Real Madrid have always been one of the biggest clubs in Europe, so it’s little surprise they made history by becoming the first team to successfully defend their UEFA Champions League crown.
Their 4-1 triumph over Juventus in Cardiff underlined their legendary status as a giant of the game – but they have consistently been a top club, often seeing some of the greatest names in soccer history represent them.
Plenty of pundits are of the opinion that Los Blancos have the strongest squad in continental football today; they can swap players in and out of the starting XI on a whim and still compete against anyone on their day.
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But which historical Madrid legends were equally brilliant for their country? Let’s take a look.
#1 Zinedine Zidane
Current manager Zinedine Zidane was already a club legend before he took the reins of Real Madrid and now, having guided them to two UCL crowns, “Zizou” is untouchable.
A veritable Galactico during his playing days with Los Blancos, Zidane scored almost 40 goals with the club, netted one of the greatest UCL final goals of all time and claimed six major honours.
Whether he has been on the pitch or pulling the strings from the side-lines, he has always been a Madridista, through and through.
With France, the country he represented from 1994 to 2006, Zidane gave equally everything and more. One of the country’s finest-ever footballers, he helped them win the 1998 World Cup on home soil as well as playing an integral role in their European Championship victory two years later.
A centurion for Les Bleus, Zidane earned an astonishing 108 caps (74 of which saw his side emerge victorious), scoring 31 goals (10 of which came during major tournaments) and will always be fondly remembered as a loyal servant who was the elegant engine of a team that broke down racial and cultural barriers to prove that football could unite absolutely anyone.
#2 Roberto Carlos
Having spent 11 seasons with Real Madrid, Roberto Carlos is a club legend for sure and mightily respected even now, 10 years after he left the club.
During that time, he was one of their standout players, his Brazilian flair on the left flank, surging up and down from his defensive post, adding plenty of bite and samba swing to their attacks. Long before Marcelo dominated that same position, Carlos was busy rubber-stamping his authority and paving the way for those that followed.
Capturing 13 honours over the course of his time in the Spanish capital (including four La Liga crowns, three UCLs and one Super Cup), he more than repaid the faith that was shown in him following his move from Inter Milan in the mid-1990s.
Keen to prove himself on the international circuit, too, Carlos worked hard to become an icon for the national team as well - and he is still recalled by many as the finest full back ever to pull on the famous golden yellow shirt.
His deadly deadball ability still sends chills down the spine. The way he could bend the ball around walls and pile-drive shots from long distance into the back of the net was unrivalled at his peak, and his work-rate is still unmatched even today,
He played a key role in their 2002 World Cup triumph, won two Copa Americas and one Confederations Cup, alongside several other competitions, and even finished runner-up in the ‘02 Ballon d’Or award – a Selecao legend whose legacy will live on forever.
#3 Ferenc Puskas
Back before the UCL became what it is today, the best teams in Europe contested the European Cup (EC) – and, not to take anything away from Madrid’s recent history-making feats, but it will probably be some time before the impressive achievements of Ferenc Puskas and the Madrid team of the ‘60s are matched.
Puskas was a key player when Los Merengues completed a five-in-a-row victory in the EC, dominating the competition during the club’s golden years. In the 1960 7-3 final victory over Eintracht Frankfurt, Puskas scored an insane four goals.
He scored 242 goals in 262 games for them. Quite simply, Puskas armed with his trusty, powerful left foot was one of the greatest foreign players to ever play for the club.
On the international scene, he was equally prolific.
Although the “Hungarian Fox” only played 85 times for the Hungary national team, he managed to score a whopping 84 times (he also played four times for Spain) and his presence in the front line nearly always guaranteed victory for the “ Mighty Magyars”.
He helped his country become Olympic Champions in 1952 and also was crucial to their run to the final of the 1954 World Cup.
#4 Ronaldo Nazario
Before Cristiano was the main Ronaldo dominating European football, a certain Brazilian incarnation, what some like to think of as the “original”, was busy playing some of the best football ever produced by one individual.
For Real Madrid, Ronaldo was often their best striker – he spent five seasons at the Santiago Bernabeu, winning four titles, scoring 104 goals in the process.
A natural finisher for the club, he played 177 games as a striker, leading the line with tenacity, skill and deadly finishing. It’s widely believed that he did well to become such an indispensable player for the club considering his previous problems with potentially devastating injury.
For Brazil, he was equally well-liked – some of his World Cup goals (13 in total) were key to the country’s 2002 triumph where they overcame Germany 2-0 in the final, with “Il Fenomeno” netting both strikes, plus he is their second highest all-time top scorer, behind Pele.
Ronaldo oozed class whenever he wore the national shirt and will go down in history as one of their most outstanding talents. At his peak, he could dribble past the best defences, knew how to produce bamboozling displays of skill and could clip all sorts of finishes past world-class goalkeepers.
A true genius for both Madrid and Brazil.
#5 Iker Casillas
The official Real Madrid website hail Iker Casillas as ‘the best goalkeeper in our history’ – not bad praise. It’s easy to see why because he was an invaluable player to the club, recording a mind-blowing 725 official appearances as well as winning 19 titles.
Among his haul of silverware includes five La Liga titles and four Spanish Super Cups – he even recorded 15 clean sheets in three different seasons for Los Blancos.
For Spain, he was incredibly impressive, too, where he won a World Cup and two European Championships.
His agility, reactions, commanding aerial ability and leadership at the back were all some of his finest attributes for club and country and it’s unlikely either will see someone of his calibre and dedication between the posts for a long time to come.
Outstanding.
