contract by "mutual agreement." He played three games for the Grizzlies, averaging 12.3 ppg, 1.3 rpg, and 3.7 apg in 22.3 mpg.


title: Allen Iverson

text: On November 25, 2009, analyst Stephen A. Smith published on his blog a statement attributed to Iverson announcing plans for retirement, which also said, "I feel strongly that I can still compete at the highest level."


title: Allen Iverson

text: Less than a week later on November 30, Iverson and his representatives met with a Philadelphia 76ers delegation about returning to his former team, and accepted a contract offer two days later. General manager Ed Stefanski declined to go into the terms of the agreement, but an unnamed source told the Associated Press that Iverson agreed to a one-year non-guaranteed contract at the league minimum salary. Iverson would receive a prorated portion of the $1.3 million minimum salary for players with at least 10 years of experience, and the contract would become guaranteed for the remainder of the 2009–10 season if he remained on the roster on January 8, 2010. Stefanski said the team made the decision to pursue Iverson after starting guard Lou Williams suffered a broken jaw and was expected to miss at least 30 games.


title: Allen Iverson

text: On December 7, 2009, Iverson made his return to Philadelphia, garnering a thunderous ovation from the sold-out crowd, in a loss against his former team, the Denver Nuggets. He finished the game with 11 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds, a steal, and no turnovers. Iverson's first win in his return to Philadelphia came one week later, in a 20-point effort against the Golden State Warriors, ending the Sixers' 12-game losing streak (which stood at 9 games before Iverson returned). He shot 70 percent from the field in the game.


title: Allen Iverson

text: On January 3, 2010, he returned to Denver to face the Nuggets; Iverson scored 17 points and had seven assists in the 108–105 win. He was voted as a starter for the All-Star Game for the 11th straight season. He scored a season-high 23 points (on 56% shooting from the field) in a 99–91 loss to Kobe Bryant and the defending champion Lakers.


title: Allen Iverson

text: On February 22, 2010, Iverson left the 76ers indefinitely, citing the need to attend to his 4-year-old daughter Messiah's health issues, which he revealed years later as Kawasaki Disease. On March 2, Stefanski announced Iverson would not return to the 76ers for the rest of the season to deal with the personal matter. His final NBA game was a loss against Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls on February 20, 2010.


title: Allen Iverson

text: On October 26, 2010, Yahoo! Sports reported that Iverson agreed in principle to a two-year, $4 million net income contract with Beşiktaş, a Turkish Super League team competing in the second-tier level of pan-European professional basketball, the EuroCup (the competition below the EuroLeague level). The club announced the signing at a press conference in New York City, on October 29, 2010. Wearing jersey #4, Iverson made his debut for Beşiktaş on November 16, 2010, in a EuroCup 91–94 loss to Serbian side Hemofarm. Iverson scored 15 points in 23 minutes.


title: Allen Iverson

text: Iverson returned to the United States in January 2011 for calf surgery. He only played ten games for Beşiktaş that season, and did not play professional basketball after that.


title: Allen Iverson

text: In January 2013, Iverson received an offer to play for the Texas Legends of the NBA D-League, but he declined.


title: Allen Iverson

text: On October 30, 2013, Iverson announced his retirement from basketball, citing he lost his desire to play. At the 76ers 2013–14 season home opener that night, he received a standing ovation at the beginning of the second quarter. The news conference at which he announced his retirement was attended by former Georgetown coach John Thompson and Sixers great Julius Erving. Iverson said he would always be a Sixer "until I die," and that while he always thought the day he retired would be a "tough" day, he instead stated it was rather a "happy" day.


title: Allen Iverson

text: In November 2013, the 76ers announced that they would officially retire Iverson's number 3 in a special halftime ceremony on March 1, 2014, when the Sixers hosted the Washington Wizards. The ceremony took place in front of 20,000 spectators and 76ers greats such as Julius Erving, Moses Malone, and former team president Pat Croce. He headlined the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2016 along with Shaquille O'Neal and Yao Ming. Iverson highlighted John Thompson and Larry Brown when speaking to the media on who he credited for a Hall of Fame career.


title: Allen Iverson

text: In 2017, the creation of the 3-on-3 professional basketball league BIG3 was announced, with Iverson set to be a player and coach on 3's Company. In March, it was announced that Iverson's co-captain would be DerMarr Johnson. 3's Company drafted Andre Owens, Mike Sweetney, and Ruben Patterson during the 2017 BIG3 Draft. On June 25, 3's Company played its first game of the inaugural BIG3 season against the Ball Hogs. In the game, Iverson scored 2 points on 1-for-6 shooting in 9 minutes of play. On only playing 9 minutes, Iverson stated, "I signed up to be a coach, player and captain. Coach part is going to go on throughout the game. Playing part is not going to be what you expect. You're not going to see the Allen Iverson of old out there."


title: Allen Iverson

text: Iverson was a member of the USA World University Games Team in Japan in 1995, that included future NBA stars Ray Allen and Tim Duncan, among others. Iverson led all USA players in scoring, assists, and steals, averaging 16.7 points, 6.1 assists, and 2.9 steals per game. He helped lead the team to an undefeated record en route to a 141–81 victory over the host country, Japan, for the gold medal.


title: Allen Iverson

text: Iverson was selected to be part of Team USA for the 2003 FIBA Americas Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Puerto Rico in August of that year. USA had a perfect 10–0 record, and won the gold medal as well as qualifying for a berth in the 2004 Olympics. Iverson started all eight games that he played in, and was second on the team with 14.3 points per game, while also posting 3.8 assists per game, 2.5 rebounds per game, 1.6 steals per game, and shooting 56.2 percent (41–73 FGs) from the field, 53.6 percent (15–28 3pt FGs) from 3-point and 81.0 percent (17–21 FTs) from the foul line.


title: Allen Iverson

text: In the USA's 111–71 victory over Canada on August 25, he accounted for a USA Olympic Qualifying single-game record 28 points and made a single-game record seven 3-pointers. Playing just 23 minutes, he shot 10-for-13 overall, 7-for-8 from the 3-point line, 1-for-1 from the foul line and added three assists, three steals, and one rebound. All seven of his 3-point field goals were made during the final 7:41 of the third quarter.


title: Allen Iverson

text: He finished the tournament ranked overall tied for 10th in scoring, tied for fourth in steals, fifth in 3-point percentage, tied for seventh in assists, and ninth in field goal percentage (.562). Iverson also missed the USA's final two games because of a sprained right thumb which was suffered in the first half of the August 28 Puerto Rico game. In a game against Puerto Rico, he recorded 9 points on 4-for-6 shooting from the field overall, and added five assists and three rebounds in 26 minutes of action in the USA's 101–74 exhibition game victory on August 17 in New York. He was also named to the 2003 USA Senior National Team on April 29, 2003.


title: Allen Iverson

text: During the 2000 offseason, Iverson recorded a rap single called "40 Bars". However, after being criticized for its controversial lyrics, he eventually was unable to release it. Going under his moniker, "Jewelz", the album was alleged to have made derogatory remarks about homosexuals. After criticism from activist groups and NBA Commissioner David Stern, he agreed to change the lyrics, but ultimately never released the album.


title: Allen Iverson

text: Iverson had an on-again, off-again relationship with rapper Da Brat. Da Brat claimed she ended the relationship due to Iverson's infidelity.


title: Allen Iverson

text: On May 14, 2015, Iverson appeared on "CBS This Morning" in support of a Showtime Network documentary on his life, "Iverson", during which he addressed long-discussed rumors of financial struggles, denying any notion that he was struggling. "That's a myth. That's a rumor... The fact that I'm struggling in any part of my life", he said.


