Once Real Madridโs heir to Ronaldoโs throne, Mariano vanishesโthen reappears with a single goal that echoes years of emptiness.
Full Breakdown:
Mariano Dรญaz, the man once trusted with Real Madridโs sacred No. 7 jersey, endured an unbelievable 1,045-day drought without scoring a single goal in professional club football. From May 15, 2022, until March 2025, the strikerโwho once tore up Ligue 1 with Lyonโbecame footballโs most forgotten man.
After a โฌ20 million return to Madrid in 2018, hope soared. But the moment he inherited Ronaldoโs jersey, everything unraveled. Game time vanished. Confidence collapsed. Transfers brought no revivalโzero goals in 13 appearances for Sevilla confirmed his ghost status.
Then came March 2025โa low-stakes international friendly: Dominican Republic vs Puerto Rico. No glamour. No pressure. Just a match. And Mariano scored.
Why it matters:
His last goal came nearly three years prior.
His strike didnโt come in La Liga, a Champions League night, or a finalโbut it mattered more emotionally than any trophy.
Once labeled Ronaldoโs successor, his career became a cautionary tale of weighty expectations and lost confidence.
That one goal was not a comebackโit was a closure. A flicker from a ghost, reminding us that even forgotten legends have their moments.
Mariano Dรญaz: A name that once shook Madrid. Now, a whisper of
what couldโve been.
