Highlights
- So many legendary footballers have played for Real Madrid since the club's inception in 1902.
- The likes of Karim Benzema, Sergio Ramos, Toni Kroos and Luka Modric have contributed to the team's incredible success in the 21st century.
- Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the greatest players of all-time, enjoyed a hugely successful nine-year spell at Los Blancos, scoring 450 times in 438 games.
Throughout the majority of their history, Real Madrid has been one of the best teams in the world. Their excellence over the years is almost hard to believe as they've consistently adapted with the times and kept hold of their status as one of the biggest clubs on the planet. It's easy to see how they've managed it, though, when you take a look at the sheer calibre of players who have played for Los Blancos throughout their history.
Some of the best footballers of all time have, at one point or another, called the Bernabeu their home. Considering just how many greats there have been at the club over the years, coming up with a list of the 20 best Real Madrid players ever has to be a very difficult task, right? Well, we're going to give it a go anyway.
20 Greatest Real Madrid Players Ever | |||
---|---|---|---|
Rank | Player | Position | Years at Real Madrid |
1. | Cristiano Ronaldo | Forward | 2009-2018 |
2. | Alfredo Di Stefano | Forward | 1953-1964 |
3. | Zinedine Zidane | Midfielder | 2001-2006 |
4. | Sergio Ramos | Defender | 2005-2021 |
5. | Iker Casillas | Goalkeeper | 1999-2015 |
6. | Raul Gonzalez | Forward | 1994-2010 |
7. | Santiago Bernabeu | Forward | 1921-1926 |
8. | Paco Gento | Winger | 1953-1971 |
9. | Ferenc Puskas | Forward | 1958-1966 |
10. | Luis Figo | Midfielder | 2000-2005 |
11. | Karim Benzema | Forward | 2009-2023 |
12. | Luka Modric | Midfielder | 2012-present |
13. | Hugo Sanchez | Forward | 1985-1992 |
14. | Pirri | Midfielder | 1964-1980 |
15. | Ricardo Zamora | Goalkeeper | 1930-1936 |
16. | Roberto Carlos | Defender | 1996-2007 |
17. | Emilio Butragueno | Forward | 1984-1995 |
18. | Toni Kroos | Midfielder | 2014-2024 |
19. | Ivan Zamorano | Forward | 1992-1996 |
20. | Vicente Del Bosque | Midfielder | 1968-1984 |
10 Luis Figo
2000-2005
![The 20 greatest players in Real Madrid's history have been ranked (1) The 20 greatest players in Real Madrid's history have been ranked (1)](https://i0.wp.com/static0.givemesportimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/mixcollage-27-nov-2023-09-12-am-2866.jpg)
Another Ballon d'Or winner at Real Madrid and a true footballing genius. Figo's move to Real Madrid from Barcelona remains one of the most controversial in history, but he was worth every single penny. He scored 57 goals, assisted a further 93 and won three trophies during his five sublime years in Madrid.
He also played 245 times for the club in total, and during his time at Madrid, there were very few midfielders on the planet that could match his talent. Incredible player.
Luis Figo's Real Madrid Statistics | |
---|---|
Appearances | 245 |
Goals | 57 |
Assists | 93 |
Trophies | 3 |
9 Ferenc Puskas
1958-1966
![The 20 greatest players in Real Madrid's history have been ranked (2) The 20 greatest players in Real Madrid's history have been ranked (2)](https://i0.wp.com/static0.givemesportimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/collage-maker-11-sep-2023-06-27-pm-7956.jpg)
One of the most exceptional strikers the sport has ever seen. Puskas netted 242 goals in 262 games in a Real Madrid shirt, an average of 0.92 per appearance. He 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, not much would.
Ferenc Puskas' Real Madrid Statistics | |
---|---|
Appearances | 234 |
Goals | 204 |
Assists | N/A |
Trophies | 10 |
8 Paco Gento
1953-1971
A man who is in the conversation to be labelled the greatest left winger in history. As well as tormenting opposing defenders for fun in a Real Madrid shirt, Gento won six (yes, SIX) European Cups, which is still the most by any footballer. He spent 18 years at the La Liga club, and played over 500 games for them.
Gento also won 12 La Liga titles, another record. There's simply no denying just how impressive he was, and he played a huge role in making the Real Madrid side he was a part of, one of the best iterations in the club's illustrious career.
Paco Gento's Real Madrid Statistics | |
---|---|
Appearances | 566 |
Goals | 165 |
Assists | 3 |
Trophies | 21 |
7 Santiago Bernabeu
1911-1920 & 1921-1926
The stadium is named after Bernabeu and without him, the club wouldn't be the same as it is today. 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.
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. Despite spending a year with the club's local rivals, Atletico Madrid, he's still regarded as an icon at Los Blancos and his legacy will never be forgotten, regardless of his limited appearances.
