GOAL runs through the most outstanding players to strut their stuff at Santiago Bernabeu since the year 2000
So, let's cut to the chase here. You might be able to guess who the greatest Real Madrid player of the 21st century is. That's not much of a mystery. Some of the other big names are obvious, too. Such has been the quality of Los Blancos since the turn of the millennium, complete with the titles they have won, that the majority of their most important players have become household names the world over.
From the Galacticos to Zinedine Zidane's Champions League three-peat-ers to Carlo Ancelotti's current crop, Madrid have never been short of star power. However, there have also been role players whose importance should not be forgotten when weighing up the best players of the past 25 years.
So who are the 25 best of the past quarter-century? GOAL has had a go at ranking them…
Getty Images Sport25Jude Bellingham
Too little time in a Madrid shirt? Possibly. But Bellingham effectively carried Madrid with his goal-scoring – and then supplemented it with his versatility in midfield – during a memorable debut campaign at Santiago Bernabeu.
He really should have won the Pichichi to mark his first campaign, but a deeper role late on in the season saw him fall short. Still, 20-plus goals as a 20-year-old isn't bad. And then there's everything else in between. Bellingham can pass, tackle and run with the best of them. He might sometimes be criticised for his attitude, or demanded more of by expectant fans in Spain and England, but Bellingham has the quality to be among the best in the world for years to come. This is only the beginning.
AdvertisementGetty Images24Claude Makelele
A player so good they named a whole position after him. 'The Makelele role' wasn't necessarily a new concept in football (defensive midfielders did indeed exist before the Frenchman), but his dominance in deep areas inspired a generation of players, and led to teams all over Europe trying to pick up their own midfield destroyer who could offer that extra bit of quality.
Makelele's time in the Spanish capital was perhaps too brief. He played for Los Blancos for three years, and made just 145 appearances. But when he was on the pitch, Madrid were immense. They won two La Liga titles with him in the side, and his relentlessness in the middle allowed everyone in front of him to express themselves.
Zinedine Zidane would later admit to being outraged that Madrid let Makelele leave to join Chelsea in 2003. Others have poured over his ability, and his imprint on the football world can still be seen today.
AFP23Angel Di Maria
Di Maria's club career has, admittedly, been mixed. Although his sheer quality has always been evident, he has never quite strung together multiple seasons of success. The closest he came, however, was in his four years in Madrid, as the winger played a key role in the pre-Gareth Bale era, serving as a valuable attacking presence either out wide or through the middle.
What was always overlooked, though, was Di Maria's defensive work, where he was always up for a scrap as an attacking midfielder alongside Xabi Alonso and Luka Modric. The numbers look decent, too, as he finished his Madrid career with 36 goals and 85 assists in 190 matches; not bad for a player who was never going to be a primary attacking option with Cristiano Ronaldo picking up Ballons d'Or in spades on the wing.
Di Maria rounded off his Madrid career by being named Man of the Match in the Champions League final as Los Blancos beat city rivals Atletico to claim La Decima. It was some way to go out for the Argentine.
Getty22Mesut Ozil
When Real Madrid signed Mesut Ozil from Werder Bremen in 2010, everyone knew that he was a fine player following his performances for Germany at the World Cup that summer. There were, however, some concerns. Could a young player cut it at Madrid, where he would be tasked with providing for the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Angel Di Maria?
There shouldn't have been any doubts, though. Ozil led Europe in assists in his debut season, and was the top creator in La Liga for three straight campaigns as his connection with his team-mates verged on telepathic. Ozil left Madrid with 80 assists, a La Liga trophy, and a highlight reel still worth watching today.
