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Real Madrid are one of the biggest clubs in the world, and almost every footballer dreams of donning their famous whites. Playing for Real Madrid is a privilege only a select few footballers receive.
However, some players do get the chance to pull on the Los Blancos jersey, but aren’t able to make it a regular thing. Graduates from the famous La Fabrica academy, loanees, failed signings etc. often fail to make a mark and move on to other clubs with only a sparse number of games for Real Madrid in their resume.
On that note, this article will take a look at five players who could muster only a single appearance for the Real Madrid first team.
#1 Marcos Alonso
Born in the city of Madrid, Marcos Alonso joined Real Madrid's youth academy as a child. He featured for all the age-group teams before eventually making it to their Castilla side in 2008.
The left-back was called up to the senior team for the first time in December 2009 as a 19-year-old but had to wait until April 2010 to make it onto the pitch. He replaced Gonzalo Higuain in the 90th minute of a clash against Racing Santander. That would be his only senior appearance for Real Madrid.
The Spain international moved to Bolton Wanderers in 2010, and currently finds himself at Chelsea and has won every trophy available with the west London club. If rumors are to be believed, he could be back in La Liga with Madrid’s eternal rivals Barcelona.
#2 Fabinho
Before he was the world-class defensive midfielder we know today, Fabinho was an unremarkable right-back who was loaned to Real Madrid for one season. He came to Europe as a 19-year-old, joining Portuguese outfit Rio Ave in 2012. He was loaned to Real Madrid Castilla in the same window.
The Brazil international featured in 30 games for Castilla before finally getting to make his senior bow in May 2013. He replaced Fabio Coentrao against Malaga and played 14 minutes.
He managed to bag an assist, setting up Angel Di Maria for the sixth and final goal in a 6-2 win. That remains his only senior appearance for Los Blancos.
He was immediately loaned to AS Monaco and ended up joining them permanently. After five years in Ligue 1, he was snapped up by Liverpool, where he is now an integral part of Jurgen Klopp’s setup.
#3 Raul De Tomas
Joining Real Madrid’s youth setup at the age of 10, Raul De Tomas worked his way up the ranks and became a Castilla regular at the age of 19.
The striker was rewarded with a first-team spot on the 2014 pre-season tour of the USA. However, he had to wait until October to make his competitive debut for the club.
In a Copa del Rey round-of-32 clash, ‘R.D.T.’ replaced Karim Benzema for a 14-minute cameo against UE Cornella. That was the first and last time he featured for the senior team.
The Spain international was sent on a series of loans before Benfica permanently signed him in 2019. He had a poor outing with the Portuguese giants and was allowed to join Espanyol in January 2020.
It was with the Catalan club that De Tomas found his best form. So far, he has scored 45 goals in 89 appearances for the club, while assisting six more. He was included in the 2021-22 La Liga 'Team of the Season' and also won the Zarra Trophy for the highest-scoring Spaniard that season.
His great form also saw him being linked with a return to his parent club. Although the move has not yet materialized, it cannot be completely ruled out.
#4 Pablo Sarabia
Another Madrid-born player who joined the Real Madrid youth setup as a kid, Pablo Sarabia was scouted by Los Blancos at the age of 12. He made his way up through all the age-group teams, and in January 2010, aged 17, made his Castilla debut.
The forward made his senior debut in December of the same year as well. In a Champions League fixture against Auxerre, he came on in place of Cristiano Ronaldo and played 18 minutes in a 4-0 victory. Despite the occasional rumors linking him with a return to Madrid, this remains his only senior game for Los Blancos.
The Spain international was signed by Getafe in 2011, and then Sevilla in 2016. After three seasons with the Andalusians, he was signed by Paris Saint-Germain. The difficulty of breaking into the Parisians’ star-studded attack saw him go on loan to Sporting CP last season.
Despite a great season that saw him tally 21 goals and nine assists across 45 games for the Lisbon club, Sarabia returned to PSG and remains a squad player.
#5 Enzo Zidane Fernandez
Bearing a surname that brought great expectations along with it, Enzo Zidane was part of the Real Madrid system since he was nine. He made it to the Castilla squad in 2014 as a 19-year-old. It is interesting to note that Zinedine Zidane was the manager of the Castilla side then.
Zidane Jr. was called up to the senior squad in October 2015 but had to wait until November 2016 to make his debut. His father handed him his senior debut in a Copa del Rey game against Cultural Leonesa, replacing Isco shortly into the second half.
Enzo played 44 minutes and managed to bag a goal on debut in a match that ended 6-1 in Real Madrid’s favor. It was the only senior game he played for the club.
Having senior team manager Zidane Sr. gave no favors to his son Enzo, and in June 2017 he was signed by Deportivo Alaves. He failed to get going with Alaves and has since had a journeyman career of sorts. Over the years, he has played for lesser clubs like Lausanne-Sport, Aves and Almeria, among others.
He most recently joined Spanish third-division club Fuenlabrada in July 2022 on a one-year contract.
