Real Madrid

Güler wins the Puskas Trophy

Arda Güler decided to steal the spotlight with a moment of brilliance that felt almost impossible to replicate.

OSCAR DEL POZO

Update: Mar 15th, 2026 13:00 EDT

The golden Turk

We demand a lot from him because we know how much talent he has. At times he disappears during games and can struggle in physical battles, but a spell on the bench seemed to do him good.

Thiago Pitarch, the breakout sensation right now, started again and Güler began the match against Elche on the bench. That seemed to spark the pride of the playmaker from Altındağ in Ankara.

As the game drifted toward its conclusion, with Real Madrid comfortably winning and seven academy players on the field, Güler produced a moment that grabbed every headline.

From about 75 yards, he unleashed a perfectly shaped left-footed strike. Leaning his body to generate power, he struck the ball with his wand of a left foot and sent it on a perfect arc toward goal.

Elche goalkeeper Matías Dituro was well off his line and quickly realized the shot was impossible to reach. The ball bounced once and rolled into the net in spectacular fashion.

Social media instantly erupted in applause for the “golden Turk.” Over the years there have been long-range screamers from players like Mikel Lasa, Aragón or Gheorghe Hagi, but none from such distance or with this level of difficulty.

We’ve pretty much already got the 2026 Puskás Award winner.

The academy takes center stage

Álvaro Arbeloa is serious about Real Madrid’s academy. For him, it is not just a slogan.

Game after game he continues to bring the jewels of Valdebebas onto the Bernabéu stage, which on this night felt like a playground filled with teenagers whose biggest worries should be video games and school exams.

Players like Thiago Pitarch have become regular starters in recent matches. By the end of the night, Arbeloa had seven academy graduates on the field.

The final half hour was remarkable. Yáñez buzzed around relentlessly, Manuel Ángel seemed to be everywhere at once, and Palacios showed flashes of quality and fearless confidence.

Real Madrid arguably has the best academy in the world, but the club does not treat it as a marketing slogan. Instead, it turns to those players in moments of need. With ten absences against Pablo Sarabia’s Elche, the youngsters stepped in and proved their worth.

They showed no fear of the famous white jersey. Arbeloa’s young squad passed the test with flying colors.

Memories of Madrid vs. Elche

History books remind us that Real Madrid’s biggest league win ever came against Elche: an 11–2 thrashing in 1960. Pepillo scored five, Ferenc Puskás four, and Paco Gento and Santisteban added one each.

Madrid also scored 11 against Barcelona once, though that came in the 1943 Copa del Rey semifinals.

In more recent memory, there was the dramatic 4–2 win during the 1988–89 season, the fourth straight league title of the legendary “Quinta del Buitre.” Claudio Barragán and Benito Sánchez twice gave Elche the lead before Michel and a Hugo Sánchez brace turned the game around.

Three years ago there was also a dominant 4–0 victory, with goals from Karim Benzema (two), Marco Asensio and Luka Modrić.

For the Real Madrid fans who need it most

This therapeutic win is dedicated to fans like my friend Sergio and his father Paulino from Talayuela in Extremadura, who have endured a difficult year and have turned to Real Madrid for a bit of emotional relief and a reason to smile.

It also goes out to their friends in nearby Villafranca de los Barros.

And of course to the parents of Federico Valverde, Julio and Doris, who must still be floating after watching their son’s heroics against Manchester City finally earn him worldwide recognition. The Uruguayan star even added another spectacular goal in this game.

These are the people who truly matter beyond the noise that always surrounds soccer.