Have you ever watched a Real Madrid game and thought, “Man, these guys move like racehorses?” Well, I have - probably because I went from watching the Kentucky Derby to watching their Champions League game with Arsenal.
It might be a ridiculous question, but what if we took the Real Madrid squad and turned them into thoroughbred horses?
This isn’t just a fun experiment, but a trial that will allow us to see their speed, stamina, and starpower, and in which scenario they will be the best. So, let’s make a strange bridge from football to horse racing, and try to highlight some of their top players and their horsepower.
Vinícius Jr.
We obviously start with the star of each game, Vinicius Jr., who is a player who is in charge of sprinting forward and waiting for that counterattack. He is very fast, so if we put him in the world of horses, he’d be something like a Thoroughbred horse like the Secretariat. He was clocked running at 36 km/h, which may be slower than the Secretariat (the fastest horse that the world has ever seen), but it is very close.
He is one of the fastest players in the Real Madrid squad, but his speed isn’t his only advantage. He is also very agile, and he is able to dodge defenders quite easily.
Vinicius Jr. reminds me of a Dayjur-type horse, which is a thoroughbred with fast-twitch muscle fibers that allow the horse to have bursts of power, resulting in incredible acceleration and top speed.
However, in order to get the most out of Vinicius Jr., you’ll need a jockey to pace him. He is very talented, but nobody can prosper alone, especially not in the world of football. So, he can initiate the counterattack, but then he needs someone else to pass the ball to who will finish the job.
So, if there is a race between all Real Madrid players, I’d put my money on Vinicius or Mbappe, who has a higher top speed, but slower acceleration.
Federico Valverde
Some horses are good for short sprints, while others are built for marathons. We have Fede Valverde, who has been one of the most consistent players in the Real Madrid squad.
Although it doesn’t look like it, Valverde is also very fast, even faster than Vinicius, as records suggest clocking 36.3 km/h. But he doesn’t have that burst of energy and fast acceleration, which is very important for outrunning opponents.
Instead, he is more focused on staying consistent and having enough strength and speed through the 90 minutes of each game.
If we compare him to the world of horses, he is much like Erankel, a legend with stamina to grind out two-mile classics without any issue. Just like racehorses, he always keeps a steady gallop and doesn’t have many burnouts throughout a match.
He is also quiet and doesn’t have all the spotlights shining on him like Mbappe, but definitely a person who can score goals and surprise everyone. Valverde is kind of an underdog horse that you bet on for the big win.
These underdog horses usually result in big payouts, ones that you’ll need a calculator to figure out how much money you’ll win. So, if you are into underdog betting, you should use a proper horse racing betting calculator like the link below: https://www.twinspires.com/wagertypes/
Jude Bellingham
Jude Bellingham’s got it all—pace, power, and swagger—so as a racehorse, he’d be a versatile champ, like Secretariat with a knack for any distance. His 31.3 km/h sprints and 10.8 km game coverage show he’s fast and tireless, starting 98% of Real’s 2024 matches.
So, he is not the fastest player in the squad, but a reliable player who you always know will get the job done. In the equine world, speed isn’t the most important thing. Sometimes, you need a heart and determination like Bellingham that will push the team to its limits.
Kylian Mbappé
Kylian Mbappé is obviously the star of the Real Madrid squad, and despite his hat-trick against Barcelona at the El Clásico, they’ve lost the game. However, there is no denying that he is one of the best players in the world at the moment.
He is extremely agile and very fast, racing 38 km/h, which is almost as close as racehorses. In the world of racehorses, he’d be the favorite in each race with all the betting action going to his name.
However, his stamina is questionable, since we can spot a decrease in performance after the 70-minute mark. So, in the world of racehorses, Mbappe will start to lag behind the competitors in the last stretch of the race.
So, if Real Madrid stars swapped their boots for hooves, they’ll light up the track. To be honest, these incredible athletes run for 10km in a match quite easily, which means that they can also outperform thoroughbred horses in a long enough race.
