5 players who should have played for Real Madrid but never did

Real Madrid is well-known for being the home of many of the world’s greatest footballers. Many of them made the most of their fame and fortune with the Spanish club, rising to notoriety and the legendary position they now boast.

Los Blancos have an allure that few players in the world can counter. It is rare that Real Madrid comes knocking and you turn them down because the flair and glamour of this club cannot be disregarded. It is the summit that many strive towards, but not all achieve.

Several renowned players, like Alfredo Di Stefano, Paco Gento, Ferenc Puskas, Cristiano Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane, Iker Casillas, Luis Figo, and Fernando Hierro, have worn the royal white crest on their chest and fought for it with all their heart and might.

While it is undeniable that Real Madrid has produced some of the greatest players in history, it is also widely acknowledged that many more players who deserved to represent the best team in the world but were either overlooked or were unable to work their way up the club. Today, our attention is on five such players.

5 Players who should have played for Real Madrid but never did

5. Neymar Jr.

Let us start with a name that practically every Madridista had hoped to see play for Real Madrid one day. Many people equate Neymar with all they perceive about and in football in the modern day. He embodies the idea of that joyful kid who plays football not for the goals or the stats, but for his heart and the joy football offers him. The Joga Bonito bloodline is present in every Brazilian street, and Neymar is arguably its most prominent descendant.

Neymar sprang to prominence as a child in Brazil and quickly grew to become the sport’s hottest young star. Real was quick to track down the player when he was just 10 years old and asked him to observe football in Madrid, namely at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu. He was almost prepared to join the Spanish club, but the agreement fell through at the final minute.

We all know how it went after that. After several successful seasons with Santos, the footballer decided to join FC Barcelona, where he garnered further glory and renown. Cut to 2017, Neymar signed for Paris Saint-Germain for a world record fee, thereby putting an end to any Real Madrid hopes.

Glory would be his if he played for Los Blancos. Alongside legendary players like Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale, he would cause mayhem on the field, but then again, they are only fantasies and no longer a reality.

All we could think of now is all the “what could have been” scenarios if the player had ever worn the white crest. Without a question, he possesses the ability to don the Madrid shirt, but some things are just not meant to be.