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Real Madrid are the most successful team in the UEFA Champions League in the last decade. They have won Europe's elite competition four times in the last ten years and have been a dominant force throughout the 21st century.
Real Madrid have and continue to attract some of the biggest stars in the game. They have fielded some of the greatest players in the history of the game and their clout in that respect is still unmatched.
Real Madrid recently appointed Carlo Ancelotti as manager following Zinedine Zidane's departure after the 2020-21 season. Ancelotti guided Real Madrid to Champions League glory in the 2013-14 season. He has a plethora of talented players at his disposal and should be able to oversee a successful period for the club.
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Real Madrid are one of the most successful clubs in the last decade
In the last decade, Real Madrid have won three La Liga titles, one Copa Del Rey and three Supercopa de Espanas in addition to their four Champions League titles. Of course, none of it would have been possible without the kind of personnel they have had on their payroll.
Without further ado, let's take a look at five of the best Real Madrid players from the last decade.
#5 Karim Benzema
One of Real Madrid's most loyal servants from recent times, Karim Benzema continues to be a world-class striker at the age of 33. The Frenchman has been remarkably influential for Real Madrid and he has always been willing to share the spotlight with the Galacticos that have come and gone.
He has had no qualms playing in the shadows of players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale. The 33-year-old has made 559 appearances for Real Madrid across all competitions, scoring 279 goals and providing 144 assists. Benzema is a well-rounded striker but his playmaking skills are still underrated.
Benzema has slowly attained legendary status at the Santiago Bernabeu, with fans realizing his true worth in recent years. He was arguably Real Madrid's best player in the 2020-21 season, scoring 30 goals and providing nine assists in 46 appearances across all competitions.
#4 Toni Kroos
Real Madrid signed Toni Kroos from Bayern Munich in the summer of 2014 for €25 million. It will go down in history as one of the best bargain deals of the 21st century. Kroos, then 24, had already established himself as one of the best midfielders in Europe.
He played a starring role for the German national side that won the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Kroos slotted in seamlessly into Carlo Ancelotti's side and played the midfield role to perfection alongside Luka Modric and James Rodriguez.
One of the best passers in the game, Kroos does not do a lot of flashy or fancy stuff but he nails the most important bits of being the architect in midfield. He has acted as the link between the Real Madrid defence and forward line and played that role to perfection.
Kroos is also one of the most tactically intelligent footballers on the planet and that is why he is so great despite his lack of pace. The German international was a vital cog in the midfield that won three Champions League titles on the trot from the 2015-16 season to the 2017-18 season.
#3 Luka Modric
The Croatian international was termed the worst La Liga signing in a poll conducted by MARCA in 2012. Nine years later, Luka Modric has done enough to go down as one of the best midfielders to have ever played for Real Madrid.
It has been one of the most dramatic turnarounds in recent times. Modric became the first player to break the Cristiano Ronaldo-Lionel Messi duopoly over the Ballon d'Or when he won the award in 2018.
Modric is not built like the archetypal central midfielder, but he has made up for it with his workrate and incredible technical ability. He uses his body well to shield the ball and it is nearly impossible to steal the ball from his feet. Modric's agility, deft touches and body movements make him as elusive as anyone on a football pitch.
Even at the age of 35, he continues to be one of the first names on the Real Madrid teamsheet. In the 2020-21 season, he made 48 appearances for Los Blancos across all competitions, scoring six goals and providing six assists.
#2 Sergio Ramos
Sergio Ramos is one of Real Madrid's greatest players of the 21st century. The club's fans were heartbroken to see him leave for Paris Saint-Germain this summer. He has embodied the spirit of the club for a decade and a half and has been a brilliant leader both on and off the pitch.
Ramos is one of the best defenders of his generation and he is unmatched in his dedication, aggression and passion. He also has the distinction of being one of the best goalscoring centre-backs of our times thanks to his incredible heading and set-piece abilities.
Ramos will be irreplaceable at Real Madrid and the club will miss him massively when the 2021-22 season starts. In the last decade, he has won three La Liga titles, four Champions League titles, two Copa Del Reys and three Supercopa de Espanas.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo is not only the best Real Madrid player of the last decade but also arguably the greatest player to have ever donned their storied whites. After being signed from Manchester United in 2009 for €94 million, Ronaldo has broken every goalscoring record there was at Real Madrid.
He was inspirational and nothing short of a joy to watch as he went about breaking records and winning honours like clockwork. Ronaldo was the top scorer for Real Madrid in each of the nine seasons he played for them. He scored an incredible 451 goals in 438 appearances for Real Madrid.
Ronaldo was also unstoppable in the Champions League and seemed to relish the big occasions. Real Madrid owe Ronaldo massively for their incredible record in the Champions League in the last decade. His contributions will never be forgotten and he will go down in history as one of the greatest of all time.
(Honorable mention: Gareth Bale)
