Real Madrid legends: The best Real Madrid players of all time

Few can argue that Real Madrid are the biggest club in world football.

The record European champions and La Liga winners have been consistently brilliant for over a century, lifting title after title on home soil and during their travels across the continent. As a result, they have more fans than any other club around the globe, attracting superstars from all corners to don the fabled white jersey.

Many of the greatest players ever have called the Santiago Bernabeu their home, from the swashbuckling dynamos of the 1960s to the Galacticos of the mid-2000s and legends of the modern day.

Here are the greatest Real Madrid players of all time.

25. Fernando Hierro

A 14-year spell at the Bernabeu littered with silverware, Fernando Hierro helped breed the modern centre-back. Capable of playing in a holding midfield role too, his excellent passing and technical quality made him the perfect playmaker inside his own half.

One of the few Madrid legends to have also worn the white of Bolton Wanderers, Hierro won five La Liga titles and three Champions League trophies in Madrid.

24. Marcelo

The great Brazilian helped redefine the left-back position throughout the noughties and 2010s. A tenacious defender who was incredibly happy contributing in the final third, Marcelo could do everything needed of a modern defender.

He regularly finished seasons with double-digit hauls of combined goals and assists, proving the perfect heir to Roberto Carlos' golden throne.

23. Santillana

Carlos Alonso Gonzalez, simply known as Santillana, was famed for his instinctive finishing and sharp heading skills, despite standing at just 5'9. He had the ability to leap through the air with ease, with many of his 290 Real goals coming with his noggin.

Nine La Liga titles isn't a shabby haul, with four Copa del Rey crowns and two UEFA Cups too.

22. Ricardo Zamora

Everyone loves a flat cap goalkeeper, with Ricardo Zamora among the best in the business during the 1930s. Regarded as one of the greats of the 20th century, he spent six years in the Spanish capital having previously played with Barcelona in Catalonia and also went on to manage Atletico Madrid.

However, his connections to Madrid's great rivals can't tarnish his legacy at the Bernabeu.

21. Vicente Del Bosque

While best known for overseeing a golden era for the Spanish national team, life started on the touchline with Madrid for Vicente Del Bosque - a club he represented as a player for 16 years.

The moustachioed icon helped build an era of dominance in Madrid during his playing days in the late 1970s, winning five out of six La Liga titles at the end of the decade. The midfielder made well over 400 appearances for Los Blancos before his spell in the dugout.

20. Ronaldo

O Fenomeno remains one of the most naturally gifted footballers of all time, with injuries perhaps the only thing preventing the powerful Brazilian from achieving GOAT status.

He spent five prolific years at Madrid having also played for Clasico foes Barca, finishing up with 104 goals in 177 games. The forward had absolutely everything.

19. Emilio Butragueno

Ranking in Madrid's top ten goalscorers of all time, Emilio Butragueno was a relentless provider for Real in the late 1980s and early 90s. The striker, nicknamed 'The Vulture' for his brilliance inside the opposition penalty area, fired Los Blancos to six league titles.

Real were the only Spanish side the Madrid-born dynamo represented over the course of his career and he remains a transformative figure at the club.

18. Ivan Zamorano

Chile's finest footballer, Ivan Zamorano swiftly endeared himself to Madrid fans despite spending just four years with the club. Their adoration of the nifty striker peaked in 1995 when he bagged a clinical hat-trick against Barcelona en route to La Liga glory.

The fact that Pele selected Zamorano among his 100 greatest players of all time in 2004 suggests he was pretty good at football.

17. Luis Figo

Marking the beginning of the Galacticos era, Madrid signed Luis Figo directly from arch rivals Barcelona in 2000. It's fair to say the move didn't go down well in Catalonia, with the winger even seeing a pig's head thrown at him during a Clasico meeting several years after his switch.

However, the graceful Portuguese star took no time in sharing his quality with Real supporters, helping the club to two La Liga crowns and a Champions League title before heading off to Inter.

16. Pirri

A goalscoring midfielder, Pirri was one of the defining players of Madrid's all-conquering 1960s side. He ranks ninth in the club's scoring charts and tenth in appearances made, with a stunning ten La Liga titles under his belt at the Bernabeu.

He was also a huge part of the 1966 European Cup-winning team, featuring in the 2-1 final victory over Partizan Belgrade.

15. Roberto Carlos

Before Marcelo, Madrid had a different Brazilian left-back with a thunderous left foot. In fact, few players in the history of football can claim to have a more powerful boot than the legendary Roberto Carlos.

