"“This Real Madrid side is not a young one, they are experienced veterans who know everything and more about winning this competition. They have lived it all, won the coveted prize three times a row under Zinedine Zidane. Some of these experienced campaigners were with the side when the current manager, Carlo Ancelotti, led the white army to the landmark tenth European Cup. They call it ‘La Decima’ inside the club.”"
These were the words of Martin Tyler when Real Madrid hosted PSG in the Bernabeu for the Round of 16 second leg of the Champions League. Tyler was commentating on that historic night. And, for goodness sake, he didn’t end up calling this resilient Real Madrid side an ‘old squad’. However, his words were true. So many of the current first-team stars have enjoyed elongated spells in the White Shirt. In said spells, they have won silverware and rewritten the Madridlore. As such, which current club veterans merit the ‘Legend’ status? I make my picks here.
Isco Alarcon
I am starting the list with more unlikely picks. For many, Isco’s importance in the squad has come down. Ever since the iconic Kroos-Casemiro-Modric (KCM) midfield trio took flight and Real Madrid shifted to a standard 4-3-3 starting formation, chances have been scarce for other midfielders. There were so many good ones if we roll back the years. Players like Mateo Kovacic, James Rodriguez, etc. come to mind. But, Isco was built differently. He battled for a role in the squad and he ended up finding one on the wings.
Isco played a major role in the 2018-19 season when he stepped up in a more attacking role. With Gareth Bale’s inconsistency and Ronaldo’s transfer to Juventus posing a major threat to Real’s play on the wings, Isco didn’t mind flanking Karim Benzema in the attack. And, that’s special about Isco. The former Malaga man respected the club badge enough to fight for minutes, change positions, and yet found a way to contribute to the team. He was undoubtedly instrumental in materializing the Champions League three-peat under Zinedine Zidane.
Isco is now close to leaving the club. He did have his moments this season as well. Especially in the Copa del Rey, where the veteran had a great run of matches. As we come close to bidding him goodbye, I do see him merit an entry into the club’s Legends section. He is making the most of the remaining days. He is bringing his kids to match days, whether or not he is playing. He gets out on the pitch after the final whistle and kicks the ball around with his kids.
That’s probably more meaningful than meets the eye. Isco loves the club, he loves the success he enjoyed in the White Shirt and he means to soak every available bit of this magical time with small gestures as such. His trophy cabinet with Los Blancos includes four Champions League titles, four Club World Cups, three each of LaLiga, Supercopa, and Super Cup, and one Copa del Rey. His contributions in the big games, especially the Champions League final in 2016-17 against Juventus and the UEFA Super Cup final in 2017 will always be remembered by Madridistas.
Nacho Fernandez
Next on the list, we have a player who has never cemented a starter’s role in the club. He has always been the second choice, but, he hasn’t ever complained and whenever he was called on by his manager, he never set a foot wrong. I am of course talking about Real Madrid’s Mr. Reliable, Nacho Fernandez. I am a huge Nacho fan. I value a player’s commitment to the club. And, in that department I hardly see anyone overtaking Nacho in the current crop of players.
A one-club man since the very start of his career, Nacho has played through the ranks of La Fabrica. He also plays with diabetes. But, he has never let anything come in between him and the club. Last season is the perfect example to demonstrate Nacho’s importance to Real Madrid. When Sergio Ramos’s frequent injuries posed a grave center-back crisis for Real Madrid, Nacho stepped up in the best possible manner. Whenever there is an urgent need, Nacho is the man that Real Madrid managers can turn to.
He is not just Mr. Reliable, but, he is also Real Madrid’s utility man. He can play anywhere in the defense, left, right, or center. Just put him in there and Nacho will do the rest. This season, the left-back position has been a tricky one. Ferland Mendy has been out a couple of times with injuries and David Alaba has been too important centrally. Guess who filled up? Yes, it was Nacho. Although he looked shaky, he got the job done.
Nacho is not all about being a make-shift. He features in important games and plays with the famous elite mentality of Real Madrid. This season, in the Champions League, he had to start the vital games against PSG, Chelsea, and Manchester City. It is safe to say that Real Madrid’s Mr. Reliable shined in all of those. It is just like that with loyal club servants, when you entrust your loyalty to the club, Real Madrid pays you back. He has four Champions League titles, four Club World Cups, three LaLigas, three Super Cups, four Supercoppa, and one Copa del Rey with the Real Madrid first team. What a CV that is to have!
Nacho is more than just a useful backup player to have. I love him for his loyalty so much, that I have been considering him a club legend for quite some time now. Again, there is so much symbolism about Nacho, I am sure most of our readers have already seen Nacho carrying on the club traditions with the famous ‘El Matador’ celebration which was originally started by Raul. He is a true club legend and an absolute club servant, no doubt.
