Ranking the top 10 captains in Real Madrid history

6. Paco Gento

Paco Gento joined Real Madrid in 1953 and is a legendary left winger in football history. He was appointed as the club captain in 1961 and consistently guided the club in all its moments until 1971, before officially retiring from club football. Paco Gento was not only a creative playmaker and scorer but a player with the flair to comprehend moments on the pitch of how the pace of the squad should be together flickering inside-out and vice versa.

Paco Gento was not only a winger who became a crucial player for the club but the Spanish forward became the captain as his abilities could bring harmony to the team. After eight years of playing for Los Blancos, he became the player in charge. With Gento’s influence, the club won seven LaLiga trophies in succession, two UEFA Champions League trophies (formerly European Champions Club), two Spanish Cup wins, and a runner-up position in the 1971 UEFA Champions league.

The maestro winger’s career is hailed as one of the greatest, and he was later in another era after retiring as the honorary president from 2016 until his demise in 2022. The legend is genuinely missed for his calming presence on a management level. He brought back consistent wins as a capable honorary president, unity as a player, and captain for Real.

5. Miguel Muñoz

Looking at the vintage moments, Miguel Munõz was a decorated captain who played for the club from 1948 to 1958. In his formative ten years, he was the club captain from the early stages when he started playing at Los Blancos. When looking at the years, he was a great skipper from 1948 to 1958.

A defensive midfielder known for falling back, his distinction is deemed as an additional defender swinging at the quarterback area in a free-roaming position to help the defender’s position wide, so there is room for interceptions and passing the ball to the front.

The complete Spanish defender won three consecutive champions league in the last three seasons at the club, two league titles before becoming the leader and two after. This makes his profile concise and credible with the right blend of development and entitlement that of a Madrid captain.

This made Muñoz a versatile captain who, for ten years, was the captain in charge, and he retired from football as an elegant player for the European Champions. The skipper showed how transforming requires being on the same page with those entrusted in this game.