title: Allen Iverson

text: In 2021, Iverson and former NBA player Al Harrington announced a business partnership through which a line of cannabis products would be launched named "The Iverson Collection". Iverson will also aid in the development of various business initiatives for the company that Harrington founded, Viola Brands. The pair will also collaborate on educational efforts to reduce stigma surrounding cannabis use.


title: Allen Iverson

text: During the 1997 offseason, Iverson and his friends were stopped by a police officer for speeding late at night. He was arrested for carrying a concealed weapon and for possession of marijuana. He pleaded no contest and was sentenced to community service.


title: Allen Iverson

text: In 2002, Iverson was alleged to have thrown his wife Tawanna out of their home after a domestic dispute and later threatening two men with a gun while looking for her. All charges against him were later dropped after the judge cited lack of evidence with contradictory statements from witnesses.


title: Allen Iverson

text: On February 24, 2004, Iverson urinated in a trash can at Bally's Atlantic City casino and was told by casino management not to return.


title: Allen Iverson

text: On December 9, 2005, after the Sixers defeated the Charlotte Bobcats, Iverson paid a late-night visit to the Trump Taj Mahal. After winning a hand at a three-card-stud poker table, Iverson was overpaid $10,000 in chips by a dealer. When the dealer quickly realized the mistake and requested the chips back, Iverson refused, and a heated head-turning argument between him and the casino staff began. Atlantic City casino regulations reportedly state that when a casino makes a payout mistake in favor of the gambler, the gambler must return the money that they did not legitimately win.


title: Allen Iverson

text: Also in 2005, Iverson's bodyguard Jason Kane was accused of assaulting a man at a Washington, D. C. nightclub after the man, Marlin Godfrey, refused to leave the club's VIP section so Iverson's entourage could enter. Godfrey suffered a concussion, a ruptured eardrum, a burst blood vessel in his eye, a torn rotator cuff, cuts and bruises, and emotional distress. Although Iverson did not touch Godfrey himself, Godfrey sued Iverson for the injuries caused by his bodyguard. In 2007 a jury awarded Godfrey $260,000. The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit upheld the verdict in 2009.


title: Allen Iverson

text: In August 2011, an Ohio man sued Iverson for $2.5 million in damages, claiming Iverson's security guard assaulted him in a 2009 bar fight in Detroit. The federal judge dismissed the case, finding no evidence that Iverson or his bodyguard struck the plaintiff, Guy Walker.


title: Allen Iverson

text: In 2013, Iverson was accused of kidnapping his children and refusing to return them to their mother. He denied the claim and his ex-wife later recanted.


title: Allen Iverson

text: Iverson started dating his high school sweetheart Tawanna Turner when they were 16, and married her at The Mansion on Main Street in Voorhees, New Jersey. They have five children: Tiaura, Allen II, Isaiah, Messiah, and Dream.


title: Allen Iverson

text: On March 2, 2010, Tawanna Iverson filed for divorce, seeking custody of their children, as well as child support and alimony payments. According to Iverson, the couple were back together less than a month after the divorce was finalized in 2013.


title: Allen Iverson

text: Iverson's cousin, Kuran Iverson, played Division I basketball for the University of Rhode Island and in the NBA G League, and now plays in New Zealand for the Manawatu Jets.


title: Sergio Ramos

text: Sergio Ramos García (; born 30 March 1986) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and the Spain national team. Known for his aggressive play, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest defenders of all time, having formerly played for Real Madrid for sixteen seasons, winning four UEFA Champions League titles along with two UEFA European Championships and the 2010 FIFA World Cup with the national team.


title: Sergio Ramos

text: After emerging through Sevilla's youth academy and spending two seasons with the senior side, Ramos moved to Real Madrid in the summer of 2005. Since then, he went on to become a mainstay for Real Madrid, and had won 22 major honours, including five La Liga titles and four UEFA Champions League titles, becoming one of La Liga's top goalscorers from a defensive position. He played a crucial part in the build-up to all four UEFA Champions League wins, being named in the competition Squad of the Season each time. He also scored the equaliser in the 93rd minute of the 2014 UEFA Champions League Final.


title: Sergio Ramos

text: Ramos has been named to the FIFPro World11 eleven times; a record for a defender, and the third-most all-time. He has also been elected to the UEFA Team of the Year nine times, also a record for a defender and the third-most of any player. Additionally, Ramos has been named La Liga's Best Defender a record five times, and to the La Liga Team of the Season in 2015–16. In 2021, he joined Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer.


title: Sergio Ramos

text: Internationally, Ramos represented Spain at four World Cups and three European Championships. He won the 2010 FIFA World Cup and the UEFA European Championship in 2008 and 2012, being named to the FIFA World Cup Dream Team in 2010, and the UEFA Euro Team of the Tournament in 2012. He made his first appearance for Spain at the age of 18 and, in 2013, he became the nation's youngest player to ever reach 100 caps. Ramos currently holds the record as the most capped player in the history of the Spain national team and is his country's ninth-highest all-time goalscorer. He also holds the record of most international victories for Spain with 131 matches won.


title: Sergio Ramos

text: Born in Camas, Seville, Andalusia, Ramos started playing at Camas CF by the age of 6, then he began his career at local side Sevilla, emerging through the club's youth system alongside Jesús Navas and Antonio Puerta. He made his first-team – and La Liga – debut on 1 February 2004, coming on as a 64th-minute substitute for Paco Gallardo in a 0–1 away loss against Deportivo La Coruña.


title: Sergio Ramos

text: In the 2004–05 season, Ramos appeared in 41 games as Sevilla finished sixth and qualified to the 2005–06 UEFA Cup, scoring in home fixtures against Real Sociedad (2–1) and Real Madrid (2–2). In the 2004–05 UEFA Cup, he scored his first continental goal, heading to conclude a 2–0 win over C.D. Nacional at the Ramon Sánchez Pizjuán in the first round (4–1 aggregate).


title: Sergio Ramos

text: In the summer of 2005, Ramos was purchased by Real Madrid for €27 million, a record for a Spanish defender. He was the only Spanish player brought in during Florentino Pérez's first stint as Real's president.


title: Sergio Ramos

text: At the club, Ramos was assigned the number 4 shirt, previously worn by Fernando Hierro. On 6 December 2005 he netted his first goal for the "Merengues", in a 2–1 UEFA Champions League group stage loss at Olympiacos.


title: Sergio Ramos

text: During his first seasons, Ramos played as centre back, being also used as an emergency defensive midfielder on occasion. However, with the arrival of Christoph Metzelder and Pepe in the 2007–08 season, he was again relocated to right back. In his first four seasons at Real Madrid, Ramos displayed a goalscoring instinct unusual to many defenders, netting more than 20 goals overall. He also received the first nine of his 24 red cards for the club, including four in his debut season. His first red card came after two bookable offences in a 1–0 away loss to Espanyol on 18 September 2005.


title: Sergio Ramos

text: During the 2006–07 season, Ramos scored five goals, including one in a 3–3 "El Clásico" draw with Barcelona, as Real Madrid won a record 30th league title.


title: Sergio Ramos

text: On 4 May 2008, he assisted Gonzalo Higuaín in the 89th minute against Osasuna in an eventual 2–1 away win, the match that sealed the club's 31st league championship. On the final day of the season, he scored twice in a 5–2 home win against already relegated Levante: one through a header, and another an individual effort; these goals taking his league tally for the 2007–08 season to five.


