1. Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Zidane’s arrival from Juventus in 2001 was the confirmation of the Galacticos project that started with Luis Figo in 2000. A fitting midfield maestro to the ‘Galactico’ tag, Zidane was a do-it-all midfielder who could run games single-handedly. Arguably the greatest midfielder of all time, the Frenchman was a joy to watch with his grit and competitiveness.
His volley in the 2002 Champions League final against Bayer Leverkusen remains one of the greatest goals to have graced the footballing world. But Zidane was not just about the big moments, he was also about everything before that – his magical touches, the flicks, tricks, skills, the mazy runs in midfield, and his leadership in the middle of the park.
In 227 appearances, Zidane scored 47 times while assisting 68 goals. While people may argue that he should’ve won more than his six major titles with Real Madrid, he was one of the best to ever don the white shirt. Later, as a manager, Zidane led Madrid to yet another pinnacle – a UCL three-peat. Talk of an investment that keeps on giving, Zidane has done exactly that for Real Madrid.