The Frenchman won two La Liga titles and 3 European cups during his short stay at the Spanish capital. For some, he is the ultimate Real hero: flawed, of course, but always playing his heart on one of those rolled-up sleeves. 15 titles in eight years and a bag full of memories of overhead kicks, El Clasico strikes, impossible finishes, hat-tricks and moments of magic cemented him as the greatest player in the club's history. The Spaniard was a mainstay of the side for over 10 years and was much missed when he retired in 1962. 'Cristiano Ronaldo has desire to return to Real Madrid', Top 10 players 'your wife wants to sleep with', Nike are re-releasing Nike 'Hypervenom' boots, Chelsea: Saudi Arabia could now 'rescue transfer window' at Stamford Bridge, 5 key takeaways from F1's latest return to Canada, Liverpool will now sign 'at least one more' midfielder at Anfield. Mark White has been a staff writer on FourFourTwo since joining in January 2020, writing pieces for both online and the magazine. Spain's most-capped player is a two-time European Championship and one-time FIFA World Cup winner. He once saw Tyrone Mings at a petrol station in Bournemouth but felt far too short to ask for a photo. One of the games greatest ever strikers, Hugo Sanchez was a true legend at Real Madrid. He was superior to everyone - even me. He still had his velvet touch, his ability to bamboozle defenders and an unreal set-piece ability but alongside his new superstar teammates, he was happy to supply, too. 73. Not many people know that Real Madrid legend Alfredo Di Stefano had initially signed for Barcelona in the year 1953 after a dispute over his signature with Real. LOOKING FOR BARCA? Heres how it works. Zamora was Real Madrid's first choice goalkeeper between 1930-1936. This article provides you with the top ten best real Madrid legends of all time. He was one of the first true Galacticos: in every sense of the title. He helped Real Madrid to 16 titles with including the 1989/90 LaLiga trophy in which Real achieved a domestic record 107 goals. 2023 Minute Media - All rights reserved. He made 725 appearances before departing for Porto in 2015. He's one of the greatest keepers of all time. 10. The undisputable superstar of eight league titles and five European triumphs, Di Stefano embodies the glamour and the mystique that become associated with the club. There was simply no keeping him down: in the 10 league titles he won with Los Blancos, Pirri netted double digits in five, with his tenacity and aggression a must-need component for the Merengues for over a decade. One of the two standout players of this generation, Cristiano Ronaldo is easily one of the greatest players of all time. In that top ten are former teammates Casillas as well as Cristiano Ronaldo, but neither of them are ahead of Alfredo Di Stefano. 1 Cristiano Ronaldo Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro (born 5 February 1985) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a forward for Serie A club Juventus and captains the Portugal national team. A quintessential leader both on and off the pitch, Di Stefano was pursued by both Barcelona and Real Madrid before the latter secured his signature. Real Madrid knew they had something special when a 17-year-old Raul replaced club legend Butragueno. Be the first one to comment on this story. Iker Casillas or San Iker as he is popularly known is one of the greatest ever goalkeepers of our generation. Zizou is the Galactico: a player of grace and delicateness, yet capable of true fiery power whenever he flicked the switch. 18 Jun 2023 13:18:16 Sanchez netted 208 goals in 283 Real Madrid games. After joining the club in 1951, Zarraga made 306 appearances in an 11 years spell. He joined the company as an Academy member in July 2017 and, after a short time working as a freelancer, was given a full-time role in February 2018. Raul netted 343 times and is the club's leading appearance maker with 741. He retired in 1976 as a European champion 10 years' prior and nine-time LaLiga winner. Redondo was a played 225 times for the club across six seasons. In a glorious 11-year stint at Real Madrid, the 48-year-old racked up over 500 appearances, scoring 70 times and setting up 90 others. 10. Santillana played 645 times for Los Blancos, the fourth most of any player. If it weren't for injuries, Ronaldo would probably be regarded as the greatest player of all-time. Zoco appeared in 400 games for Real Madrid. He is considered one of the best footballers whose left foot was a powerful weapon, similar to Ronaldo or Bale. The Spaniard is well known for his leadership skills, tenacity and ferocity. Be the first one to comment on this story. David Beckham. The rest, as they say, is history. Blessed with a magical left foot, Puskas scored many brilliant goals for Real Madrid. Alfredo di Stefano Going down memory lane, one of Alfredo di Stefano's well-circulated picture in Google is that of him sitting on a field with five golden cups sprawled in front of him. Ronaldo joined Real Madrid from Manchester United for a then world record fee of 80 million and he has been worth every single penny so far. In addition to these characteristics, Raul is remembered for his leadership and discipline; throughout his extensive career, he never received a red card, and he was rarely booked. Simply put, a chance creation machine. Brash, brazen and brilliant in equal part, the centre-back commanded the Merengues' defence first from right-back before moving into the centre and coming to define the position in fans' eyes. Had the Zamora Trophy existed during his playing career, he'd have won it three times. Makelele was so good he had a position named after him. Using the most recent statistics, we have compiled a list of Real Madrid legends. In a strike partnership with former Yugoslavia teammate Davor Suker, Predrag Mijatovic managed to wrestle the title away from Bobby Robson, Ronaldo and an all-devouring Barcelona side in his first season. During the second half of his