Santiago Bernabeu's Real Madrid Statistics | |
---|---|
Appearances | 51 |
Goals | 27 |
Assists | N/A |
Trophies | 1 |
GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: In 1955, Real Madrid changed the name of their stadium to Santiago Bernabeu, paying tribute to their former player and long-time president.
6 Raul Gonzalez
1994-2010
![The 20 greatest players in Real Madrid's history have been ranked (3) The 20 greatest players in Real Madrid's history have been ranked (3)](https://i0.wp.com/static0.givemesportimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/mixcollage-07-feb-2024-09-39-am-5082.jpg)
What a striker Raul was. He's Real Madrid's second-highest scorer with 323 goals and leads the way for appearances with an enormous 741. Raul brought an end to his incredible 16-year career at Los Blancos in 2010, with six La Liga titles and three Champions Leagues to boot.
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He consistently put up absurd scoring numbers throughout the majority of his career in Spain, and there were just two years during his time at the Bernabeu that he didn't score in double figures. If it wasn't for a certain Portuguese superstar, he'd still possess the top-scoring records for Madrid in the league and in the Champions League.
Raul Gonzalez' Real Madrid Statistics | |
---|---|
Appearances | 741 |
Goals | 323 |
Assists | 123 |
Trophies | 16 |
5 Iker Casillas
1999-2015
![The 20 greatest players in Real Madrid's history have been ranked (5) The 20 greatest players in Real Madrid's history have been ranked (5)](https://i0.wp.com/static0.givemesportimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/mixcollage-19-dec-2023-09-40-am-2612.jpg)
San Iker could do it all between the sticks and rarely ever dropped a bad performance. He's still the youngest goalkeeper to appear in a Champions League final and holds 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.
He spent 16 years in the club's senior team and was one of the best goalkeepers in the world during his prime at the Bernabeu. Casillas won just about everything there was to win with Madrid and played over 700 times along the way. Just a world-class goalkeeper.
Iker Casillas' Real Madrid Statistics | |
---|---|
Appearances | 725 |
Goals conceded | 751 |
Clean sheets | 264 |
Trophies | 18 |
4 Sergio Ramos
2005-2021
![The 20 greatest players in Real Madrid's history have been ranked (6) The 20 greatest players in Real Madrid's history have been ranked (6)](https://i0.wp.com/static0.givemesportimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/mixcollage-31-jan-2024-11-26-am-7611.jpg)
Probably the finest-ever Real Madrid captain. As well as leading the team marvellously for so many years and winning 22 trophies overall, Sergio Ramos scored a ridiculous number of goals for a centre-back. He left the Bernabeu with a collection totalling 101 across all competitions, a return worthy of a decent striker.
The Spaniard is still playing at a very high level at the age of 37, 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.
Sergio Ramos' Real Madrid Statistics | |
---|---|
Appearances | 671 |
Goals | 101 |
Assists | 40 |
Trophies | 22 |
3 Zinedine Zidane
2001-2006
![The 20 greatest players in Real Madrid's history have been ranked (7) The 20 greatest players in Real Madrid's history have been ranked (7)](https://i0.wp.com/static0.givemesportimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/mixcollage-18-dec-2023-08-26-am-5601.jpg)
A world-class player for Real Madrid and an equally good manager. In his playing days, 'Zizou' scored an incredible volley to win the 2001 Champions League final, and he then guided the club 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.
Zinedine Zidane's Real Madrid Statistics | |
---|---|
Appearances | 227 |
Goals | 49 |
Assists | 68 |
Trophies | 6 |
2 Alfredo Di Stefano
1953-1964
![The 20 greatest players in Real Madrid's history have been ranked (8) The 20 greatest players in Real Madrid's history have been ranked (8)](https://i0.wp.com/static0.givemesportimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/mixcollage-11-dec-2023-09-26-am-4845.jpg)
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 also scored in every single one of the five European Cup finals he played in. They don't make them quite like the 'Blond Arrow' anymore.
He spent over a decade with Madrid, and the impact he had during that time cannot be overstated. It would take someone special to outshine his legacy at the club. Unfortunately, one of the very best players ever also happened to play for them at one point.
Alfredo Di Stefano's Real Madrid Statistics | |
---|---|
Appearances | 363 |
Goals | 278 |
Assists | 2 |
Trophies | 18 |
1 Cristiano Ronaldo
2009-2018
Cristiano Ronaldo is Real Madrid's all-time record scorer with 450 goals, and he somehow achieved it in just 438 games. That return is absurd and will never be equalled by another player. Ronaldo also won four Champions Leagues at Real Madrid and scored 30 or more goals in every single season he was at the club. The 39-year-old really was a footballing cyborg in the Spanish capital.
He cost Madrid a world record transfer fee when he joined in 2009, and 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.
Cristiano Ronaldo's Real Madrid Statistics | |
---|---|
Appearances | 438 |
Goals | 450 |
Assists | 131 |
Trophies | 15 |
All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt. Correct as of 17/07/2024.