Real Madrid: Ranking the 10 greatest forwards in club history
3. Raul
Raul was born to play for the Royal Whites. For many fans from the 90s and 2000s, Raul was synonymous with Real Madrid. He represented the white jersey like no other. The former captain made his debut for the first team in 1994 at the age of 17; he never looked back since.
His most iconic moment came against Los Blancos’ bitter rival Barcelona when he silenced the home crowd at Camp Nou after scoring the equalizer in the 86th minute.
No Real Madrid fan can forget the image of Raul scoring that goal and celebrating with his finger on his lips, signaling the Blaugranas supporters that it was time to shut up. The second-highest scorer for the Whites, he won three Champions League trophies and six La Liga titles spending 16 years with the club’s first team.
2. Alfredo Di Stefano
Alfredo Di Stefano came and changed the face of Real Madrid forever. The first-ever Real Madrid superstar was one of the best players ever to don the badge. He led Los Blancos to five straight European glories, scoring in the five finals.
The Argentine also brought domestic success for Real Madrid, winning eight La Liga’s in 11 seasons. He earned himself five Pichichis and two Balon D’or during that time. Di Stefano became the record goalscorer for the Merengues with 308 goals in 396 matches; he held the record for 45 years until Raul eventually surpassed it in 2009.
1. Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo is undoubtedly the greatest player to have played for Real Madrid. He was already a Balon D’or winner when he arrived at the Bernabéu, and his ambitions to become the best led him to four more while at the club.
The Portuguese captain arrived at the club in 2009 for a then-record transfer fee. He spent nine years at the club and shattered every goalscoring record possible. He beat Raul’s record in just his sixth season at the club and finished with 450 goals in just 438 games.
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Cristiano was the leading force that won Los Blancos four Champions League trophies in five years. He scored in two of those finals and converted a deciding penalty in the shootouts against their city rivals. Real Madrid fans had never seen a goal scorer like him, and it might be sometime before they see anyone else come even close.