Real Madrid CF's 1927 tour of the Americas

Real Madrid's 1927 tour of the Americas
Date9 July – 24 September 1927
Duration2 months and 15 days
VenueVarious
LocationArgentina
Uruguay
Peru
Cuba
Mexico
United States
TypeExhibition games
ThemeAssociation football
ParticipantsReal Madrid

In 1927, Spanish football club Real Madrid did an exhibition tour of the Americas, with the aim of promoting Spanish football across both continents. The tour was one of the first football exhibition tours to be played across two continents.

Background

Since 1904, several British football clubs had done various tours of South America, primarily in Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay.[1] In September 1914, Italian club Torino became the first non-British team to do a tour of South America,[2] playing matches in São Paulo and Buenos Aires.[3] Meanwhile, the first Spanish team to do a tour of South America was in 1922, with a team made up of players from various clubs in Gipuzkoa, including Athletic Bilbao, Real Sociedad, Arenas Club, and Real Unión.[4]

By 1927, Real Madrid had done two exhibition tours of their own, including in Italy during December 1920 and January 1921,[5] and across Europe (specifically England, France, and Denmark) in August and September 1925.[6]

The tour

Félix Quesada and Mexican defender Rafael Garza Gutiérrez right before Real Madrid faced Club América in September 1927.

The goal of Real Madrid's tour was to promote Spanish football across the Americas, which was considered unusual for the time and created a lot of expectation around it.[7] The team departed Barcelona on the SS Giulio Cesare in mid-June,[8] and spent 18 hours at sea before arriving in Argentina.[9][7] While on the journey, they encountered a storm off the coast of Uruguay.[9]

Real Madrid played their first match of the tour on 7 July, when they faced a team made up of players from Buenos Aires.[8] In total, Real Madrid played 16 matches during the tour, including five in Argentina, one in Uruguay, two in Peru, one in Cuba, six in Mexico, and one in the United States. Additionally, it's reported that the team travelled to Chile as well.[10]

When the team got to Mexico, they arrived and docked at the Port of Progreso in Yucatán. Due to the boat being anchored far from the port, José María Peña and Juan Urquizu both decided to get into a small boat and row through port's shark-infested waters. However, when trying to return to the ship, Peña slipped off the rope he was using to climb back on and fell into the water near the sharks. José María Muñagorri almost jumped in to help him, and had to be held back by his teammates. In the end, nearby sailors managed to get Peña to safety.[11]

In the final match of the tour, they were originally supposed to face American Soccer League side Brooklyn Wanderers, but instead played Galicia SC.[12] The day prior to the match, the players were invited to a dinner at the Hotel Pennsylvania in Manhattan.[8] In total, only 5000 people attended the match on 24 September, as Real Madrid drew 1–1 with Galicia SC.[8] Notably in attendance was former Spanish diplomat Rafael Casares y Gil, who was an ambassador of Spain to Romania between 1907 and 1908.[8]

Players

The team Real Madrid brought for the tour didn't include several players, including Cándido Martínez and Juan Monjardín. To make up for this, they brought players from other clubs, including Travieso from Athletic Bilbao and José Maria Yermo from Arenas Club.[9][13] Santiago Bernabéu, who had retired at the end of the 1926–27 season, also travelled with the team.[7]

During the tour, two changes were made to the team. Prior to the match against Juventud Asturiana in Cuba, they were joined by goalkeeper Oliván and forward Félix Pérez, who both stayed for the North American part of the tour.[14] And following the match against Real Club España, Manuel Vidal and José Gurucharri left to rejoin their respective teams in Spain.[14]

Squad

Source[13][14]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
— GK  ESP Oliván
— GK  ESP Manuel Vidal (from Athletic Bilbao)
— DF  ESP Patricio Escobal
— DF  ESP Félix Quesada
— DF  ESP Juan Urquizu (from CA Osasuna)
— MF  ESP Desiderio Esparza
— MF  ESP José María Peña
— MF  ESP Lope Peña
— MF  ESP Pachuco Prats
— MF  ESP Monchín Triana (from Athletic Madrid)
No. Pos. Nation Player
— FW  ESP Gerónimo del Campo
— FW  ESP José Gurucharri (from CA Osasuna)
— FW  ESP Luis Marín (from Athletic Madrid)
— FW  ESP Pepín Menéndez
— FW  ESP Francisco Moraleda
— FW  ESP José María Muñagorri
— FW  ESP Félix Pérez
— FW  ESP Travieso (from Athletic Bilbao)
— FW  ESP José Maria Yermo (from Arenas Club)