career, Puskas formed a deadly combination with the great Alfredo Di Stefano during his stint at Real Madrid as they the duo tore up defences and guided the Los Blancos to five straight league titles and three European Cups. A true team player, Vicente Del Bosque was Real's gel for 11 seasons, knitting together the midfield and forward line in perfect harmony. The winger was an integral part of a forward line comprising Alfredo Di Stefano and Ferenc Puskas (more on them later). He was the world's most expensive player when Madrid forked out 80 million for his services and looking back, it could be seen as a bit of a bargain. Mijatovic netted 68 times in 128 games. Carlos famously set up Zinedine Zidane's winner in the 2002 final against Bayer Leverkusen, sealing Madrid's eighth title in the competition. He's now vice-captain and regularly wears the armband, with skipper Marcelo regularly on the bench. Former Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos is one of the game's premier goalscoring defenders. He was simply a complete footballer and has gone down as one of the greatest full-backs of a generation. Never afraid to spend big money in the transfer market, the Spanish giants have more often than not succeeded in convincing footballing superstars to ply their trade at the Santiago Bernabeu.Some true legends of the game have pulled on the pristine All White jersey of the Spanish giants. Ronaldo joined Real Madrid from Manchester United for a then-world record fee of 80 million and was worth every single penny so Los Blancos. Best typified by a 5-0 thrashing in the Clasico in which the Chilean got a hat-trick and set up the other two Zamorano was a pocket rocket: capable of beating defenders for pace, for headers and simply through his will to get a toe to anything. He also helped them to four Champions League titles. Beckham didn't play in a side that conquered all before them but his contribution to the 2006/07 title as his contract was expiring was exactly what the Merengues bought the England captain for. No one has ever played at 100% of their physical capacity quite as often as Cristiano Ronaldo. The less said about Fernando Morientes sending Real Madrid out of the Champions League in 2004 while on loan at Monaco the better. 10 greatest Real Madrid players of all time. With beautiful assists and the ability to turn games, he became one of the fans' most-loved stars in the noughties. During his illustrious 16-year stint with the Merengues, Raul played a key role in Real Madrid's six La Liga and three Champions League triumphs. Raul holds a special place in the hearts of the Real Madrid supporters. Some of the greatest footballers wore the jersey of Real Madrid in the world in their time and choosing the 10 best is certainly not an easy task. A record that'll likely never be matched again. He primarily writes about football but is also comfortable reporting on a variety of other sports including darts, golf, tennis, boxing and athletics. 'Il Fenomeno,' they called him. He gradually earned a reputation for single-handedly propelling this team to glory, whether or not they were playing well or not. the first English player to win the Champions League with a non-English club in 2000 before becoming the first English player to win the Champions League twice, he scored a glorious volley against Valencia to help his side win the trophy. His phenomenal goals scoring prowess can be seen from the fact that he scored an astonishing 242 goals from 262 games. So now without further delay, let's go ahead and check out the top 10 greatest Real Madrid players of all time. Gento was known for his remarkable pace and is considered by many to be the fastest player to ever play. Ral, a legend: 741 Real Madrid matches, 323 goals, 16 trophies. The fleet-footed wide man was a star for Real in the 50s and 60s, helping the club to 12 titles. Watch part one of the Chairman's annual. Modric has been brilliant since signing in 2012. Cunningham became the first Englishman to play for Real Madrid when he signed in 1979. He helped the club to 10 La Liga titles. 30. He was a lynchpin for so many big trophy wins. He was the lynchpin of the all-conquering Magical Magyars and led the Hungary team to unprecedented success. The late Alfredo Di Stefano is fondly remembered by the Real Madrid faithful as one of the greatest players to pull on their jersey. Sir Alex Ferguson asked of Fernando Redondo. Considered one of the greatest strikers of all-time, Puskas scored 156 times in 180 Spanish league games for Real Madrid. Maradona was named Di Stefano, the best player in football history. The legendary Ferenc Pusks would have been 94 years old today. Every season he was at Real, he scored over 30 goals a season: twice, he hit over 60. But perhaps his most underrated trait was just how reliable he was: Carlos was far more than just a flashy Galactico and he was European champion three times. In over 400 appearances, Ignacio Zoco was the gearbox of the Real Madrid midfield, dictating the flow of a match and driving forward with confidence. Los Blancos are, arguably, the biggest club in the world. Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham, Barcelona, Real Madrid and PSG are unsurprisingly among the big-name clubs that boast the most valuable players in world football. "About the rumours [to Real Madrid ], now I want to focus here, we'll talk when the stay is over. 40. He was a truly leader that aspired to carry his new teammates and they loved him for it. The most controversial pick on the list is Bale, who seems very high at 15. An association not just with success but in bringing the best to the Bernabeu. With a penchant for the dramatic, the Basque centre-back was a key member in two LaLiga triumphs and two Spanish Cups. ' most-loved stars in the World of any player a two-time European Championship one-time... 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top 10 greatest real madrid players of all time
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