A lot can change in three years. Just think back to where both Real Madrid and Barcelona were three years ago. The former had completely collapsed into a smoking heap of Eden Hazard transfer fees and coaching changes. After three straight Champions League titles, they'd just been eliminated from the tournament by Ajax. They'd already fired one manager and were about to ax another. Barcelona, meanwhile, were cruising toward their fourth league title in five years and were one of the favorites to win the Champions League.
Since then? Well, Barcelona have collapsed into a smoking heap of financial mismanagement and coaching changes, while Real Madrid have reasserted themselves as the best team in Spain. The former is fighting just to qualify for the Champions League, while the latter look likely to win their second LaLiga title in three years -- something the club hasn't achieved since 2008.
However, there is one thing the two clubs do have in common: They're not as good as they used to be. The dominant duopoly atop European soccer is dead; gone are the days when every season would begin with Barcelona and Real Madrid as the favorites to win the Champions League, overtaken by the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Chelsea as Europe's truly elite teams.
With Sunday's El Clasico looming, both teams are in a state of transition; they are wedged between eras, focused as much on the future as they are on the present.
(The betting lines from Caesars (subject to variation) are +110 for Real Madrid, +235 for Barcelona and +265 for the draw, while Paul Carr writes that this one could have plenty of goals, suggesting that over 2.5 goals (-150) and both teams to score (-170) are good picks.)
Barcelona and Real Madrid's next great teams are at least a few years away. Who on the current squads might be a part of any future successes?
To answer that, we're going to rank the top 20 players on Real Madrid and Barcelona based on where they might be in three years. Contract status isn't taken into consideration. We're just worried about how valuable a given player could be come March 2025. It's to the clubs to decide if they want to keep him.