title: Sergio Ramos

text: On 24 August 2008, Ramos scored in the 2008 Supercopa de España second leg against Valencia, making the score 2–1 in an eventual 4–2 and 6–5 aggregate win. The victory came despite Real Madrid playing with only nine men for a long period of time after Rafael van der Vaart and Ruud van Nistelrooy were sent off. Although Ramos experienced a slight dip in form during the early part of the 2008–09 season, he returned to his best and on 11 January 2009, scoring an acrobatic volley in a 3–0 triumph at Mallorca. He continued his scoring run the following week in a 3–1 home win against Osasuna.


title: Sergio Ramos

text: Ramos was named in both FIFA and UEFA's 2008 "Team of the Year", adding the FIFPro Team of the Year 2007–08 accolade. He also finished 21st in the European Player of the Year nomination for 2008.


title: Sergio Ramos

text: At the start of the 2009–10 season, Ramos was appointed as one of Real Madrid's four captains. Because Pepe had suffered a serious knee injury during this campaign, Ramos was often deployed as central defender. He scored four goals in 33 league matches; and, on 21 February 2010 he played his 200th official match for the "Los Blancos" against Villarreal (150 in the first division). Despite these personal highlights, Real Madrid finished the campaign without picking up any silverware.


title: Sergio Ramos

text: In Real Madrid's 5–0 loss at Barcelona on 29 November 2010, Ramos was sent off after kicking Lionel Messi from behind, then pushing Carles Puyol in the ensuing melée. After this ejection, he equalled Fernando Hierro's previous record of ten red cards at the club, despite having played in 264 fewer games. On 20 April 2011, Ramos started in the season's Copa del Rey final, a 1–0 win against Barcelona in Valencia. In the subsequent victory procession, while celebrating on the top of the club's bus, he accidentally lost hold of the cup, which fell under the wheels of the vehicle; the trophy was dented as a result.


title: Sergio Ramos

text: On 12 July 2011, Ramos extended his contract with Real Madrid until 2017. The following 25 April, in the Champions League semi-finals' second leg against Bayern Munich, he missed his penalty shootout attempt as Real Madrid lost 3–1; the league campaign ended with them winning, with a record 100 points, after a four-year wait and he was the player with most balls recovered in his team, third overall.


title: Sergio Ramos

text: On 9 January 2013, Ramos was sent off for a second bookable offense midway through the second half of an eventual 4–0 home win over Celta Vigo in the 2012–13 Copa del Rey. He subsequently received a four-match suspension, after it was revealed he also insulted referee Miguel Ángel Ayza Gámez. The following month, mere minutes after scoring the second goal at home against Rayo Vallecano and less than 20 minutes into the first half, he received two yellow cards within one minute in the eventual 2–0 home success, taking his red card tally with Real Madrid alone to 16; and 12 in the league.


title: Sergio Ramos

text: In late February/early March 2013, due to the absence of Iker Casillas due to injury, Ramos captained Real to back-to-back wins over Barcelona in just four days: he netted the 2–1 home winner in the second game, heading home after a corner kick.


title: Sergio Ramos

text: On 14 December 2013, Ramos received a club record 18th red card for Real Madrid in a 2–2 draw at Osasuna, but the suspension was later lifted.


title: Sergio Ramos

text: His 19th red card came in a 4–3 home defeat to Barcelona, on 23 March 2014. On 26 April, Ramos scored a header against Osasuna in La Liga at the Bernabéu, in a counter-attack which he began with a strong tackle. It was his first goal in La Liga in six months, since his volley against Levante on match-day 8. On 29 April 2014, Ramos scored two headers in four minutes in a 4–0 away win against Bayern Munich in the semi-finals of the Champions League, with the tie ending with a 5–0 aggregate score and Madrid's qualification to the final for the first time in twelve years. Ramos' brace against Bayern (4 minutes) was the fastest brace in UEFA Champions League semi-final history at the time. On 4 May, Ramos scored in the 2–2 draw with Valencia at home in La Liga with another header, scoring in back-to-back league games. Just three days later, Ramos scored his first free-kick for a 1–1 draw away to Valladolid, having scored in three consecutive La Liga matches and scoring four consecutive matches for Real Madrid for the first time. On 24 May, in the Champions League final against Atlético Madrid, he headed home in the 93rd minute to tie the game 1–1, and Real Madrid went on to win 4–1 in extra-time to claim 'La Decima', their tenth trophy in the competition; he was also chosen by fans as Man of the match. Ramos ended 2013–14 with 7 goals, which made it his highest scoring season for Real Madrid at the time.


title: Sergio Ramos

text: Ramos started 2014–15 season on 12 August 2014 by playing the full 90 minutes in a 2–0 win against Sevilla to win their first trophy of the season, the UEFA Super Cup. He then played the two-legged Supercopa de España final against Atlético Madrid with "Los Blancos" losing 2–1 on aggregate. Ramos scored his first goal of the season on 31 August in week two of La Liga, a header in a 4–2 away loss against Real Sociedad. Ramos scored his 50th Real Madrid goal which came off his knee on 8 November against Rayo Vallecano at the Bernabéu in La Liga as Real Madrid won 5–1.


title: Sergio Ramos

text: He scored in both the semi-final and the final of the 2014 FIFA Club World Cup and was voted the Player of the Match in both as Real Madrid won the tournament in Morocco. Ramos was also voted the player of the tournament, winning the Golden Ball.


title: Sergio Ramos

text: Ramos agreed a new five-year contract with Real Madrid in August 2015, tying him to the club until 2020. He was also made captain after the transfer of Casillas to Porto. On 8 November Ramos scored his first goal of the season away to Sevilla. In scoring with an overhead kick he was forced to be substituted due to landing on his injured left shoulder.


title: Sergio Ramos

text: On 20 December 2015, Ramos captained Madrid to a 10–2 victory over Rayo Vallecano, the club's highest scoring La Liga victory in 55 years. The following 13 March, he received his 20th red card for Real Madrid in a 2–1 win over Las Palmas, having earlier scored the game's opening goal with a header from an Isco corner kick. On 2 April 2016, he returned from suspension in a 2–1 victory against Barcelona at Camp Nou, where he was again sent off, receiving his 21st red card and fourth in a Clásico fixture.


title: Sergio Ramos

text: Real Madrid reached the 2016 UEFA Champions League Final, where they faced Atlético Madrid. Ramos once again scored in a final, putting Real ahead in the first half. At the time, he was just the fifth player to score in two different Champions League Finals after Raúl, Samuel Eto'o, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. After a second-half equalizer from Atlético, he then scored a penalty in the shoot-out which resulted in Real Madrid winning 5–3; thus, he lifted his first UEFA Champions League trophy as a captain. According to author Michael Cox, he also notably "tipped the balance of the game toward Real Madrid" by tripping Yannick Carrasco up and stopping a three-on-one counter in stoppage time, with 30 seconds remaining and the score 1–1. He was named man of the match by UEFA after the game. By winning the final, Real Madrid earned the right to play against the winners of the 2015–16 UEFA Europa League, Sevilla, in the 2016 UEFA Super Cup. Ramos ended the 2015–16 season with three goals in 33 games which was his lowest goal tally and the fewest matches he played in any season at Real Madrid till then, due to ongoing injuries.


