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Real Madrid CF, called “Los Blancos” or "the whites" by their supporters because of their famous white strip, are the biggest and most successful club in the world. Founded in 1902, Real have won 12 UEFA Champions Leagues, 3 World Club Cups and 33 La Ligas. Their astounding success has made them the leading club in the world and also the ultimate destination for any footballer.
Real's dominance in world football can be gauged from the simple fact that they have won the UEFA Champions' League on 12 occasions whereas no other club has managed to win it more than 7 times. In the 1950s, Real created history by winning 5 consecutive European Cups. That record has not been broken yet. They are again on the verge of winning their 3rd consecutive Champions' League title this year. Therefore, they are by far the most successful club in Europe.
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Real are unmatched in terms of domestic success too. They have won 8 more La Liga titles than their arch-rivals FC Barcelona. Such staggering achievements confirm their unrivaled status and clout in world football.
Therefore, quite understandably, it is a dream of every young footballer to wear the famous colors of Real Madrid and play at the Santiago Bernabeu, their legendary stadium. Over the years, many outstanding players have played for Real Madrid and contributed immensely to their success. Therefore, choosing Real Madrid's 5 greatest players is not an easy task.
However, we have tried to come up with a list of 5 greatest players who have played for Real. In this context, one has to keep in mind that this list was created on the basis of the player’s contribution to the club and not of his overall achievements and stature as a player.
#5 Fernando Hierro
Fernando Hierro, the legendary centre-back, played for Real Madrid in more than 600 matches and scored more than 100 goals. He captained the side in more than 200 matches and won 3 UEFA Champions’ Leagues and 6 La Ligas with them. At his peak, he was one of the best centre-backs in the world. His partnership with Ivan Helguera at the centre of Real Madrid's defence was extremely successful.
Hierro was a great leader on the pitch and one cannot forget his inspirational performance in the 1997-98 UEFA CL final against Juventus. He won the UEFA best club defender in the 1997-98 season for his brilliant performances. He captained the Spanish national side as well.
Hierro was a good tackler, strong in the air and intelligent with his distribution. He was also very reliable with his penalty kicks and free-kicks and scored a lot of goals through them. His expertise at the set-pieces was the reason behind his 123 goals for Real, an incredible tally for a defender. Hierro spent 12 glorious years at Real and remains one of the legendary players of the club.
#4 Raul
Raul Gonzalez Blanco or Raul, as he was popularly known as, was the primary reason behind Real’s success in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The Spanish striker spent 15 exceptional seasons at Real, played 733 matches and scored 307 goals. He also won 3 UEFA Champions Leagues and 6 La Ligas with Real. Raul was twice the leading goal-scorer in Europe and also finished runner-up in Ballon d’Or 2001.
Raul always shined in the biggest matches and was the first player to score 50 goals in the UEFA Champions’ League. One of those goals came in the 1999-2000 final win against Valencia. Raul was more comfortable playing as the main striker but could play as a second striker too. He formed a deadly striking partnership with fellow Spaniard Fernando Morientes at Real and the pair scored a lot of goals.
Raul was classy on the pitch and remained the quintessential sportsperson. He was never shown a red card in his career. Quite understandably, he was known as “Mr. Real Madrid.”
#3 Iker Casillas
What can one say of a man who spent 16 years at the club, played over 720 matches, won 3 Champions’ Leagues and 5 La Ligas? Casillas was always destined for greatness and did not have to look back since he debuted for the senior team in 1999. Like Raul, he also came through the junior ranks and had played for Real Madrid B & C teams before making his senior debut.
Casillas was a brilliant shot-stopper and had a calming influence on his teammates. He was also very reliable and committed very few mistakes. His performance under pressure in the 2001-02 UEFA CL final triumph against Bayer Leverkusen was commendable.
Casillas went on to win the Best European Goalkeeper Award in 2010. He also won the World Cup with the Spanish national team in the same year. He remains one of the most successful footballers of all time, having won multiple titles for his club and country. Casillas was known as “Saint Iker” among the Real Madrid supporters because of his ethereal and assuring presence in the goal.
#2 Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo was a big star when he arrived in Madrid nine years ago but became a legend while playing for the club. He has had some outstanding achievements with the club. He has won 3 UEFA Champions League titles with Real and scored an incredible 450 goals in 437 matches.
Ronaldo has undergone a complete transformation as a footballer while playing at Madrid. From a fast and skillful winger, he has evolved into a ruthless goal-scoring machine and a complete nightmare for opposition defenders.
Ronaldo has primarily played as a centre-forward for Real in the last few years. He also creates moves by dropping down to the midfield occasionally. His pace and athleticism go perfectly with Real's counter-attacking playing style. Ronaldo usually makes those scorching runs into the opposition half and exploits the space left behind by the opposition defenders. As a result, he has been able to score heaps of goals for Real.
The fact that Ronaldo has won 4 Ballon D’Ors in his 9 seasons at Real emphasizes his impact in world football. He is on the verge of winning another Champions’ League with the club this year. With all his remarkable achievements, Ronaldo has firmly etched his name in football’s Hall of fame.
#1 Alfredo Di Stefano
Alfredo Di Stefano is the most influential player in Real Madrid’s history. To many, he is the greatest footballer of all time. Pele himself called him the finest player of all time. To others like Johan Cruyff, he was second only to Pele. According to Sir Bobby Charlton, Di Stefano was the most complete footballer of all time. Such debates might continue till eternity, but what cannot be denied is the fact that Di Stefano’s achievements with Real Madrid have very few parallels in the history of football.
Di Stefano won 5 consecutive European Cups with the club in the 1950s, a record that has not been broken yet. Apart from that, he won 8 La Ligas for Real in his 11 years with the club. Di Stefano also won 2 Ballon D’Ors in his career. There were superb players like Gento, Santamaria and Puskas in that brilliant Real Madrid side of the 1950s, but Di Stefano was the pick of the lot.
The stand-out aspect in Di Stefano’s game was its versatility. He was a prolific centre-forward and scored 308 goals in 396 matches for Real, but could play in the midfield too. He could also be the typical play-maker, playing passes and creating moves for his teammates. Di Stefano could play as a defensive midfielder as well.
Such versatility made him indispensable as a footballer. The “Blonde Arrow”, as Di Stefano was popularly known as, remains the greatest footballer in the history of this great club.
Who would make your list? Have your say. Leave a comment below.
