February 5th is a special date for Real Madrid

Please also see my All-Time World Cup Team Index.
Real Madrid
Real Madrid All-Time Team Under Florentina Perez
Real Madrid All-Time Team Under Miguel Munoz
Real Madrid Argentine Best XI
Real Madrid Castilla Greatest All-Time
Real Madrid All-Time Team for Foreign Players

Real Madrid All-Time Team for Spanish players

Emilio Butragueno 

On February 5th, 1984, Emilio Butragueno made his debut with Real Madrid.  He would become an icon of his generation.  A year later, a boy was born in Funchai, Portugal on February 5th.  He would grow up to wear Butragueno's number 7 jersey at Real Madrid. His name is Cristiano Ronaldo.

Ronaldo

Meanwhile, Neymar, Gheorghe Hagi, Carlos Tevez and  Cesare Maldini all share the same birthday on February 5th.

Hagi also played for Real Madrid.

Wales and Israel's World Cup Qualifiers 1958

Please also see my All-Time World Cup Team Index.

Wales,
Oceania  
United Kingdom.
United Kingdom World Cup 1970
United Kingdom World Cup 1982
France at World Cup1994
USA World Cup 2010
Holland World Cup 2002
England World Cup 1974
What if Argentina sent this team to Sweden 1958
Sweden World Cup 1950

The World Cup Qualifying campaigns for both Wales and Israel were probably the strangest ever.  Israel actually "qualified" for the World Cup Finals in Sweden, but ended up playing in a playoff series vs Wales.  


In the original WC qualifying round, Wales came second behind Czechoslavia in Group 4 of the European zone. Only the group winners qualified for Sweden.

Meanwhile, Israel had a "successful" campaign in the Africa/Asia zone and qualified for the World Cup Finals.



First round
Israel was set to play against Turkey, but Turkey, a Muslim country, refused to play Israel and withdrew. Israel advanced to the next round.

Second round
Israel was set to play against Sudan, Egypt and Indonesia, but the Muslim countries refused to play Israel and withdrew. Israel advanced to the next round.

Final round
Israel was set to play against Sudan, but Sudan, a Muslim country, refused to play Israel and withdrew. Israel technically qualified for Sweden 1958.

But FIFA ruled that no team would qualify without playing at least one match (except for the defending champions and the hosts), and Israel had yet to play any. So a special play-off was created between Israel and the runner-up of one of the UEFA Groups, where the teams played against each other on a home-and-away basis, with the winner qualifying. After Belgium rejected the invitation, Wales played and beat Israel in the special playoff.