title: Sergio Ramos

text: Ramos started in the 2016 UEFA Super Cup in Trondheim, scoring Real Madrid's equalizing second goal of the match in the 93rd minute, and hence bringing the game into extra-time. Real Madrid were the eventual 3–2 winners, with Ramos being named man of the match. On 3 December 2016, he scored his fourth Clásico goal, an equalizer against Barcelona in a 1–1 draw at the Camp Nou in the 90th minute, extending Madrid's unbeaten run to 33 games. One week later, he scored another late goal, this time in the 92nd minute, to help Madrid claim a 3–2 victory against Deportivo La Coruña.


title: Sergio Ramos

text: On 15 January 2017, Ramos scored an own goal late in the game against Sevilla which levelled the scores at 1–1. Eventually Real Madrid lost the match 2–1 in stoppage time, thus ending their unbeaten streak at 40 matches. A week later, he scored both goals in a 2–1 win over Málaga, registering his 50th goal in La Liga. On 11 February, in a 3–1 victory against Osasuna, Ramos played his 500th match with the club. In the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg, Ramos scored an important equalizing header against Napoli in a 3–1 away win as Real Madrid qualified to the quarter-final after winning 6–2 on aggregate. On 12 March, Ramos scored another late header winner for Real Madrid, this time against Real Betis at the Santiago Bernabéu in a 2–1 win, taking his goal tally to 10 for the season – scoring double digit goals in a season for the first time in his career. Ramos' winner put Real Madrid back at the top of the La Liga table. On 23 April, Ramos was sent off for the 22nd time in his Real Madrid career and fifth time in an El Clásico, after a straight red card for a two-footed challenge on Lionel Messi during a Barcelona counter-attack in their 3–2 home defeat. Real Madrid won their 33rd La Liga title, giving Ramos his fourth league title overall and first as captain. They went on to win their first league and European Cup double since 1957–58 season, as the team defeated Juventus in the 2017 UEFA Champions League Final. This also made Ramos the first player to captain a team to back-to-back European Cups in the UEFA Champions League era. His ten goals in 2016–17 made it his then-highest scoring season.


title: Sergio Ramos

text: On 20 August 2017, in Real Madrid's first game of the 2017–18 La Liga, he received his 23rd career red card. It was his 18th in La Liga, a joint highest record. He went on to break that record, seeing his 19th La Liga red in a 0–0 draw with Athletic Bilbao. Ramos scored his first goal of the season on 13 September in the Champions League, scoring a bicycle kick against APOEL on match-day 1. In La Liga, Ramos scored four goals, including two penalties – against Leganes and Sevilla. During the 2017–18 UEFA Champions League, he made eleven appearances, while scoring one goal, when Madrid won their third consecutive and 13th overall Champions League title. Ramos' performance in the final, however, was met with criticism; a challenge on Mohamed Salah resulted in the Egyptian dislocating his shoulder and missing the rest of the game, and he hit Liverpool keeper Loris Karius in the head with his elbow, the goalkeeper later being diagnosed with concussion. Ramos later denied that he intentionally hit Karius, saying that Virgil van Dijk pushed him into Karius. Ramos became the first player to captain a team to three consecutive Champions League triumphs, having now lifted the Champions League in every season as captain.


title: Sergio Ramos

text: Ramos began the 2018–19 season scoring a penalty in an eventual 4–2 loss to Atlético Madrid in the 2018 UEFA Super Cup. Taking the penalty ensured Ramos would be the team's new penalty taker with the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo. On 26 August 2018, Ramos scored another penalty in Real Madrid's 4–1 away win against Girona, making him the only player along with Lionel Messi to score in each of the last 15 La Liga seasons. One week later, Ramos scored his third penalty of the season, against Leganes in a 4–1 win at the Santiago Bernabéu – his first goal at home since March 2017.


title: Sergio Ramos

text: On 20 October 2018, Ramos played his 400th La Liga match for Real Madrid in a 2–1 loss at home to Levante, becoming only the tenth Real Madrid player to reach this milestone. After a run of poor results and the sacking of Julen Lopetegui, Ramos scored his first goal for Real Madrid in two months through a Panenka, against Real Valladolid in Santiago Solari's first 2018–19 La Liga game in charge of "Los Blancos". Two weeks later, on 11 November, Ramos scored another Panenka against Celta Vigo – making them the 25th different team he scored against in La Liga. This was Ramos' third Panenka from his last four penalties, with the inventor of the penalty, Antonín Panenka, saying Ramos was the best 'imitator' of his penalty technique. With five goals in the first three months of the season, Ramos had his best goal-scoring start to a season at Real Madrid. In the 2018 FIFA Club World Cup, Ramos played in both Real Madrid's semi-final against Kashima Antlers and the final against Al Ain. Ramos scored a header in the final as Real Madrid won 3–1 to claim their third consecutive FIFA Club World Cup. Ramos became the first player to lift three consecutive FIFA Club World Cups while also becoming the first defender to score in two Club World Cup Finals.


title: Sergio Ramos

text: On 9 January 2019, Ramos scored a penalty in the Copa del Rey game against Leganés, which was his 100th career goal, excluding 2 goals for Sevilla's reserve team. To celebrate the goal, Ramos chose to show the number 100 with his fingers. On 24 January, Ramos scored a brace against Girona in the Copa del Rey quarter-final first leg in a 4–2 home win. It was Ramos' fourth brace for Real Madrid and his first in the Copa del Rey. Three days later, Ramos scored his 10th goal of the campaign with a header against Espanyol in a 4–2 away win, which was also his 60th La Liga goal. With ten goals to his name, Ramos equalled his highest-scoring season at Real Madrid which he set in 2016–17.


title: Sergio Ramos

text: On 6 February 2019, Sergio Ramos was playing in the Clásico for the 40th time. Three days later, in the Madrid Derby against Atlético Madrid, Ramos scored his eighth penalty of the season and his 11th goal in all competitions – making it his best goal-scoring season at Real Madrid. Four days later, in the 2–1 Champions League Round of 16 first leg away win over Ajax, Ramos became just the seventh player to play 600 matches for Real Madrid. In the match against Ajax, Ramos was booked for what seemed to be a needless challenge in the 90th minute. The booking meant that Ramos would miss the second leg against Ajax at the Santiago Bernabéu due a suspension of accumulating yellow cards. This sparked controversy after Ramos hinted to journalists in a post match interview that the yellow card was deliberate, which violates UEFA's rules. Two and a half weeks later, UEFA opened a disciplinary investigation regarding this matter and decided to give Ramos a two-game ban, meaning he will also miss both the Champions League Round of 16-second leg against Ajax and the quarter-final first leg were Real Madrid to qualify. Due to Real Madrid's elimination by Ajax, the suspension carried onto the next season and Ramos missed the first Champions League game of the 2019–20 season against Paris Saint-Germain.


title: Sergio Ramos

text: On 17 February, Ramos played his 601st match for Real Madrid, against Girona in La Liga, equalling the record of Real Madrid legends Fernando Hierro and Paco Gento. Ten days later, Ramos played in his 41st El Clásico, in the Copa del Rey semi-final second leg at home. This was Ramos' 602nd match for Real Madrid, taking up to him fifth in Real Madrid's all-time appearances list. On 2 March, Ramos played in the La Liga El Clásico at the Bernabéu, making him equal the all-time record of Paco Gento, Manolo Sanchís and Xavi by playing in 42 Clasicos. On 5 March, Real Madrid were eliminated from the Champions League by Ajax after being thrashed 4–1 at the Santiago Bernabéu (aggregate 5–3 for Ajax). Ramos did not feature due to being suspended after forcing a yellow card in the first leg, thus facing criticism for doing so. Moreover, Ramos faced even more criticism as he was caught with a camera crew in the stands, filming for his new Amazon Prime documentary. Ramos took to his Twitter and Instagram accounts to discuss the controversy surrounding his actions in which he admitted forcing the yellow card against Ajax in the first leg 'was an error and I take the blame 200%'. Regarding filming the documentary, Ramos claimed there were 'certain commitments' made prior and he did not imagine the game would pan out as it did. Ramos picked up a calf injury at the start of April which saw him miss the rest of the campaign and the final eight La Liga matches.


