The record European champions and La Liga winners are without a doubt the greatest football club in the world. Their continued success which dates back to over a century has attracted some of the best players to ever grace a football pitch to don the fabled white jersey.
From the fearless dynamos for the early 1960s to the Galacticos of the 2000s to the modern day greats. Today, we take a look at some of the finest players to ever play for Los Blancos since the club’s inception.
#10 Iker Casillas
Iker Casillas is arguably one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time. Having risen through the ranks at Madrid, he would guard the Bernabeu goals for 16 years, turning out in 725 matches – the second most in club history.
Still the youngest goalkeeper to appear in a Champions League final and holder of the record for the most clean sheets in the competition’s history. It’s a real shame things turned slightly sour towards the end of his Real Madrid career, but the fact remains that he’s an all-time great.
#9 Raul Gonzalez
The man who built the legacy of the iconic number seven jersey in Madrid, Raul spent 16 trophy-laden years in the Spanish capital. Regarded as one of the all-time greats, no player has made more than his 741 appearances for the club.
He’s Real Madrid’s third-highest scorer with 323 goals and won six La Liga titles and three Champions Leagues to cap off his wonderful career at the Bernabeu.
#8 Sergio Ramos
Probably the finest-ever Real Madrid captain, Sergio Ramos was known for his ruthless partnership with Pepe, his excellent defensive ability and knack for getting sent off. He scored important goals, battled with the world’s best forwards and got in his opponents’ heads when required.
Ramos’ performances defined an era of pure domination for Madrid in the 2010s, with only three players accumulating more appearances for the Spanish titans than the centre-back. Still playing at a very high level at the age of 37, it’s a testament to just how incredible he’s been and continues to be after all these years.
It’s just a shame his time in Madrid didn’t end on the most positive of notes.
#7 Luka Modri?
Forever doubted throughout his career, few midfielders have been more significant in Madrid’s history than the great Luka Modric, who guided the club to astounding glory.
A diminutive midfielder who uses ball-carrying as much as passing to evade pressure, he’s not just been a creative spark in six Champions League titles but a vital figure when the chips have been down.
One of the greatest to ever feature in the engine room, Modri? deservedly won the 2018 Ballon d’Or – the first player not named Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi to do so since 2008.
#6 Ferenc Puskas
One of the greatest strikers the sport has ever seen. Ferenc Puskas netted 242 goals in 262 games in a Real Madrid shirt, an average of 0.92 per appearance. The fleet-footed Hungarian also won three European Cups and notably scored four goals in the 7-3 final victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in 1960, the only time that feat has been achieved.
The forward even has an award named after him, the FIFA Puskas Award, given to the footballer who is deemed to have scored the most aesthetically pleasing goal over the course of 12 months. If that doesn’t give you an indication of how special he was, nothing else would.
#5 Zinedine Zidane
A world-class player for Real Madrid and an equally good manager, Zinedine Zidane spent five incredible years at the Santiago Bernabeu, most notably remembered for scoring an incredible volley to win the 2001 Champions League final, and then guiding the club as a manager to a famous ‘three-peat’ in the competition from the dugout. The word ‘legend’ doesn’t really do him justice.
Zidane was a ferocious engine in the middle of the park for the club and regularly bossed the opposition midfielders. They didn’t stand a chance. He might have only spent five years playing at the Bernabeu, but his time as Real Madrid manager also added to his incredible legacy too.
#4 Paco Gento
A man who is in the conversation to be labelled the greatest left winger in history. Known for his pace and quick feet, Paco Gento joined Madrid in 1953 where he would spend 18 years in the capital, accumulating a frightening amount of silverware in less than two decades.
He appeared in eight European Cup finals – of which he won six – and won La Liga 12 times, forging a legacy as one of Spain’s all-time greats and one of the most dynamic left wingers ever seen.
#3 Santiago Bernabeu
A man so loved by Madridistas they named their stadium after him, Santiago Bernabeu is one of the club’s earliest legends. He was a brilliant player in the 1920s and was then president for 35 years between 1943 and 1978, overseeing a ridiculous amount of on-pitch success. Arguably the most important figure in Real Madrid’s illustrious history.
Under his watch in the boardroom, Madrid would be crowned domestic champions on 16 separate occasions. It stands to reason that the club wouldn’t have grown into the behemoth that it did if it wasn’t for Bernabeu’s impact.
#2 Alfredo Di Stefano
One of Puskas’ partners in crime, the great Alfredo Di Stefano was a sensation at Real. Winning the European Cup five years in a row and scoring in all five finals – including a hat-trick in 1960 – legacies don’t come much bigger than that of the “Golden Arrow”.
Two Ballon d’Ors, 308 goals in 396 games, eight La Liga titles, five Pichichis and five European Cups; that’s what Di Stefano achieved in his 11-year stint at Real Madrid. He spent over a decade with Madrid, and the impact he had during that time cannot be overstated. It’s not just thanks to him that so many other stars flocked to the Spanish capital in the 50s: it’s thanks to him that they continue to, to this day.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo
Whether Cristiano Ronaldo is the greatest of all time is a question for another day, but he is certainly the best player to have ever played for Madrid. The Portuguese sensation is Real Madrid’s all-time record scorer with 450 goals, and he somehow achieved it in just 438 games. Ronaldo also won four Champions Leagues at Real Madrid and scored 30 or more goals in every single season he was at the club.
He also went on to win four Ballon d’Ors and four Champions League titles during his time at the Bernabeu. He may have cost Madrid a world record transfer fee when he joined in 2009, but after nine incredible years that saw him break all sorts of records and cement his status as one of the best players of all time, it’s fair to say that he was still a bargain.
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