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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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Fourth squatting player (L to R) : Hector Rial, Real Madrid. (Photo by – / AFP) (Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images)
Fourth squatting player (L to R) : Hector Rial, Real Madrid. (Photo by – / AFP) (Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images) /

3. HECTOR RIAL

It is often said that Real Madrid made European Football pop off when they won the first five European Cups consecutively from 1955 to 1960. By  pulling off that amazing feat, several club legends carved their names onto walls of glory and one crucial name among those was Hector Rial, the club’s number 10 between 1955 and 1959.

The Argentine forward made a total of 137 appearances for Real Madrid in all competitions and scored 74 goals. His sharp attacker’s instincts and playmaking ability earned him the number 10 within a year of him joining the club. He played with legends like Alfredo Di Stefano and Miguel Munoz and was known for the partnership he developed with them.

His brilliance leaves him with five European Cups and four league titles among a list of 13 major titles during his time at Real Madrid. One of the more blessed players to have played for the club, Rial was believed to have possessed exceptional technique and was a great header of the ball. His measured crosses, vision of play, and potent shooting abilities made him one of the best left-wingers of his time.

He left the club after handing over the number 10 to another great, Ferenc Puskas in 1959. He played his last season with the whites mostly as a substitute and then went away to Espanyol in 1961. He tried his luck with Olympique Marseille and Club Union Española before retiring in 1963.

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