title: Sergio Ramos

text: Ramos' first goal of the season was a header in his first Champions League match of the campaign, against Club Brugge on 1 October at home. The goal came at a vital time as Real Madrid were 2–0 down by half-time but were able to make a comeback after another header by Casemiro. This was also Ramos' first Champions League goal in two seasons. On 30 October, Ramos scored from the penalty-spot in a 5–0 home victory over Leganés, continuing his run of scoring in 16 straight La Liga seasons, again equalling Messi. One week later, on 6 November, Ramos scored his first penalty in the Champions League, which came against Galatasaray in a 6–0 home win. It was another 'Panenka' style penalty and also meant that Ramos scored in two Champions League group matches in the same season for the first time. On 18 December, Ramos played in his 43rd El Clasico, claiming the all-time appearance record for this historic fixture.


title: Sergio Ramos

text: On 12 January 2020, Ramos scored the winning penalty in a shoot-out against Atletico Madrid in the Supercopa de España final in Jeddah as Real Madrid won 4–1 on penalties after a 0–0 draw after extra time. This was the first time in Ramos' career that he scored a winning penalty in a shoot-out. The 2020 Supercopa title was Ramos' 21st trophy with Real Madrid. A month later, Ramos scored another header in La Liga, this time away to Osasuna as Real Madrid won 4–1 to maintain top position in the table. Ramos' goal at El Sadar meant that he had scored in 20 different La Liga stadiums. This was Ramos' first La Liga goal of 2020, meaning he was the only player to score in La Liga in each of the last 17 calendar years – dating back to 2004.


title: Sergio Ramos

text: On 26 February 2020, Ramos equalled the record of red cards received in the UEFA Champions League. With four red cards, he shares the unwanted record with Zlatan Ibrahimović and Edgar Davids. This dismissal came in a 2–1 home defeat to Manchester City in the Round of 16 first leg, for a tactical foul on City striker Gabriel Jesus. Four days later, Ramos featured in Real Madrid's 2–0 win over Barcelona at home in La Liga to leapfrog them into first place. This was Ramos' 21st consecutive Clasico in all competitions and his 30th in La Liga with Real Madrid.


title: Sergio Ramos

text: When La Liga restarted after a three-month hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ramos scored in Real Madrid's first game back against Eibar on 14 June at the Alfredo di Stéfano Stadium in a 3–1 win. He also scored the first goal at this stadium in its inaugural match in May 2006. Ramos' goal began with him winning the ball back from Eibar's attack a few meters outside Madrid's own penalty area and ran 70 meters across the pitch to find the pass from Eden Hazard to score his first La Liga goal from open play in over five years. On 21 June, Ramos scored a penalty for Real Madrid in their 2–1 win against Real Sociedad at the Anoeta, which was the 20th consecutive penalty he converted for club and country (including shoot-outs). Three days later, Ramos scored a free-kick against in a 2–0 win over Mallorca at the Alfredo di Stefano to become La Liga's all-time highest scoring defender with 68 goals, surpassing Ronald Koeman's 67 with Barcelona. Ramos' free-kick was also his eighth La Liga goal of the season, making it his most prolific league campaign to date and his tenth in all competitions – hitting double figures for a third season. On 28 June, Ramos featured in the 1–0 away league win against Espanyol, heading the ball down right outside the Espanyol penalty area to Karim Benzema who eventually assisted Casemiro to score the winner right before half-time. This was Ramos' 645th match for Madrid, moving him up to fourth in the club's all-time most appearances list joint with Santillana. On 2 July, Ramos scored his fifteenth consecutive penalty for Real Madrid in the 79th minute which proved to be the winner in a narrow 1–0 home win against Getafe – opening up a four-point advantage at the top of La Liga. This was Ramos' ninth league goal of the season – equaling the record set by Argentine international defender Ezequiel Garay in 2006-07 while playing for Racing Santander for a defender with the most goals in a single La Liga season. The penalty against Getafe meant that Ramos had equalled his best goal scoring season (11 goals) which was set last season. Ramos had now scored in four out of six of Madrid's matches since the restart, more than any other player. Moreover, the goal was his 100th career club goal, and his 70th in La Liga. The win over Getafe was Ramos' 450th La Liga appearance as a Real Madrid player, becoming just the fifth player to reach this milestone. Three days later, he scored another penalty – his 22nd in a row, and his tenth goal of the season in La Liga – in a 1–0 away win over Athletic Bilbao. He also became the first centre-back to score 10 goals in a La Liga season since Fernando Hierro during the 1993–94 season. On 19 July, Ramos scored his eleventh league goal in Real Madrid's last La Liga game of the season against Leganes in an eventual 2–2 draw, making it his most prolific season in White with 13 goals across all competitions. At the end of the season, Ramos won his fifth league title with Los Blancos and Real Madrid's 34th overall.


title: Sergio Ramos

text: On 27 September 2020, Ramos opened his goal count for the season after netting the winning goal against Real Betis from the penalty spot at Benito Villamarín in a 3–2 league win. One month later on 24 October in El Clasico, Ramos earned and converted a penalty at the Camp Nou in a 3–1 league win – this was his 25th consecutive penalty goal for both club and country (including shoot-outs). Ramos' fifth El Clasico goal equaled the record of Ronald Koeman (who was in the other dugout as manager) as the defenders with the most goals in this historic fixture. This was also Ramos' 31st consecutive La Liga Clasico, meaning he has not missed one since joining Los Blancos in 2005 – equalling Raúl and Paco Gento as the players who played in the most league Clasicos. Three days later, Ramos played his first Champions League match of the season against Borussia Mönchengladbach, assisting Casemiro's 93rd minute equaliser in a 2–2 draw. This was Ramos' 16th Champions League campaign with Real Madrid, equalling the record of club legend, and former captain and teammate Iker Casillas. On 31 October, Ramos became just the 10th player to play 500 La Liga matches (461 for Real Madrid and 39 for Sevilla), as Madrid beat Huesca 4–1 at the Alfredo Di Stefano Stadium. On 3 November, Ramos scored his 100th goal for Real Madrid in all competitions, in a 3–2 win over Inter Milan in the Champions League.


title: Sergio Ramos

text: On 14 January, Ramos reportedly took four pain killer injections to his left knee to play against Athletic Bilbao in the 2020–21 Supercopa de España semi-final which Real Madrid went on to lose 2–1. This was the last match Ramos would play before opting for a mid-season surgery for the first time in his career for a torn meniscus in his left knee. He was expected to be out for two months and to return in early April, but after a speedy recovery, Ramos started against Elche on 13 March – just over a month after he went under the knife. Real Madrid's 2–1 win over Elche was Ramos' 334th La Liga win (315 with Real Madrid and 19 with Sevilla), equalling the record of Iker Casillas as the players with second–most wins in the Spanish top flight – only behind Messi. Four days later, Ramos played in a Champions League round of 16-second leg for the first time in three years as Real Madrid went on to defeat Atalanta 3–1 at the Alfredo di Stefano (5–3 on aggregate) and qualified for the quarter-finals for the first time since their last Champions League winning campaign in 2018. Ramos scored his 19th consecutive penalty for Madrid in the 60th minute which killed the game, before coming off as a substitute. This was Ramos' 15th Champions League goal, equalling Gerard Piqué and former teammate Iván Helguera as the second highest scoring defenders in the history of the competition – with only former teammate Roberto Carlos ahead of them. Due to an injury, Ramos missed his first El Clásico since joining Los Blancos, putting an end to a streak of playing in 31 consecutive league Clásicos. He later missed the second leg of the Champions League quarter-finals against Liverpool, as he tested positive for COVID-19, although he was also injured. On 5 May, in the Champions League semi-final second leg against Chelsea, his side lost 2–0 and were eliminated from the competition; however, he then sustained an injury in his left hamstring which forced him to miss the rest of the season; this meant he had played his last game for Real Madrid. Ramos played just 21 matches for Los Blancos in 2020–21, making it his most injury-riddled season, after having played at least 33 matches in each of his previous 15 campaigns at the club.


