When a Cone Becomes a Meme: Real Madrid Trolls Arbeloa Over a Lineup
27 January 2026
Unintended taunt from Madrid's official account
The Real Madrid official account, unintentionally, opened the door to ridicule of Álvaro Arbeloa, the team\'s young coach, over a nickname Gerard Piqué gave him—the "Cone" from his former Barcelona days.
Madrid\'s account on X posted a photo of the 23-man squad that traveled to Portugal ahead of Benfica\'s match, set for Wednesday in the final round of the UEFA Champions League.
Rodrygo tops the official list; Arbeloa\'s name appears beside a yellow training cone icon, a playful nod to the nickname.
The post\'s image quickly spread, sparking a wave of mockery toward the Real Madrid coach.
From Piqué\'s nickname to Arbeloa\'s image
According to Mundo Deportivo, the photo circulated widely, drawing comments aimed at Arbeloa.
The image became fuel for sarcasm on Real Madrid\'s official account.
Back in December 2015, Piqué mocked Arbeloa when he was a Madrid player, giving him the nickname "El Cone" to reflect his limited movement and the skill level often attributed to players in his position.
He used the term " cone" to emphasize Arbeloa\'s perceived limited impact on the pitch, suggesting his role was like training cones in drills.
Despite the online jeers, Real Madrid\'s account did not delete or alter the squad photo as of this writing.
Real Madrid\'s official account also shared the accompanying images showing team crests for Benfica and Real Madrid, highlighting the Champions League context.
The image distribution is noted by outlets like Mundo Deportivo as a widely shared moment of mockery directed at Arbeloa.
In summary, the moment blends old skits with a contemporary social media twist—one cone, many laughs, and a few roars from the crowd.
Punchline: If Arbeloa moves like a cone, at least the training drills have traffic control in mind.
Punchline: And if sarcasm were a sport, Piqué would win the Champions League of roasts tonight.
