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Galactico

British  
/ ɡəˈlæktɪˌkəʊ /

noun

  1. informal a famous and highly paid footballer

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of Galactico

C20: from Spanish Los Galácticos the nickname of the expensively assembled Real Madrid team of the early years of the 21st century; galáctico someone from another galaxy, denoting their superstar status

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

At Euro 2024, Bellingham had been a Real Madrid player for almost a year - a Galactico who had scored 19 goals for his La Liga and Champions League-winning club.

From BBC Jul. 11, 2026

Does the UFC have a Galactico of their own in Topuria?

From BBC Oct. 27, 2024

Yes, they lack that extra dimension that a Galactico would give them in the commercial world.

From BBC May 27, 2022

This 'Disneyworld' approach is not dissimilar to the former Galactico philosophy employed by Perez at Real Madrid.

From BBC Apr. 13, 2022

Zidane is not that, but he remains more of a Galactico, to borrow Pérez’s famous label, than any of his charges.

From New York Times Dec. 2, 2016

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