title: Sergio Ramos

text: On 16 June, Real Madrid announced that Ramos would leave the club after 16 years. During his farewell event on the next day, Ramos, who had initially asked for a two-year offer, mentioned that he accepted a one-year contract renewal with a salary reduction; however, the offer had expired without his knowledge.


title: Sergio Ramos

text: On 8 July 2021, it was announced that Ramos had signed a two-year contract with Paris Saint-Germain. He chose to wear the number 4 jersey, with Thilo Kehrer switching to the number 24 shirt. Ramos remarked: "I am quite superstitious about it and I love the number 4 because I have worn that number since the start of my career and it has followed me throughout my career and my life, bringing with me much luck and many victories." During the medical examination required to complete the signing, the medical staff at PSG were reported to be impressed by his seriousness and physique, whilst the medical results were noted to be excellent and incredible. The staff compared Ramos' physique to that of a 25-year-old (he was 35 at the time).


title: Sergio Ramos

text: Due to a series of injury problems, Ramos made his first appearance in a matchday squad for PSG ahead of a Champions League group stage game against Manchester City on 24 November 2021. He made his debut four days later in a 3–1 league victory over Saint-Étienne. On 23 January 2022, Sergio scored his debut goal for the club, helping PSG to beat Reims 4–0 in a home league match. Ramos won the 2021–22 Ligue 1 in his first season at the club.


title: Sergio Ramos

text: PSG started the 2022–23 season by winning the 2022 Trophée des Champions in Tel Aviv, in which Ramos scored a goal in a 4–0 win over Nantes.


title: Sergio Ramos

text: In 2004, Ramos became an instant hit for Spain's under-19, for whom he played six international matches. During the 2004 U19 Euro, Ramos was a key figure for Spain as he started in four out of five of their matches on the way to winning their second U19 European Championship, including scoring a decisive penalty in the Semi-final penalty-shoot out against Ukraine. On 26 March 2005, in a 3–0 friendly win over China in Salamanca, he first appeared for the senior side at only 18 years and 361 days of age, making him the youngest player to play for the national team in the last 55 years. He held this record until 1 March 2006, when it was broken by Cesc Fàbregas in a friendly match against Côte d'Ivoire.


title: Sergio Ramos

text: On 12 October 2005, Ramos scored his first two international goals in a 6–0 away thrashing of San Marino for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. He was selected for the final stages in Germany and, after the international retirement of Real Madrid teammate Míchel Salgado, became the undisputed first-choice right-back. Despite wearing the number 4 jersey for Real Madrid, Ramos admitted he wears the number 15 for Spain in memory of his close friend and former Sevilla teammate Puerta, who died in August 2007 and made his Spain debut wearing No. 15.


title: Sergio Ramos

text: Throughout Spain's UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying campaign, Ramos was a regular member of the starting eleven as the national side finished first in its group, above Sweden. He scored two goals, including one in a 3–1 away win over Denmark, in 11 appearances. In the tournament's final stages, Ramos played in all matches and minutes, except the 2–1 group stage win against Greece. In the final, his pass nearly set up Marcos Senna's first international goal, but the latter missed his opportunity by inches. During the celebrations after the 1–0 defeat of Germany, he wore a T-shirt in honour of his late friend Puerta.


title: Sergio Ramos

text: Ramos was selected in the squad for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa, as Spain finished in third.


title: Sergio Ramos

text: On 3 June 2010, he captained Spain for the first time, in a 1–0 friendly win over South Korea in Innsbruck, Austria.


title: Sergio Ramos

text: At the 2010 World Cup, held in the same country, Ramos played every minute of the tournament as a right back, helping Spain keep five clean sheets and reach the final, which they won 1–0 against the Netherlands; he topped the tournament's Castrol Performance Index with a score of 9.79. Despite playing at right-back, he also completed more solo runs than any other player in the tournament, 31.


title: Sergio Ramos

text: Ramos returned to the heart of the defence for Euro 2012. When asked about his role change, he replied: "I have adapted and feel comfortable in the middle, but I am a World and European champion at right-back". He played all the games in Poland and Ukraine alongside Barcelona's Gerard Piqué and, in the semi-finals against Portugal, he converted his penalty shootout attempt in an eventual 4–2 win (0–0 after 120 minutes), scoring for the eventual champions in Panenka-style. On 1 July, Ramos won his third trophy with the Spanish senior National Team as they thrashed Italy 4–0 in the Final. Ramos' performances during the Euro earned him a place in the Team of The Tournament. Ramos wore another T-shirt during Spain's Euro 2012 celebrations to pay homage to his late friend Puerta.


title: Sergio Ramos

text: On 22 March 2013, Ramos celebrated his 100th cap by opening the scoring in a 1–1 draw with Finland in Gijón for the 2014 World Cup qualifiers. He became the youngest European player ever to reach that figure in the process, surpassing Germany's Lukas Podolski. In June, Ramos contested in the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil, starting every match as Spain lost to the hosts in the final. He captained the side for their second group game, a 10–0 win over Tahiti at the Maracanã, which is the biggest win of his career. On 30 June, he missed a penalty kick in the 3–0 Confederations Cup Final loss to Brazil.


title: Sergio Ramos

text: Ramos was selected for his third World Cup in 2014. He played the full 90 minutes of each of the team's matches in Brazil, each with a different partner in central defence, as the reigning champions were eliminated from the group stage.


title: Sergio Ramos

text: In February 2016, Ramos won the Luis Aragonés Award by Marca which distinguished him as the best player of the national team in the past year. With David de Gea selected ahead of Iker Casillas in Spain's starting line-up, Ramos captained the team at UEFA Euro 2016. On 21 June 2016, he had a penalty kick saved by Danijel Subašić in a 2–1 loss to Croatia. Spain finished their Euro group as runners-up and crashed out in the Round of 16 against Italy.


title: Sergio Ramos

text: On 23 March 2018, days before turning 32, Ramos earned his 150th cap for Spain in a 1–1 friendly draw with Germany in Düsseldorf. Only Iker Casillas had previously reached the mark for the team.


title: Sergio Ramos

text: Ramos was included in the Spain squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup and would go into his fourth tournament, and first World Cup as Captain after Iker Casillas missed out. He played in all three of Spain's Group stage matches as they topped the 'Group of Death' ahead of European Champions Portugal. In the Round of 16 against Russia, Ramos believed he scored the opening goal but it was later credited as an Sergei Ignashevich own goal. The match ended 1–1 after extra time and was decided on penalties (4–3) as the hosts eliminated La Roja. Ramos scored Spain's fourth penalty but it wasn't enough as teammates Koke and Aspas both had their penalties saved.


