On March 14, 2019, Real Madrid announced the signing of Brazilian Center Back éder Militão with a six -year contract, with a reimbursement of € 50 million to Porto. After forced his time on the edge of the first team under Zinedine Zidane, 15 and 14 performances in La Liga in 2019-20-20 and 2020-21, Militao would come to the fore as an essential figure under the supervision of Carlo Ancelotti. The versatile defender successfully filled the emptiness of Raphael Varane and Sergio Ramos, who joined Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain, and committed his claim as one of the best defenders in world football.
In collaboration with new arrival David Alaba in Central Defense, Militao flourished when Real Madrid flourished the league title of the grip of Atletico Madrid, while again he received a Champions League title. No longer a rotation option that filled in when Ramos and Varane were injured, Militao was one of the first names on the team magazine and continued his impressive versions in the 2022-23 season.
All signs pointed that he continued his stellar displays and entered the footsteps of Marcelo, Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos and Casemiro and the next Brazilian legend in Real Madrid. In the opening match of the 2023-24 season against Athletic Club, however, Militao denounced his left knee and tore his front cruciate ligament. Alaba and starting goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois would later come to the treatment table with ACL injuries, but that did not stop from claiming another La Liga and Champions League Double under Ancelotti.
Although he was expected to be absent for 10 months, after just over seven months, Militao returned on the sidelines for the home investigation, gradually in the side and started alongside Marquinhos in the Copa America campaign in Brazil. Although he missed the decisive fine in their shootout loss for Uruguay, he gave an impressive report of himself in the US. He started the 2024-25 season on the right, combined with Antonio Rudiger in Central Defense in a 2-0 win against Atalanta in the UEFA Supercup.
In addition to the experienced German defender, Militao showed signs of return to his best, opening the score in the Madrid Derby and presenting his wonderful physicality and excellent expectations. However, the unthinkable happened on November 9. After only half an hour played in a 4-0 win against Osasuna, Militao was stretched again with a knee injury. The diagnosis? A complete tear of the ACL in his right leg.
After a difficult recovery process and a long spell on the sidelines, Militao was back to AF. The 27-year-old gradually worked his way back before he returned for the FIFA Club World Cup and stayed on the couch for their knockout round races against Juventus and Borussia Dortmund before he finally returned to action on ninth July.
With Paris Saint-Germain cruising to victory and for 3-0 ahead in the semi-final, Xabi Alonso decided to suppress Raul Asencio in the 64th minute Militao. Although he was unable to inspire a comeback, he came forward as one of the few clear places of Real, who registered three tackles and one subordination, including one last man tackle, collecting two shots (one on goal), won three of the three ground dubes and 10 from the top of one from one out of one long balls).
Speaking with football Espana after the game, Militao admitted: “The ACL injury was a very difficult time for me. I worked very hard to come at the moment, to receive these opportunities and to help the team somehow. I am happy to help them.”
Militao has already proven that he can be one of the best center-backs in world football, but after back-to-back ACL injuries to both knees, can he prove that he needs what is needed to stay fit in the course of a season? Both Alonso and Ancelotti will certainly hope that Militao's injury problems are a thing of the past if he is preparing for the 2025-26 season.