Famed for scoring absolute worldies and marauding up and down the wing, he won three Champions League titles in the Spanish capital during an 11-year spell.

14. Toni Kroos

Signing Toni Kroos from Bayern Munich in 2014 would prove one of Madrid's greatest pieces of business, with the German midfielder taking his effortless playmaking skills to Madrid.

The ultimate passer, Kroos forged a wonderful connection with Casemiro and Luka Modric en route to plenty of Champions League titles, helping Los Blancos dominate the continent.

13. Raymond Kopa

Raymond Kopa's spell in Spain was short but sweet, donning the Real jersey for just three seasons. However, the French forward helped guide the Spanish giants to three successive European Cups in the late 1950s, winning the Ballon d'Or for a particularly impressive 1958.

Kopa's name is now given to the award for the best young footballer across the world every year, claimed by the likes of Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe in recent seasons.

12. Hugo Sanchez

Despite spending just seven years at Madrid, Hugo Sanchez boasts one of the most devastating goalscoring rates of any forward in the club's history. Sitting seventh in the all-time rankings, he netted 208 goals in just 282 games.

Mexico's greatest ever product, Sanchez's speed, athleticism and nimbleness made him an incredibly tough man to defend.

11. Paco Gento

Known for his pace and quick feet, Paco Gento joined Madrid in 1953. 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.

10. Santiago Bernabeu

A man so loved by Madrid they named their stadium after him, Santiago Bernabeu is one of the club's earliest legends. Playing for Real prior to the Second World War, he would go on to be named the club's president for 35 years after his retirement.

Under his watch in the boardroom, Madrid would be crowned domestic champions on 16 separate occasions.

9. Iker Casillas

Goalkeepers don't come much better than Iker Casillas, especially in modern times. 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.

With smart reflexes, excellent positioning and great communication, Casillas was a constant starter throughout multiple eras in Madrid, also winning three major trophies with Spain.

8. Luka Modric

Few midfielders have been more significant in Madrid's history than the great Luka Modric, who guided the club to astounding glory alongside the aforementioned Kroos.

One of the greatest to ever feature in the engine room, Modric deservedly won the 2018 Ballon d'Or - the first player not named Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi to do so since 2008.

7. Zinedine Zidane

Real Madrid supporters quickly fell in love with the sensational Zinedine Zidane after his move from Juventus in 2001, helped of course by his unbelievable volley in the 2002 Champions League final against Bayer Leverkusen.

The Frenchman's famous number five jersey has now been inherited by Bellingham, who has made a strong start to filling Zidane's enormous boots.

As if he wasn't loved enough for his efforts on the pitch, Zidane then went on to win three Champions League titles as the club's manager during the 2010s.

6. Karim Benzema

Karim Benzema spent the first part of his Madrid career stuck in the shadows of Cristiano Ronaldo, but he quickly started to thrive as an individual after the Portuguese's exit in 2018.

A perfect all-round number nine, Benzema won the Ballon d'Or in 2022 for his excellent displays, finishing his Real career with five Champions League titles and as the club's second greatest goalscorer of all time.

5. Raul

Building 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.

323 goals were scored by the Spanish striker during those matches - bettered only by two players - and he came within a whisker of winning the Ballon d'Or in 2001, losing out to future teammate Michael Owen.

4. Sergio Ramos

Known for his ruthless partnership with Pepe, his excellent defensive ability and knack for getting sent off, Sergio Ramos was everything you want from a centre-half. He scored important goals, battled with the world's best forwards and produced some elite s**thousery 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.

3. Ferenc Puskas

So good that the award for the best goal scored each year is named after him, Ferenc Puskas is one of the greatest players to have taken to the field. The fleet-footed Hungary international won three European Cups with Madrid, scoring four times in the 7-3 final victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in 1960.

Puskas netted a remarkable 242 goals in just 262 matches, averaging a goal every 0.92 games, and remains among the greatest players ever.

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 the centre-forward's.

Di Stefano produced 22 La Liga hat-tricks en route to eight first division titles, finishing up with 308 goals in 396 matches.

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 powerful Portuguese has five Ballon d'Ors and four Champions League titles to his name, firing home at a staggering rate.

Indeed, he is Real's top goalscorer of all time, actually boasting more goals than games for the Spanish giants. He scored 450 times in 438 matches during a nine-year spell at the Bernabeu and it seems unlikely that anyone will ever match his legacy.

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