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Real Madrid: Ranking the best number 10s in club history

By Manas Pratim Sharma

HUESCA, SPAIN - FEBRUARY 06: Luka Modric of Real Madrid CF looks on during the La Liga Santander match between SD Huesca and Real Madrid at Estadio El Alcoraz on February 06, 2021 in Huesca, Spain. Sporting stadiums around Spain remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
HUESCA, SPAIN - FEBRUARY 06: Luka Modric of Real Madrid CF looks on during the La Liga Santander match between SD Huesca and Real Madrid at Estadio El Alcoraz on February 06, 2021 in Huesca, Spain. Sporting stadiums around Spain remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images) /
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Real Madrid’s Luis Figo (Photo by Pierre-Philippe MARCOU / AFP) (Photo by PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU/AFP via Getty Images)
Real Madrid’s Luis Figo (Photo by Pierre-Philippe MARCOU / AFP) (Photo by PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU/AFP via Getty Images) /

4. LUIS FIGO

Luis Figo arrived at Real Madrid in the most unusual of ways. He truly was Florentino Perez’s trump card in the presidential elections of 2000 at Real Madrid. The deal was, allegedly, upon a win for Perez, Luis Figo had to play for Los Blancos and they would pay the release clause. But, if Figo denied playing for Madrid then he had to pay a penalty of 30 million euros. If Perez loses, Figo would get a million euros.

Figo decided to join Madrid from FC Barcelona for 60 million euros triggering his release clause that made him the most expensive player at that time. This signalled the start of the infamous Galacticos policy of Perez.  With such an unusual way to come into a new club, he took his time settling in. But after five years at the club, he left as a legendary number 10.

The Portuguese registered a total of 245 Real Madrid appearances while scoring 56 goals and registering 93 assists, per Fbref.com. All of that while being loathed by his former fans at Barcelona. He truly did justice to the number 10 at Real Madrid. His glorious history leaves him with seven major titles during his time in Madrid. He won the 2000 Ballon d’Or, 2001 FIFA World Player of the Year, and in 2004 Pelé named him in the FIFA 100 list of the world’s greatest living players.

Apart from being one of the best players in Portuguese Football history, Figo also made it to MARCA’s list of Real Madrid’s best foreign eleven in 2013. His ability to get past defenders, and creativity in terms of playmaking makes him one of the undisputed greats to have worn the number 10 for Real Madrid.

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