Meet the netminder

Iker Casillas just might be the most valuable player in Spain. You won’t find many detractors in his home country, or even the entire continent — he is universally recognized as one of the top goalkeepers in the world. A bit about him…

Validate your ticket: When he broke on to the scene during the 99-00 season for Real Madrid, Casillas was still taking public transportation to the stadium — he was too young to have a driving license.

Loyal to his club: The difference between Iker Casillas and I? At the age of 8, Iker was joining Real Madrid’s youth system. When I was 8, I was watching the garage door go up and down. Casillas was born in Madrid and has been with Real Madrid since 1989. Over the past few years, even when Real Madrid has struggled, he has been one of the club’s most consistent players. And while Real was ponying up millions of euros for uber stars like David Beckham, Iker decided he wanted his piece too and contract talks ensued. He eventually inked a six-year deal in 2005 and his long-term future appears to be in Madrid.

Where he fits in: In June’s World Cup, Casillas will almost certainly be between the posts for Spain. Candidates for the back-up roles include Valencia’s Santiago Canizares and Liverpool’s Pepe Reina.