title: Sergio Ramos

text: With new coach Luis Enrique, Ramos retained captaincy of the national team. He played in all four of Spain's 2018–19 UEFA Nations League group matches, becoming the nation's top scorer in the group with three goals – scoring once against England and twice against Croatia. Spain finished second in their UEFA Nations League Group, which saw them miss out on the 2019 UEFA Nations League Finals. In March 2019, Ramos scored the winner in Spain's first UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying match against Norway through another Panenka penalty in a 2–1 win. This was his tenth penalty of the season, scoring them all. It was also his fifth consecutive match scoring for Spain, which is a personal record. Spain manager Enrique hailed Ramos as a 'unique player in history' after the match.


title: Sergio Ramos

text: In the second Euro 2020 qualification match, away to Malta, Ramos did not score for the first time in six matches for Spain – failing to extend his scoring streak. However, the match ended 2–0 to Spain which was his 121st win with La Roja, equaling the all-time record of Iker Casillas. On 7 June 2019, Ramos broke the record of most international victories with 122, following a 4–1 victory against the Faroe Islands, scoring Spain's opening goal in the process. Three days later, ahead of the match against Sweden, Ramos received a plaque from the Spanish Football Federation to commemorate his record. The match ended with a 3–0 win for Spain, where he scored the first goal and extended his tally to 123 international victories. On 5 September 2019, Ramos scored from a penalty kick his 21st international goal to open the score in Spain's 2–1 away win over Romania in a Euro 2020 qualifier, which made him the joint 10th top scorer in the history of the national team, alongside Míchel. On 8 September, Ramos won his 167th cap for Spain in a 4–0 home win over the Faroe Islands in a Euro 2020 qualifier; with this appearance, he equaled Iker Casillas as Spain's most capped player of all time. On 12 October 2019, he became the nation's sole most capped player.


title: Sergio Ramos

text: On 6 September 2020, Ramos scored a brace in a 4–0 win over Ukraine for the 2020–21 UEFA Nations League, reaching 23 international goals and equaling Alfredo Di Stéfano as Spain's eighth-highest all-time goalscorer. On 14 November 2020, in a 1–1 draw against Switzerland, he made his 177th appearance for Spain and overtook Gianluigi Buffon's record for the most international caps received by a European player.


title: Sergio Ramos

text: Ramos was excluded from the squad for UEFA Euro 2020, following an injury-plagued season. His omission marked the first major tournament since Euro 2004 where he was not called for the national team, ending a run of featuring in ten consecutive tournaments.


title: Sergio Ramos

text: Regarded as one of the best defenders in the world, and of all time, Ramos is a physically strong player who excels in the air due to his elevation, eye for goal, and heading accuracy, making him a goal threat on set-pieces; he is also a competent and aggressive tackler. In addition to his defensive skills and goal scoring ability, he is gifted with pace, and is comfortable on the ball, possessing good technical ability, as well as good distribution, passing, and crossing ability, which allows him to carry the ball forward, switch the play with long balls, or play out from the back on the ground. According to Spanish sports newspaper "Marca", FIFA's official records confirmed that in 2015, Ramos was clocked at a sprinting speed of 30.6 kilometers per hour, making him one of the fastest footballers in the world at the time. He is also an accurate penalty taker, and is known for often using the Panenka technique when taking them. He has also been known to take free kicks, courtesy of his ability to bend the ball and his powerful striking ability from distance.


title: Sergio Ramos

text: Ramos has earned plaudits for his leadership, athleticism, technical prowess, and his ability to excel both offensively and defensively, as well as his versatility, which allows him to be deployed as a centre-back and as a full-back; in his youth, he often played as a right-back, while he later established himself as a centre-back as his career progressed. Due to his wide range of skills, his former Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has compared him to legendary defender Paolo Maldini; he went on to describe him as "the best defender in the world at the moment" in 2014, a view which was echoed by Giorgio Chiellini in 2020. Ramos has also occasionally been deployed as a central or defensive midfielder, in particular under Ancelotti during the 2014–15 season. Ramos has been praised for his decisive performances in important games, most notably for Real Madrid, due to his tendency to score crucial goals for his team, and is considered by several pundits to be one of the most reliable performers in high-pressure situations. However, despite his ability as a defender, his tactical sense, consistency, and concentration from match to match have been questioned at times by pundits and other footballing figures, who have accused him of being too impulsive in his challenges or prone to occasional defensive errors throughout the course of a season.


title: Sergio Ramos

text: Ramos is also often criticised in the media for using excessive, reckless force while playing, as well as for his lack of discipline and tendency to pick-up an excessive number of unnecessary cards; he has also been accused of diving.


title: Sergio Ramos

text: Ramos holds multiple disciplinary records, for Real Madrid, in the Champions League, La Liga, "El Clásico", and in the Spain national team.


title: Sergio Ramos

text: Ramos holds the record for most carded player in La Liga, with 191 cards. His 171 yellow cards surpass Alberto Lopo, the former record holder for La Liga yellow cards. The remaining 20 are red cards, making Ramos the most sent-off player in La Liga as well. His La Liga card record is higher than any other player's in the major European leagues, making him the most booked player in all major European top divisions.


title: Sergio Ramos

text: In the Champions League, Ramos has amassed 40 yellow cards and 4 red cards (3 of which were straight red cards), making him both the most-carded player and joint-most red-carded player in Champions League history.


title: Sergio Ramos

text: Lastly, Ramos also holds the record for being the most carded player in the history of the Spanish national team, with 24 yellow cards.


title: Sergio Ramos

text: Ramos entered in a relationship with journalist/presenter Pilar Rubio in September 2012. This was confirmed by both at the FIFA Ballon d'Or. They have four sons together. On 16 July 2018, Ramos and Rubio got engaged. The couple married in his hometown of Seville on 15 June 2019.


title: Sergio Ramos

text: Ramos has been described as a 'family person' and has a close relationship with his siblings and parents. Rene, Ramos's brother, is currently his football agent. Ramos is a fan of bullfighting and he is a personal friend of matador Alejandro Talavante. He celebrated victories for both club and country by playing with a matador's cape. Ramos is also a keen horse aficionado, owning a stud farm in his native Andalusia specifically dedicated to the breeding of the Andalusian horse. Ramos' horse, 'Yucatán SR4' became a World Champion in 2018.


title: Sergio Ramos

text: Ramos has more than 42 tattoos, including Jesus and Mary, Star of David in honour of his grandmother, Nena, who gave a pendant of the same design to his mother; in addition, he also has tattoos of a lion, wolf, dreamcatcher, map of Spain, Native American chief, hamsa, FIFA World Cup and Champions League trophies, his family members, among others.


title: Sergio Ramos

text: In January 2019, Amazon Prime and Ramos himself announced they will release an eight-episode documentary series on Ramos' life on and off the pitch known as "El Corazón de Sergio Ramos" ("The Heart of Sergio Ramos"). This would be the first ever time the public would see the personal side of Ramos and his family. On 5 March, during Real Madrid's Champions League Round of 16 second leg match, Ramos was suspended and watched the match from his VIP area in the stands. His reactions were filmed by the Amazon Prime crew. This sparked controversy as Real Madrid lost the match and were eliminated from the Champions League, though Ramos suggested on his social media networks that there were "certain commitments made and it never remotely went through my head that the game could have turned out as it did".


title: Sergio Ramos

text: Due to the success of his first docu-series with Amazon, Ramos announced in June 2020 via his social media accounts that Amazon Prime will be releasing another documentary known as "La Leyenda Sergio Ramos" ("The Legend of Sergio Ramos"), which highlights his career's most defining moments. It was released in Spain in April 2021 and will be release world-wide in June and consists of six episodes.


