Ranking the 5 best Real Madrid players in La Liga history

Real Madrid are the most successful club in La Liga history, winning at least eight more titles than the next most successful club in the competition.

In addition to the La Liga, Real Madrid have also performed well in the UEFA Champions League (UCL). Since taking over as president, Florentino Perez has played a huge role in attracting a lot of big-name players to the club.

Most of them helped transform the club's fortunes. On that note, here is a look at the five best players who have played for Real Madrid in the La Liga over the years.

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#5 Iker Casillas

Iker Casillas graduated from Real Madrid's academy.

Not many goalkeepers get recognised for their contributions to the club, but Iker Casillas is an exception.

Renowned for pulling off spectacular saves, the Spanish keeper has kept the most clean sheets in the Champions League and for his national team.

At just 27, Casillas became Real Madrid's most capped goalkeeper, surpassing Paco Buyo's record of 454 appearances. The Spaniard eventually joined Porto in 2015 after racking up 725 appearances for the club.

During his 25 years at Real Madrid, Casillas won five La Liga titles, three UCL trophies and two Copa del Rey honours. He was also awarded the La Liga Best Goalkeeper award twice and was named in the UEFA Team of the Year on five occasions.

Casillas is currently back as an assistant to the general director of the Real Madrid Foundation.

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#4 Raul

Raul (left) retired in 2015.

Before Cristiano Ronaldo, Raul was Real Madrid's highest goalscorer of all time, scoring goals galore in various competitions.

Raul originally played for Atletico Madrid's youth academy until it closed down, and the Spaniard had to move to Real Madrid to continue his career. In 1994, the forward made his senior debut for the club and won the La Liga title in his first season.

Soon after, he gained increased recognition for his consistency and potency in front of goal, scoring 324 goals in a record 741 appearances. The second striker also had the honour of captaining Los Blancos from 2003 till his departure in 2010.

Today, Raul is the manager of Real Madrid Castilla.

#3 Zinedine Zidane

Zinedine Zidane managed Real Madrid twice.

As one of the galacticos Real Madrid signed, Zinedine Zidane joined Los Blancos for €73.5 million from Juventus in 2001. At that time, Zidane had already made a name for himself by helping the Bianconeri win the Serie A title twice and winning the Ballon d'Or award in 1998.

On arriving at the Santiago Bernabeu, Zidane managed to replicate that success. In his first season, he helped Real Madrid beat Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League final. Thereafter, he went on to lift the La Liga trophy in the 2002-03 season and won two Supercopa de Espana titles as well.

The attacking midfielder hung up his boots in 2006. In his 227 appearances for Los Blancos, Zidane scored 49 times and provided 68 assists.

Former teammate David Beckham once said of the Frenchman:

"To train with Zinedine Zidane for three years was a dream. For me, he is the greatest player of all time."

#2 Ronaldo Nazario

Ronaldo Nazario is one of the best strikers to have graced the game.

Just like Zidane, Ronaldo Nazario was also part of the Galacticos Real Madrid welcomed in the 2000s.

His pace often caught defenders off guard, but injuries marred his career. In 177 appearances across all competitions, the Brazilian netted 103 goals for Real Madrid, a tally that could have been more if not for his injuries.

Ronaldo's teammates were all full of praise for him, with Zidane claiming:

"I've always seen Ronaldo as the best because I played and trained with him. He's probably the best I ever played with. He did what he wanted with the ball, and didn't have any weaknesses. When Ronaldo had the ball, he ran at 2000 miles per hour. In most cases, you're' fast without the ball. He was fast with it."

Without a doubt, Ronaldo is arguably one of the fastest and most physically strong players to have graced the game. He might not have won as many trophies as the other players on this list, but he greatly strengthened Real Madrid's attack.

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#1 Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo won five Champions League trophies.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the most decorated players in the world. A graduate of Sporting Lisbon's youth academy, Ronaldo joined Real Madrid in 2009 after six years at Manchester United.

In that period, Ronaldo won three Premier League titles and two English League Cups before he joined Los Blancos in the summer of 2009 for a then-world record fee of €94 million.

Ronaldo hit the ground running, becoming the first Real Madrid player to score in each of his first four games. He would then go on to win four Champions League trophies, two La Liga titles and two Copa del Rey honours with Los Blancos.

After nine years at the Santiago Bernabeu, where he scored a record 450 goals, Ronaldo moved to Juventus. He remains one of the best players in terms of speed, strength and intelligence.

Considering his exploits for Real Madrid, Ronaldo is the best player to have played for Los Blancos.