Matches

9 July 1927 Friendly Combinado Buenos Aires Argentina 0–0 Spain Real Madrid Buenos Aires, Argentina
Report Stadium: Estadio Sportivo Barracas
Referee: S. Pérez (Argentina)
Note: Combinado Buenos Aires was made up of players from teams in Buenos Aires.
10 July 1927 Friendly Combinado Buenos Aires Argentina 3–2 Spain Real Madrid Buenos Aires, Argentina
Carricaberry 18', 90'
Calandra 56'		 Report Triana 15', 66' Stadium: Estadio Sportivo Barracas
Referee: José Calli (Argentina)
Note: Combinado Buenos Aires was made up of players from teams in Buenos Aires.
16 July 1927 Friendly Boca Juniors Argentina 1–2 Spain Real Madrid Buenos Aires, Argentina
Tarasconi 65' Report Gurucharri 8', 12' Stadium: Estadio Sportivo Barracas
Referee: Nai Foino (Argentina)
17 July 1927 Friendly Newell's Old Boys Argentina 4–0 Spain Real Madrid Rosario, Argentina
Aguirre 13'
Francia 47', 70'
Libonatti 60'		 Report Stadium: El Coloso
Referee: S. Pérez (Argentina)
24 July 1927 Friendly CA Peñarol Uruguay 0–0 Spain Real Madrid Montevideo, Uruguay
Report Stadium: Estadio Pocitos
Referee: Mengiol (Uruguay)
30 July 1927 Friendly Racing Club de Avellaneda Argentina 2–0 Spain Real Madrid Buenos Aires, Argentina
Miguel 34'
Rey 55'		 Report Stadium: Estadio Racing Club
Referee: Méndez (Argentina)
14 August 1927 Friendly Selección Chalaca Peru 1–4 Spain Real Madrid Lima, Peru
Saldarriaga (p) Report Gurucharri 9', 40'
Triana 50', NA'		 Stadium: Estadio Nacional
Note: Selección Chalaca was a team made up mostly by players from Alianza Lima.
15 August 1927 Friendly Combinado Limeño Peru 1–1 Spain Real Madrid Lima, Peru
Villanueva (p) Report Gurucharri 6' Stadium: Estadio Nacional
Note: Combinado Limeño was a team made up mostly by players from Alianza Lima.
28 August 1927 Friendly Juventud Asturiana Cuba 1–2 Spain Real Madrid Havana, Cuba
Gacha 14' Report Félix Pérez 63'
Triana 77'		 Stadium: Almerades Park
4 September 1927 Friendly Club América Mexico 2–4 Spain Real Madrid Mexico City, Mexico
Sota 12'
Garces 		Report Travieso 20', 25', NA'
Félix Pérez 		Stadium: Parque España
Referee: Mercadé (Mexico)
8 September 1927 Friendly Club Asturias Mexico 0–6 Spain Real Madrid Mexico City, Mexico
Report Gurucharri 20', 30'
del Campo
Lope Peña 52'
Félix Pérez 		Stadium: Parque España
Referee: Jardón (Mexico)
11 September 1927 Friendly Real Club España Mexico 2–8 Spain Real Madrid Mexico City, Mexico
Giralt
Suárez 		Report Lope Peña 6', 13', NA'
Félix Pérez 25'
del Campo
Muñagorri
Travieso 		Stadium: Parque España
Referee: Clifford (Mexico)
14 September 1927 Friendly Club Atlante Mexico 1–4 Spain Real Madrid Mexico City, Mexico
Pérez Report Lope Peña
del Campo 		Stadium: Parque España
Referee: Roldán (Mexico)
16 September 1927 Friendly Club Necaxa Mexico 0–5 Spain Real Madrid Mexico City, Mexico
Report Travieso 6'
Menéndez 34'
Muñagorri
del Campo (p)		 Stadium: Parque España
Referee: Núñez Cortina (Mexico)
18 September 1927 Friendly Club América Mexico 3–5 Spain Real Madrid Mexico City, Mexico
Contreras
Carreño
Sota 		Report Menéndez
Lope Peña
Félix Pérez
Moraleda 		Stadium: Parque España
Referee: Núñez Cortina (Mexico)
24 September 1927 Friendly Galicia SC United States 1–1 Spain Real Madrid New York City, United States
Vega 14' (p) Report Travieso 68' Stadium: Hawthorne Field
Attendance: 5000[8]
Referee: Greighton (United States)

Post-tour

When Real Madrid returned to Spain, they competed in the Torneo de Campeones, a competition involving the six teams that had won the Copa del Rey by that point, which served as a rehearsal for the creation of La Liga in 1929. Because the team had been away on their tour, Real Madrid were fined 1000 pesetas for missing some of the competition's first matches.[9]

This tour would be the last time Real Madrid played Club América until 2010, 83 years later.[15]

References

  1. ^ Hernández, Sergio (17 May 2018). "British Clubs in Argentina and Uruguay (1904-1929)". www.rsssf.org. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
  2. ^ Hernández, Sergio (16 June 2016). "European Clubs in Argentina and Uruguay (1914-1935)". www.rsssf.org. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
  3. ^ Ciullini, Pablo. "South American Trip of Torino FC 1914 - Match Details". www.rsssf.org. Retrieved 6 February 2026.
  4. ^ Ciullini, Pablo (15 September 2021). "South American Trip of Federación Guipuzcoana 1922". www.rsssf.org. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
  5. ^ Torre, Raúl (2 February 2017). "International Friendlies of Real Madrid CF 1902-1939". www.rsssf.org. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
  6. ^ "European Trip of Real Madrid CF 1925". RSSSF. 23 February 2017. Retrieved 25 August 2025.
  7. ^ a b c "Luis de Urquijo 1926-1930". Real Madrid. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
  8. ^ a b c d e f "Real Madrid's first match in New York, a century ago—driven by Bernabéu and a jewish entrepreneur". El Mundo America. 7 April 2025. Retrieved 25 August 2025.
  9. ^ a b c d Lara, Miguel Ángel (8 July 2019). "The wild story of Real Madrid's first American tour". Marca. Retrieved 25 August 2025.
  10. ^ "Los 100 años del Real Madrid, uno a uno: 1927". El Mundo (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 August 2025.
  11. ^ "José María Muñagorri, otro "pilarista" en las filas del Madrid" [José María Muñagorri, another "pillarist" in the ranks of Madrid]. www.marca.com (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 30 March 2022. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  12. ^ "The origins of United States' love affair with Real Madrid". World Soccer. 26 July 2014. Retrieved 25 August 2025.
  13. ^ a b "American Trip of Real Madrid CF 1927". RSSSF. 6 September 2018. Retrieved 29 August 2025.
  14. ^ a b c "Temporada 1927-28". www.leyendablanca.galeon.com. Archived from the original on 19 August 2019. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
  15. ^ Serrano, Rodrigo (25 July 2022). "How many times have Club América defeated Real Madrid?". AS USA. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
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