In the world of kit numbers in football, the number 10 holds a special status. It is generally given to the team’s star playmaker. At times, the number has also been worn by star forwards who possess fluent playmaking skills whilst scoring goals. Either way, it is not a number to be taken lightly but one that needs to be earned.In Real Madrid, several club legends and important players have adorned the Royal White fabric with a 10 printed on the back.
One of such important players was Clarence Seedorf who makes into this list only as an honorary mention registering 20 goals and 17 assists in the three seasons that he wore the number 10 shirt. As good as he was, he indeed wasn’t a traditional number 10. He had an eye for goal, was explosive, and possessed great strength and power that him a difficult presence to deal with for opponents. That meant he was still a success wearing the 10 though his style of play didn’t ideally fit the number.
However, here is an attempt to highlight the best players to have worn the number 10 and justified its sanctity in over a century of glorious club history.
5. MESUT OZIL
The German playmaker, Mesut Ozil, in my opinion, is one of the most unselfish players to have played the game. After the FIFA World Cup in 2010, Ozil emerged as one of the most sought-after transfer targets having maintained quality performances throughout the tournament. Real Madrid didn’t let the opportunity slip and signed him at a bargain. He hopped on to wear the number 10 that he inherited from Lassana Diarra.
Ozil joined Real Madrid in the summer of 2010 and quickly became a crowd favorite at the Bernabeu and quite honestly, I wasn’t surprised at all. He is one of those players who make the game look so easy. He would pick up the most ideally placed forward with immense precision and make it look ridiculously easy to play football. After Guti, Ozil in my opinion is the best playmaker that Madrid has ever boasted.
To give you an idea, before moving to Arsenal in 2013, Ozil had played three seasons with Real Madrid. In them, his goal contributions in terms of goals and assists per 90 minutes never dropped below 0.56 in any competition for once. His highest was 0.97 in the 2012-13 La Liga season, per Fbref.com. And, in actual terms that account for 27 goals and 80 assists in a total of 159 appearances. That is a ridiculously consistent record to keep for a number 10 and he is thus the perfect contender to kick start this list at the fifth spot.
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.
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.
2. LUKA MODRIC
On the runner-up position of this list is Real Madrid’s current owner of the number 10, Luka Modric. There was no doubt about his inclusion in this list. The Croatian wizard is one of the sharpest midfielders the club has ever boasted. He arrived in Real Madrid from Tottenham Hotspurs in 2012. He was originally given the number 19 shirt but he switched to 10 following the departure of James Rodriguez in 2017.
Luka Modric is undeniably one of the best active midfielders in world football. His playmaking abilities are second to none. He is among the best in holding off opposition’s press and is silky smooth with his touches and distribution. His outside of boot passes and shots are one of those sights in football that one could watch for hours.
Luka Modric was part of the famous squad that lifted the coveted La Decima or the 10th European Cup for Real Madrid. He was the one who took the corner for Sergio Ramos’s “92:48” equalizing goal. He was also an integral part of the side that achieved the Champions League three-peat between 2015/16 and 2017/18.
His list of trophies with the club accounts for a total of 17 major titles. He also won the Ballon d’Or, the UEFA Best Player in Europe and FIFA’s Best Men’s Player all in 2018 for his heroics with Real Madrid and his national side, Croatia.
He is placed second in the list as of now but his playing days with Real Madrid aren’t over yet. He has been signed to an extension by the club and at 35 years of age, he is still going strong and has shown all the promise to soon become the greatest ever player to have worn the number 10 for Real Madrid.
1. FERENC PUSKAS
Ferenc Puskas joined Real Madrid as a 31-year-old after serving a two-year ban from UEFA that didn’t allow him to play in Europe. At 31 years of age, he wasn’t the most ideal player to be sought after by Real Madrid. However, he surprised the football community with his talent and prolific finishing skills.
In his very first La Liga season, he scored four hat-tricks. That was just the start of blessed footballing folklore. At times it seemed like Puskas only dealt in hat-tricks as he scored loads of them. He scored 20 or more goals in each of his first six seasons in the Spanish league and won the Pichichi four times: in 1960, 1961, 1963, and 1964 scoring 25, 28, 26, and 21 goals, respectively. He helped Real win La Liga five times in a row between 1961 and 1965 and the Copa del Generalísimo in 1962.
His record in totality is 242 goals in 262 games for Real Madrid. Only Cristiano Ronaldo so far has succeeded to overcome this fine ratio. If there was ever one word to describe Puskas, it was consistency. No wonder that he also has a FIFA award named after him.
Puskas, considered an out-of-favor star when his transfer was finalized in 1958, retired at the age of 39 in 1965 after having an outstanding Real Madrid career. There never was a better player to have worn the number 10 for Real Madrid and he’d be a favorite to continue defending his crown against Luka Modric who is emerging as a legend in his own ranks.