title: Skyfall

text: Skyfall is a 2012 spy film and the twenty-third in the "James Bond" series produced by Eon Productions. The film is the third to star Daniel Craig as fictional MI6 agent James Bond and features Javier Bardem as Raoul Silva, the villain, with Judi Dench returning as M. Directed by Sam Mendes and written by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, and John Logan, the film has Bond investigating a series of targeted data leaks and co-ordinated attacks on MI6 led by Raoul Silva. It sees the return of two recurring characters, Miss Moneypenny (played by Naomie Harris) and Q (played by Ben Whishaw), after an absence of two films. Ralph Fiennes, Bérénice Marlohe and Albert Finney are among the supporting cast.


title: Skyfall

text: Mendes was approached to direct after the release of "Quantum of Solace" in 2008. Development of the film was suspended throughout 2010 after Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM) filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, which caused screenwriter Peter Morgan to leave the project. Production resumed in December 2010 after Purvis, Wade, and Logan were hired and a November 2012 release date was announced in January 2011. Principal photography began that November after the film's title was revealed and lasted until March 2012, with filming locations including London, Shanghai, Istanbul, and Scotland.


title: Skyfall

text: "Skyfall" premiered at the Royal Albert Hall on 23 October 2012, and was released theatrically in conventional and IMAX formats in the United Kingdom three days later and in the United States on 9 November, to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the first "James Bond" film "Dr. No" (1962). "Skyfall" received praise for Mendes's direction, cast performances, action sequences, cinematography, and musical score. The film was nominated for five awards at the 85th Academy Awards, winning two, and received numerous other accolades. "Skyfall" grossed $1 billion worldwide, the fourteenth film to do so, and became the then-seventh-highest grossing film of all time, the highest-grossing "James Bond" film, the second-highest grossing film of 2012, and the then-highest grossing film released by Sony or MGM. The next film in the series, "Spectre", was released in 2015.


title: Skyfall

text: In Istanbul, MI6 agents James Bond and Eve Moneypenny pursue mercenary Patrice, who has stolen a hard drive containing details of undercover agents. As Bond and Patrice fight atop a moving train, M orders Moneypenny to shoot Patrice, despite not having a clear shot; Moneypenny inadvertently hits Bond, who falls into a river. Bond is presumed dead and Patrice escapes with the hard drive.


title: Skyfall

text: Three months later, due to a public inquiry into M's handling of the stolen hard drive, she is pressured to retire by Gareth Mallory, the chairman of the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament and a former SAS officer. Although she claims she is still useful, MI6's servers are hacked, and M receives a taunting computer message moments before the MI6 building explodes. Bond, who used his presumed death to retire, learns of the attack and returns to service in London. He fails a series of physical, medical, and psychological examinations, but M approves his return to the field, ordering him to identify Patrice's employer, recover the hard drive, and kill Patrice. He meets Q, MI6's new quartermaster, who gives him a radio beacon and a Walther PPK pistol.


title: Skyfall

text: In Shanghai, Bond follows Patrice but is unable to prevent him killing a target. The two fight and Patrice falls to his death before Bond can learn his employer's identity. Moneypenny joins Bond in his investigation on orders from Mallory. Bond finds a casino token Patrice intended to cash in for the assassination, leading him to a casino in Macau. There, Bond is approached by Sévérine, Patrice's accomplice. Recognising her tattoo, he concludes she was a sex slave "rescued" by a criminal who now employs her, a man Bond wishes to meet. She warns him he is targeted by her bodyguards, but promises to help if Bond kills her employer. Bond thwarts the attack and joins Sévérine on her yacht, the "Chimera". They travel to an abandoned island off the coast of Macau, where the crew captures and delivers them to Sévérine's employer, Raoul Silva. Once an MI6 agent, Silva turned to cyberterrorism and orchestrated the attack on MI6. Silva kills Sévérine, but Bond alerts MI6 reinforcements who capture Silva for rendition to Britain.


title: Skyfall

text: At MI6's new underground headquarters, Q attempts to decrypt Silva's laptop, but inadvertently gives it access to the MI6 servers, allowing Silva to escape. Q concludes Silva wanted to be captured as part of a plan to kill M, whom he hates for disavowing and betraying him to the Chinese government in 1997, leaving him to be tortured and disfigured by a suicide attempt by cyanide pill. Silva escapes his cell and Bond chases him through the London Underground and thwarts Silva's attack at a Parliament inquiry where M is present.


title: Skyfall

text: Instructing Q and Bill Tanner to leave an electronic trail for Silva to follow, Bond uses his Aston Martin DB5 to take M to Skyfall, his childhood home in the Scottish Highlands. They meet Skyfall's gamekeeper Kincade, and together the trio set up a series of booby traps throughout the house. When Silva's men arrive, Bond, M, and Kincade kill most of them, but M is wounded. Silva arrives by helicopter with more men and heavy weapons, so Bond sends M and Kincade through a priest hole to hide in a nearby chapel, and rigs propane tanks to explode. As the house and the helicopter are destroyed, Bond escapes down the same tunnel.


title: Skyfall

text: Silva survives the destruction of the house, following Kincade and M to the chapel. Confronting M, Silva forces his gun into her hand and presses his temple to hers, begging her to kill them both. Bond arrives and kills Silva by throwing a knife into his back. M then succumbs to her wounds and dies in Bond's arms.


title: Skyfall

text: Following M's funeral, Moneypenny formally introduces herself to Bond and tells him she is retiring from fieldwork to become secretary for Mallory, the newly appointed M. Bond meets with Mallory, and tells him he is ready to get back to work.


title: Skyfall

text: Development of "Bond 23" began in 2009 but was suspended throughout 2010 because of MGM's financial troubles. Preproduction resumed following MGM's exit from bankruptcy on 21 December 2010, and in January 2011, the film was officially given a release date of 9 November 2012 by MGM and the Broccoli family, with production scheduled to start in late 2011. Subsequently, MGM and Sony Pictures announced that the UK release date would be brought forward to 26 October 2012, two weeks ahead of the US release date, which remained scheduled for 9 November 2012. The film's budget is estimated to have been between US$ and $, compared to the $ spent on "Quantum of Solace". "Skyfall" was part of year-long celebrations of the 50th anniversary of "Dr. No" and the Bond film series. According to producer Michael G. Wilson, a documentary crew was scheduled to follow production of the film to celebrate the anniversary.


title: Skyfall

text: After the release of "Quantum of Solace" in 2008, producer Barbara Broccoli commented that "Skyfall", untitled at the time, may continue the plot of the Quantum organisation, introduced in "Casino Royale" and continued in "Quantum of Solace".


title: Skyfall

text: In August 2011, the Serbian newspaper "Blic" stated that "Bond 23" would be titled "Carte Blanche" and would be an adaptation of the recent continuation novel by Jeffery Deaver. On 30 August, Eon Productions officially denied any link between "Bond 23" and "Carte Blanche", stating that "the new film is not going to be called "Carte Blanche" and will have nothing to do with the Jeffery Deaver book". On 3 October 2011, fifteen domain names including ' and ' were reported to have been registered on behalf of MGM and Sony Pictures by Internet brand-protection service MarkMonitor. "Skyfall" was confirmed as the title at a press conference on 3 November 2011, during which co-producer Barbara Broccoli said that the title "has some emotional context which will be revealed in the film". The title refers to the name of Bond's childhood home, "Skyfall", and the setting for the film's finale.