Claude Makélélé: From Spanish and English Fields to the Crown of Miss Universe
After a successful career in the world of football, former Real Madrid and Chelsea star and French national team player Claude Makélélé swapped his sports shoes for a referee's whistle, becoming a member of the judging panel for the Miss Universe 2025 competition, which will take place next month in Thailand.
Makélélé gained widespread fame after leaving Real Madrid in the summer of 2023, during the "Galácticos" era, which led to the team's instability, having won the Spanish league twice, the Champions League, as well as the Spanish Super Cup and the European Super Cup with him.
He then moved to Chelsea, where he spent five successful years, winning both the English league and the FA Cup, and reaching the Champions League final in the 2007-2008 season, before losing to Manchester United on penalties.
He retired from football in 2011 with Paris Saint-Germain.
Makélélé (52 years old and 71 international matches with the French national team) will represent the judging panel for selecting Miss Universe, succeeding the Danish Victoria Silvstedt, who won the title last year in Mexico City.
The committee explained that the choice of the French player was made because he is "special and fair" and because his influence extends both on and off the field.
Since retiring, Makélélé has taken on several coaching experiences, starting with Bastia in France, then moving to Oud-Heverlee Leuven in Belgium, and last year he had a short stint with Asteras Tripolis in Greece that did not last long.
