Real Madrid is one of the most successful football clubs ever. They’ve won 13 European Cups, the most in history, with seven coming in the Champions League era. They’ve also won La Liga 34 times and are likely to win their second league title in three years next summer.
Because of their long and successful history, many amazing players have played for Real Madrid, especially in recent decades.
Real Madrid has always been strong throughout their history, so top players have come from different times.
Here’s a look at the ten greatest players to have played for Real Madrid.
10. Roberto Carlos
Roberto Carlos was a great defender who scored many goals in soccer. He played for Real Madrid and was known for his fast runs down the left side of the field. Sergio made a lot of passes that led to goals and also made important defensive plays.
He won the FIFA World Cup in 2002 and was really good at taking free kicks, scoring some amazing long-distance goals. He’s tied for the most goals scored by a defender in the UEFA Champions League, with 16 goals, along with Gerard Pique.
During his 11 years at Real Madrid, Roberto Carlos played in over 500 games, scoring 70 goals and helping with 90 assists. He won four La Liga titles and three Champions League titles with the team.
One of his most famous moments was setting up Zinedine Zidane’s winning goal in the 2002 Champions League final against Bayer Leverkusen, which gave Real Madrid their eighth title in that competition.
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9. Karim Benzema
Karim Benzema is a player who hasn’t always received enough recognition at Real Madrid. He joined the team in 2009, the same year as Cristiano Ronaldo. Benzema often played in Ronaldo’s shadow. But when Ronaldo left in 2018, Benzema really stepped up.
Since then, he has scored more than 100 goals in just over three seasons, nearing a total of 300 goals for Real Madrid overall. He has won the Champions League four times and La Liga three times. This season, he has been outstanding, scoring 17 goals and making 12 assists in all competitions. This season, he’s been outstanding, scoring 17 goals and making 12 assists in all competitions.
Recently, Benzema scored his 200th goal in La Liga, putting him among the top ten all-time goal scorers in the league’s history.
Benzema keeps getting better with age and has become a true legend at Real Madrid. And he’s not finished yet—he’s now the club’s third highest goal scorer of all time.
8. Iker Casillas
Iker Casillas is considered one of the best goalkeepers ever. He played for Real Madrid and won many big trophies with them and Spain.
He won the European Championship twice and the FIFA World Cup once. With Real Madrid, he won five La Liga titles and three Champions League titles in 16 seasons. In more than 750 games, he kept 264 games without conceding a goal.
Casillas’s calm demeanor and quick reactions helped Real Madrid win many important matches. After a short time playing for Porto, he retired from his career.
Now, Casillas works with the Real Madrid Foundation. He joined them last year. The foundation aims to help over 800 young people through sports programs.
7. Fernando Hierro
Fernando Hierro holds a special place in Real Madrid and La Liga history.
He is Real Madrid’s top-scoring defender, scoring 127 goals. Over 100 of these goals were in La Liga, a competition he won five times.
In the 1991-92 season, Hierro scored an impressive 21 goals. However, Real Madrid narrowly missed out on the La Liga title to Barcelona by just one point.
Hierro played over 600 games for Real Madrid in 14 seasons. He was known for his versatility, playing as a sweeper and defensive midfielder as well as a defender.
6. Paco Gento
Paco Gento is a legendary player for Real Madrid. He’s 88 years old now and holds a unique record: he’s the only player to win six European Cups, which is now known as the UEFA Champions League. He won five of these cups in a row.
Gento played more than 600 games for Real Madrid and scored almost 200 goals. He played as a winger alongside Alfredo Di Stefano and Ferenc Puskas in the forward line.
He’s considered one of Spain’s greatest players ever. Besides his skill at crossing the ball from the sides, Gento was also known for his powerful long-distance shots.
5. Raul
Raul is a famous player in Real Madrid’s history. He used to play for Spain and is one of only two players who scored more than 300 goals for the club.
During his time at Real Madrid, Raul scored 323 goals in nearly 750 games. He was the club’s top scorer until Cristiano Ronaldo surpassed him. Raul played for Real Madrid for 16 years and helped the team win six La Liga titles and three Champions League trophies.
Raul mainly played as a center-forward or second striker, but he could also play on the wings or in attacking midfield. Even 25 years after scoring three goals in a Champions League game when he was just 18 years old, Raul remains the youngest player to achieve this feat.
He is also the second-highest goal scorer in Real Madrid’s history.
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4. Ferenc Puskas
Ferenc Puskas is considered one of the greatest players ever. He joined Madrid when he was over 30 years old. Despite this, he quickly amazed Madrid fans with his smooth skills and amazing ability to score goals.
In his successful eight years at Real Madrid, Puskas scored nearly 250 goals and won three European Cups and five La Liga titles. He formed a strong partnership with Alfredo Di Stefano, Kopa, and Paco Gento.
Puskas was known for his incredible left foot and scored many fantastic goals for Real Madrid. FIFA honored him by naming their Best Goal of the Year award after him.
Puskas died in 2006 at the age of 79 because of pneumonia, but his legacy continues to be remembered.
3. Sergio Ramos
Sergio Ramos used to play for Real Madrid as their captain. He’s known for scoring many goals, which is rare for a defender.
He played mostly as a centre-back and scored over 100 goals for Real Madrid, making him only the second defender to do so. Sergio played more than 650 games for the club. He was strong in defense and also good at scoring goals from headers and set-pieces.
Ramos won La Liga five times and the Champions League four times with Real Madrid. He was known for performing well in big matches, scoring goals in two Champions League finals.
This summer, Ramos left Real Madrid and now plays for PSG. He has had a successful career, winning championships with both his club and the Spanish national team. He’s Spain’s most-capped player and has won the European Championship twice and the FIFA World Cup once.
2. Alfredo Di Stefano
Alfredo Di Stefano, who passed away, is remembered by Real Madrid fans as one of their greatest players ever.
He played for the club for ten years and scored many goals while winning many important titles. Alfredo won eight La Liga titles and five European Cups in a row with Real Madrid.
He was a strong leader on and off the field. Both Barcelona and Real Madrid wanted to sign him, but he eventually joined Real Madrid. He scored in all five European Cup finals he played in, and Real Madrid won each time.
After retiring, he didn’t find as much success as a coach. Still, Di Stefano left a lasting mark on Real Madrid’s history.
1. Cristiano Ronaldo
Where do you start when talking about Cristiano Ronaldo and his incredible achievements?
He’s scored a staggering 450 goals for Real Madrid, making him their top scorer ever by a huge margin. In his nine seasons there, Ronaldo helped Real Madrid win the UEFA Champions League multiple times, including three times in a row, a feat no other club has matched. He’s also one of only two players to score over 300 goals in La Liga, and the first to score more than 40 goals in a single season.
Ronaldo holds the record for the most goals in Champions League history, with 140 goals. He’s the first player to score 100 goals in the tournament and has done it all for one club. His performances helped Real Madrid dominate Europe, winning four Champions League titles in five years.
It was fitting that Ronaldo scored his 450th and final goal for Real Madrid against their biggest rivals, Barcelona.
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