Gareth Bale
Now for a player who isn’t enjoying the best of his times at the Spanish Capital right now. Chances have been scarce for him and frequent injuries have crept in. I am of course talking about the Welsh Dragon, Gareth Bale. Bale is undoubtedly one of the best left-footed Real Madrid attackers in history. His agent has confirmed that he’ll leave Real Madrid at the end of the season and when that happens, he will depart as an absolute club legend. There are no two ways about it. He deserves a respectful send-off as well.
Over the years, Bale has given us moments of absolute magic, may it be the run he made against Barcelona’s Marc Bartra in the 2014 Copa del Rey final to score the winning goal that delivered Real Madrid their last Cup title or the magical overhead kick he scored against Liverpool in the final of the Champions League. Gareth Bale is a Real Madrid legend and no amount of ‘boos’ from the Spanish fans inside the Bernabeu can change that fact.
Much like his magnificent performance off the bench against Liverpool in a Champions League final, his last game with the club will also be another Champions League final against Liverpool. Hopefully, Real Madrid can win the final and give Gareth Bale the send-off he deserves.
He is a magical, gifted player who still has game left in his boots. Look no more behind than his wonderful free-kick against Austria. That was a gentle reminder of his capabilities. It is just that Bale hasn’t had the best of times recently. But, that shouldn’t take away the fact that he is a fine, fine player. There was hardly anyone better than him on the right-wing during his prime.
Bale has scored a total of 106 goals and assisted 67 in his 258 official appearances for Real Madrid. His trophy cabinet includes four Champions Leagues, four Club World Cups, and two LaLigas among other titles. He has been a key contributor to Real Madrid’s three-peat of the coveted Champions League. This season too, he started if fine style. Alas, injuries and bad luck has had their say.
Toni Kroos
Here is the man who has mastered the art of passing, whose vision is sharper than an eagle pouncing on prey. When you win your first trophy for Real Madrid in your debut game, you should know that you’re the chosen one, destined for success. I am, of course, talking about Toni Kroos, Florentino Perez’s transfer of the century. Kroos was signed in 2014 under the current boss, Carlo Ancelotti. He made his debut in the UEFA Super Cup final against Sevilla in 2014 and won his first Real Madrid trophy on his debut. Later that same year, Kroos was instrumental in a 22-game unbeaten run.
Toni Kroos fit Real Madrid like a glove. He quickly became a regular starter and his role in the European three-peat under Zinedine Zidane remained instrumental. Over the years, Toni Kroos has shown what he is capable of. His passing range, playmaking, and ferocious long shots have all played a part in Real Madrid’s European dominance. He made the best midfield trio in the history of Real Madrid together with Luka Modric and Carlos Casemiro. And, that partnership, as we all know is still going pretty strong.
Toni Kroos has also delivered us moments of magic. His goal Olympico against Valencia in the 2019-20 Super cup semifinal is one such that will live on forever in our minds. His perfectly hit long shots are of course undeniable highlights. He scored one special left-footed goal from outside the box this season in the Champions League against Inter Milan in the Bernabeu. His pass for Vinicius Jr. to open the scoring against Liverpool in last season’s Champions League quarterfinal is another highlight that would live rent-free in our minds.
That is Toni Kroos for you, he’d do the extra-ordinary things ordinarily. He’d make the game of football look ridiculously easy. He’d stay silent and do all the dirty work for his side. And, when the game ends, he’d rattle the analysts’ minds with his statistical record in every game. What might be seen as an ordinary, decent performance becomes a massive performance when his game stats are tallied. It is this low-lying nature of Kroos that makes him one of the most likable superstars of the game.
With Real Madrid, Kroos has won 16 major titles. It includes four FIFA Club World Cups, three Champions League, three LaLiga titles, three Spanish Super Cups, and three UEFA Super Cups. Hopefully, he will add another Champions League title on May 28. And, hopefully, he does end his extraordinary career in the White Shirt as he dreams. He is an undisputed legend and deserves the best of all send-offs.
Luka Modric
We have the player who is raising his stock with every passing game. At 36 years of age, Luka Modric is aging like fine wine. If Real Madrid is in the final of the Champions League this season, a large contributing factor has been the 36-year-young Croatian football genius.
Modric is a club legend, there is no denying the fact. But, he still has playing years ahead of him. The club is sure about extending the maestro’s contract for another year. And, who knows he might keep this up until 40. If he somehow perfected the false 9 role he was assigned in El Clasico, he’d have easily been the closest thing to Alfredo Di Stefano that new-age Madridistas had ever seen.
Luka Modric is undeniably one of the best active midfielders in world football currently. His playmaking abilities are second to none. He is one of the bests in holding off the 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. Most importantly, he is a clutch, big-game player. Look no far than his performances against PSG, Chelsea, and Manchester City, the three defining European games of the season.
