It’s very rare that someone is blessed with the ability to become one of the all-time greats in a particular sport, so much so that their talent usually peaks there. But, when that same sportsperson is blessed with the ability to outplay legends of another sport, that’s when things simply become unfair.Rafael Nadal is one of the greatest tennis players ever, having won 22 grand slams – the second most in the history of the sport. Given how many titles he’s picked up in tennis, his rivals may have been hoping for Nadal to crash and burn when taking to the football pitch back in 2008.Up against Iker Casillas – one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time – the Spaniard not only impressed, but he managed to find the back of the net six times. With apologies to those hoping for a downfall, it appears Nadal potentially could have had a career playing the beautiful game.
When did Rafael Nadal and Iker Casillas face off?
When raising money, charities often turn to the biggest stars, so when Red Cross wanted to host an event in Spain, they turned to two of the country’s biggest in Nadal and Casillas.
In one of the events, both stars picked teams, full of fellow icons from a range of sports, to take part in an indoor football game. Nadal opted for Carlos Moya, Samuel Eto’o, Raul Gonzalez, and Carlos Sainz Sr. Meanwhile, Casillas chose Fernando Alonso, Sergio Garcia, David Ferrer, Feliciano Lopez, and Juan Carlos Ferrero.
When it comes to a star-studded match, it doesn’t get much better than the 2008 charity event.
The two Spaniards didn’t stop at football, either, also taking part in a tennis match, and a go-kart race to reportedly raise more than $100k (£77.4k).
Nadal scores double hat-trick
Pulling off an achievement that some strikers never managed to do by scoring against Casillas, Nadal went on to find the back of the net a total of six times on the day – as you can see in this footage – with a range of incredibly impressive strikes.
The tennis legend scored his first goal with a simple finish following a nutmeg on one opposing defender, and a roulette past another, before slotting home. Securing his brace, Nadal then found the right-hand corner with an unstoppable strike from just in front of the halfway line, before completing his first hat-trick with a simple finish from close range.
Not done there, the Spaniard volleyed home at the back post for goal number four, and then bundled his fifth into the back of the net. Capping off a brilliant display, Nadal scored his sixth and final goal with a smart finish.
Despite scoring six goals, however, Sainz’s late goal meant that the tennis star’s side somehow suffered defeat.
It may well be one of the best performances we’ve seen on a five-aside pitch, and one of the most unexpected. Known for his tennis, the last thing we expected to see was Nadal securing two match balls against one of Real Madrid’s finest ever players. But if greatness in sport was to be summed up, it would be by using that very footage.