Ranked! The 50 greatest Real Madrid players of all time
From Real Madrid academy stars to Galacticos and European champions, we rank the Blancos' best-ever
40. Rafael Gordillo
One of the greatest wing-backs of a generation, Rafael Gordillo moved from Real Betis to Real Madrid and won everything in Spanish football. Five consecutive titles were punctuated by the UEFA Cup in 1986, with Real's homegrown heroes sweeping the board. Gordillo was ever-reliable and formed a formidable partnership with Jose Camacho on the opposite flank.
39. Jacinto Quincoces
A defender of strength and intelligence, Jacinto Quincoces is regarded as one of the greatest pre-WWII Spanish footballers ever. With a penchant for the dramatic, the Basque centre-back was a key member in two LaLiga triumphs and two Spanish Cups.
38. Angel Di Maria
Were it not for Angel Di Maria, Real Madrid may not have won any of their most four recent Champions League trophies: not least because it was a virtuoso performance from the Argentinian that set the ball rolling in 2014. An unsung hero of that side, Di Maria was the complete wide man, with creativity, incision and brilliance both in tight spaces and with grass ahead of him to run in. He may have only been at Real four years – but he left quite the mark.
37. Chendo
There were few defenders as committed as Chendo – and he may well have put in the greatest-ever performance against Diego Maradona. The right-back had a modest stature but incredible concentration and discipline, winning seven titles and playing nearly 500 times for Los Blancos. He finished his career in 1998 with a Champions League to put the cherry on a magnificent career at the top.
36. Ignacio Zoco
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. With the Hollywood stars of the 1950s winding down, Zoco gave the side an added steel to compensate for its lack of flair – and ended up winning 10 major titles with the team.
35. Hector Rial
The English got a taste of Hector Rial when he scored against them in a friendly in 1955. The Three Lions' defence couldn't deal with him that day: Rial was a complete striker and a playmaker rolled into one, capable of unleashing firebolts of shots and setting up his teammates. He was underrated in those early European Cup-winning sides – but certainly not by teammates who saw him as the perfect foil.
34. Amancio Amaro
'The Galician Wizard' put some showmanship back into Real Madrid when he arrived in 1962. A winger with a wicked lick of pace and an eye for the spectacular, Amancio was a member of the "Ye-Ye" side that made multiple European finals with its devastating strike force, inspiring so many to play with his reckless abandon. He retired in 1976 as a European champion 10 years' prior and nine-time LaLiga winner.
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33. Fernando Redondo
"What does this player have in his boots?" Sir Alex Ferguson asked of Fernando Redondo. "A magnet?”
The Argentinian midfielder was nicknamed 'the Prince' and soon became Real royalty with displays of grace and deftness in a white shirt. He won two Champions League titles with Los Blancos – the second of which, he was the player of the tournament for.
32. Marcelo
Perhaps no one has ever had a first touch as good as Marcelo's – there's especially not a left-back to rival him. But the Brazilian was barely a left-back during Real's threepeat of the 2010s, marauding forward, adding a body to the midfield and helping to cut Europe's finest apart in an attack with BBC. He was simply a complete footballer – and has gone down as one of the greatest full-backs of a generation.
31. Jose Antonio Camacho
Jose Antonio Camacho spent two years out of the game with a knee injury – and still managed nearly 600 games in a white shirt. The left-back was a pillar of strength, pace and boundless stamina over 15 years at the Bernabeu, winning 17 domestic titles and two UEFA Cups, back-to-back in the 1980s. His passion and desire to win is still the bar that many fans hold today.
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Current page: The 50 greatest Real Madrid players of all time: 40-31
Prev Page The 50 greatest Real Madrid players of all time: 50-41 Next Page The 50 greatest Real Madrid players of all time: 30-21Mark White has been at on FourFourTwo since joining in January 2020, first as a staff writer before becoming content editor in 2023. An encyclopedia of football shirts and boots knowledge – both past and present – Mark has also represented FFT at both FA Cup and League Cup finals (though didn't receive a winners' medal on either occasion) and has written pieces for the mag ranging on subjects from Bobby Robson's season at Barcelona to Robinho's career. He has written cover features for the mag on Mikel Arteta and Martin Odegaard, and is assisted by his cat, Rosie, who has interned for the brand since lockdown.