Alfredo Di Stefano: Career, Family, Stats and Net Worth
Alfredo Di Stefano Laulhé, was regarded as one of the greatest players of all time and a legend of Spanish football, known for his wonderful balance and poise and was best known for his achievements with Real Madrid. He helped Los Blancos dominate Europe in the early 1950s.
Born on July 4, 1926, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, De Stefano represented three national teams during his stint as a professional footballer. Following his retirement from competitive football, he ventured into coaching as his deep understanding of the game made him a natural fit for management. His coaching career never reached the heights as his playing career but will always be remembered as one of the greatest to grace the beautiful game of football.
Alfredo Di Stefano Bio
- Full Name: Alfredo Stéfano Di Stéfano Laulhé
- Date of Birth: July 4, 1926
- Place of Birth: Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Professional Debut: 1945
- Teams: River Plate, Millonarios, Real Madrid, Espanyol
- Position: Forward
Alfredo Di Stefano Career and Stats
River Plate
Like many athletes of his time, Alfredo Di Stefano grew up playing football in the streets and made his first-team debut for Argentina-based club River Plate on 15 July 1945 at the age of 19. He became a part of the infamous River Plate attacking lineup which included the likes of Jose Manuel Moreno, Felix Loustau and Adolfo Pedernerra. In his four-year spell with the club, Di Stefano won the Argentine Primera Division in 1945 and 1947 and netted 55 goals in 75 appearances for the club.
Millonarios
Following his successful spell with River Plate, Di Stefano moved to Colombian side Millonarios during the ‘El Dorado’ era. The Bogota-based club was competing in the high-paying Colombian professional league which was paying high salaries to lure top players from around the world. In his four-year stint with the Colombian club, Di Stefano led the side to three league titles in 1949, 1951 and 1952 and also won the 1953 Colombia Cup. During his time with the Millonarios, he bagged 93 goals in 111 appearances and was the league’s top scorer for two consecutive seasons.
Real Madrid
Di Stefano joined Real Madrid in the summer of 1953 and made his debut on 27 September after a complex transfer battle involving his former clubs River Plate and Millonarios. His arrival at Santiago Bernabeu marked the most significant and celebrated period of Real Madrid’s history. He played with the likes of Ferenc Puskás, Raymond Kopa, and Gento in the central forward position and helped Real Madrid establish itself as one of the biggest clubs in the world. In his 11 seasons with the club, De Stefano won 8 La Liga titles, five European cups and one Copa del Rey. De Stefano was the winner of the Ballon d’Or trophy in 1957 and 1959 and also won the Pichichi Trophy a whopping five times. For 11 years until 1964, Di Stefano led the team to glory in both Spain and European competitions and is still the fourth-highest goalscorer in the club’s history with 308 goals in 396 official games.
ALSO READ: Sergio Ramos: Life, Clubs, Career, Stats and Net Worth
Espanyol
His spell with Espanyol was an important chapter in his player career. After 11 illustrious years with Real Madrid, Di Stefano moved to the Catalan club at the age of 38 effectively the final stage of his professional career. In his two seasons with the club, De Stefano scored 14 goals in 60 appearances exhibiting a steep decline in his goal-scoring rate due to his age. But, his presence helped mentor younger players and significantly raised the profile of the club. As he was no longer at the peak of his powers, he retired from professional football at the age of 40 following the conclusion of the 1965-66 season.
International Career
The Real Madrid legend had one of the most unique and complex international careers, as he represented three different national teams during his playing career. Di Stefano played six games for Argentina, making his debut in 1947 and helped them win the South American Championship. During his time playing at Millonarios, he made four guest appearances for the unofficial Colombian national team which were deemed unofficial and were not recognized by FIFA.
After gaining Spain citizenship in 1956, Stefano played his first match for La Roja against the Netherlands on 30 January 1957. He played 31 official matches for Spain and scored 23 goals. Despite his individual brilliance, Di Stefano never managed to participate in a FIFA World Cup tournament. His international career caused controversy, particularly because of his switch from Argentina to Spain which was uncoventional at the time.
| Club/Country | Apps | Goals |
| River Plate | 75 | 55 |
| Millonarios | 111 | 93 |
| Real Madrid | 396 | 308 |
| Espanyol | 60 | 14 |
| Argentina national team | 6 | 6 |
| Spain national team | 31 | 23 |
Alfredo Di Stefano Family
Alfredo Di Stefano married Sara Freites in 1950 during his time at Millonarios. The couple gave birth to five children – Silvana, Alfredo, Helena, Sofia and Ignacio. Stefano endured a heart attack after the death of his wife in 2005.
Alfredo Di Stefano Death
The legendary Real Madrid forward suffered another heart attack on 5 July 2014 post which he was admitted to intensive care in the Gregorio Marañón hospital. He was in an induced coma and the cardiac arrest lasted for 18 minutes. Di Stefano died on 7 July 2014.
Also Read: Top 10 greatest moments in FIFA World Cup history
