Dr. Ramón Cugat received the Bisturí de Oro 2026 award from the Real Federación Española de Fútbol (RFEF) during a ceremony held on Friday at the Ciudad del Fútbol in Las Rozas. The recognition highlights a career spanning more than four decades dedicated to orthopedic surgery, research, and the care of athletes.
Honoring a Four-Decade Trajectory in Sports Traumatology
The 76-year-old specialist accepted the award in the middle of the III Jornada Sport Medicine, Surgery & Health, an annual scientific forum organized by the medical services of the RFEF. The event brings together experts in sports medicine, traumatology, physiotherapy, rehabilitation, and nutrition across two days of specialized panels.
During the gathering, Dr. Cugat delivered a master lecture titled “Lesión del LCA: ¿Qué hacer y cuándo?”, addressing anterior cruciate ligament injuries—one of the most frequent setbacks confronting professional soccer players and elite competitors.
Acceptance Remarks and Professional Gratitude
Visible emotion marked the surgeon’s address to the audience. Dr. Cugat expressed his appreciation for the distinction:
The specialist shared the credit with his clinical staff and lifelong mentors. He thanked his team inside the operating room alongside influential figures from his development, specifically naming Dr. José García Cugat and Bertram Zarins. He also acknowledged his wife, Dr. García Balletbó, for her constant support in driving his ongoing research forward.
The Scope of the RFEF Medical Forum
The III Jornada Sport Medicine, Surgery & Health serves as a meeting point for practitioners managing player wellness within the Spanish football ecosystem. Held on September 17 and 18, 2026, the forum focuses on the treatment of injuries and the attention to the wellness of athletes in general and soccer players in particular.
By honoring Dr. Cugat with the Bisturí de Oro, the federation underscored the impact of orthopedic innovations on the medical care of athletes.