Moreover, Lukita is a proud inheritor of the famous Real Madrid DNA. He has been carved into the holy Madridlore with his moments of magic. He was a vital part of the famous squad that lifted the coveted La Decima or the 10th European Cup for Real Madrid. Very famously, he was the one who took the corner for Sergio Ramos’s 92:48 equalizing goal. After that, he stayed 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 19 major titles that include four Champions Leagues, four Club World Cups, and three LaLiga titles alongside other titles. He also won the Ballon d’Or in 2018 and the UEFA best player in Europe and FIFA’s best men’s player in the same year for his heroics with Real Madrid and his national side, Croatia. Whenever his Real Madrid career comes to an end, it’d be a harsh, harsh day for Madridistas to live through.
2. Karim Benzema
We again have a much-undisputed one. He is the club’s second-highest goalscorer with 323 goals tied with Raul and also the club’s top assist provider. I am, of course, talking about the undisputed striker King of Madrid, Karim Benzema. Benzema is a true legend of the club and he knows. Yet, he has evolved to a newer elite level where he can channel all his nerves to the right places and perform at the highest possible level week in and week out. He is 34 years old at the moment and much like Lukita, King Karim is aging finer like wine.
Karim Benzema has eclipsed Raul in terms of importance to the club, in my opinion. Karim is having to lead an attack that had no other protagonist other than him for two seasons. It was only in this season that Vinicius Jr stepped up with all the improvement. Real Madrid’s attack has been a one-man contingent in the near past and that one man has always been Karim ‘the dream’ Benzema.
His recent performances in the Champions League are enough to suggest that he merits the ‘legend’ status inside the club. He scored two back-to-back hat-tricks in the Champions League knockouts against PSG and Chelsea this season. In said hat-tricks, he broke his own record of being the oldest hat-trick scorer in the competition. Karim Benzema’s performances, lately, have been instrumental to Los Blancos and it has been so ever since Cristiano Ronaldo left for Juventus. He knew he had to step up and boy, did he!
Over the years, Benzema has showcased all his abilities for Real Madrid. He had a different role in the attack when he played with the world’s greatest ever footballer, Cristiano Ronaldo. He had to draw more defenders and work in close space to create openings. Ever since he left, Benzema took over as the main goal scorer. And, now that Real Madrid has other players who can score, we are witnessing the best of Benzema with all his little tricks. He scores, he creates, and he links up play. He does everything and no doubt, there isn’t a better player than him in world football at the moment.
With Real Madrid, Benzema has won four Champions League titles, four Club World Cups, four league titles, four Spanish Super Cups, three UEFA Super Cups, and two Copa del Reys. He has a few more years of life as a Real Madrid player as such he could end up creating a new record for most titles with the club. If anything is missing that is a Ballon d’Or – which he is the favorite to win this season – and a FIFA World Cup with his national side. We’ll see how that goes for Benzema. But, there cannot be any questions about the fact that he is an absolute Blancos’ Legend.
1. Marcelo
No one has a better case than Real Madrid’s current club captain, Marcelo to merit the ‘legend’ status inside the club. Marcelo is a true legend for Los Blancos winning a record 24 major titles during his time at the club. And, he may also add another Champions League title on May 28. Getting the record to 25 would be an important milestone for Marcelo.
The Champions League final against Liverpool could be Marcelo’s last game in the White Shirt. In 2018, another Real Madrid legend played his final game in the Royal White in a Champions League final against Liverpool. Cristiano Ronaldo won trophies for the club until his very last day in office. Madridistas hope Marcelo will depart similarly. However, a new update says that Marcelo could be looking at another year’s extension which in my opinion doesn’t make sense for either party.
In his prime, Marcelo was one of the best left-footed players to watch. He had tremendous skills on the ball and a decent left-footed strike. His deliveries into the box and luxury first touches are of the quality anyone would put in a highlight reel.
Marcelo has established himself as the best modern-day left-back with his consistent performances for Real Madrid over the last decade. He was instrumental in Real Madrid’s four Champions League wins in five seasons. He has earned a place in FIFA’s FIFPRO XI six times over the last decade. His trophy cabinet extends to include six LaLigas, four club world cups, three UEFA Super Cups, two Copa del Rey, and four Supercopas alongside the four Champions League titles.
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Marcelo has made a total of 545 official appearances for Real Madrid and in them, he has scored 38 goals while assisted 103 goals for teammates. Although he doesn’t quite have the legs he once did, some of his performances this season have been handy enough to support Real Madrid so far in the season. He may leave the club but the stories of his audacious skills and composure on the ball will live within the walls of the Bernabeu forever. He leaves a huge task on the shoulders of younger players like Miguel Gutierrez to imitate his level of quality in the left-back position, we’ll see if anyone comes close.