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Real Madrid are one of the oldest, most decorated and highly successful clubs in football history. Young players across the globe dream of wearing their famed white jerseys and playing for Los Blancos.
Over the years, greats such as Ronaldo Nazario, Zinedine Zidane, Raul Gonzalez, Cristiano Ronaldo, Iker Casillas and Sergio Ramos have scaled great heights playing for Real Madrid. With some of the best players in the world playing for them, Madrid have been dominant in Spanish and European competitions.
They have won a record 34 La Liga and 13 UEFA Champions League titles. Real Madrid recently completed a historic three-peat in the Champions League in 2018. Former player Zinedine Zidane was their manager at the time, and had an incredible record at their helm.
Most of Real Madrid's success and their superstar players have been well-documented. Such is the aura of the club that their best players eventually become icons and celebrities. However, with the spotlight on these star players, others who contribute just as much are sometimes overlooked.
On that note, here's a look at the five most underrated players in Real Madrid's recent history:
#5 Keylor Navas
Keylor Navas was born in Perez Zeledon, Costa Rica, in 1986. He came through the youth ranks at Costa Rican club Deportivo Saprissa, and made his senior debut for them in 2005. Real Madrid triggered Navas' €10 million buy-out clause in 2014, signing him from Levante.
Navas made 162 appearances for Los Blancos, keeping 52 clean sheets and conceding 159 goals. He isn't the tallest of shot-stoppers, but makes up for that with his superb reflexes and positioning. Navas is one of the most athletic and agile goalkeepers in world football.
With Real Madrid, he won one La Liga title, four FIFA Club World Cups and three UEFA Champions League titles, among other honours. He was named the UEFA Champions League Goalkeeper of the Season in 2017-18 for his cup-winning exploits.
Navas set an incredible record for Real Madrid in his first eight Champions League appearances. He did not concede a single goal in those games across the 2014-15 and 2015-16 campaigns.
The Costa Rican has also made 100 appearances for his country, keeping 35 clean sheets. He currently plays for Paris Saint-Germain in France, and will hope to help them win silverware this season.
#4 Gareth Bale
Gareth Bale was born in Cardiff, Wales, in 1989. He came through the ranks at Southampton's reputed academy before making his senior debut for the Saints in 2006. He rose to prominence with Tottenham Hotspur, and was signed by Real Madrid for a then world-record fee of £85.1 million in 2013.
The Welshman has made 255 appearances for Real Madrid, scoring 106 goals and dishing out 77 assists. He started out as a left-back, but transitioned into a left winger. Bale is known for his pace, acceleration, stamina, ball control and technique.
He combined all of these qualities to help Real Madrid win the Copa del Rey title in 2014 against arch-rivals Barcelona.
You can watch Bale's goal here:
With Madrid, Bale has won several trophies. That includes two La Liga, one Copa del Rey and four UEFA Champions League titles, among others.
Gareth Bale has also represented Wales 100 times, scoring 36 goals. He is their all-time top scorer, and ranks second in all-time appearances, just six shy of Chris Gunter's record. Bale has been named the Welsh Footballer of the Year an impressive six times.
The Welshman still plays for Real Madrid, having returned from a short loan spell with Spurs. He will hope to find top form as the club enter a crucial period of the season.
#3 Angel Di Maria
Former Real Madrid player Angel Di Maria was born in Rosario, Argentina, in 1988. He came through the ranks at local club Rosario Central, and made his senior debut for them in 2005. He was brought to Europe by Benfica in 2007, and impressed in Portugal. He was subsequently signed by Real Madrid in 2010 for a fee of €36 million.
The Argentine made 190 appearances for Real Madrid, scoring 36 goals and assisting 87. Di Maria is a deceptively strong, tricky and agile winger who is adept in dribbling past players through tight spaces. The Argentinian has incredible technical ability, and has played in all midfield positions barring defensive midfield. He is also great with set-pieces, delivering the ball with perfect curl and speed.
With Real Madrid, Di Maria won one La Liga title, two Copa del Rey and one UEFA Champions League title, among others. He had an incredible campaign in La Liga in 2011-12, providing 21 goal contributions (five goals, 16 assists) in 23 appearances, helping Los Blancos win the title.
He was part of an incredible Real Madrid frontline alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Mesut Ozil and Gonzalo Higuain.
Angel Di Maria has also made 118 appearances for Argentina, scoring 22 goals and providing 23 assists. He ranks fourth in all-time appearances for the country, and is their joint-eighth top scorer of all time. Di Maria scored the solitary goal in the Copa America final in 2021 against Brazil in his country's victorious campaign.
He currently plays for Paris Saint-Germain in France, where he has scored three goals and dished out five assists in 16 appearances this season.
#2 Guti
Jose Maria Gutierrez Hernandez, or simply Guti, was born in Torrejon de Ardoz, Spain, in 1976. He came through the ranks at Real Madrid's academy, and made his senior debut for the club in 1995. The Spaniard spent most of his career with Los Blancos.
Guti made 543 appearances for Real Madrid, scoring 77 goals and providing 97 assists. He started off his career as a striker, but later transitioned into a supremely talented central midfielder who orchestrated games for Madrid. He was known for his creativity, technical ability, vision and impressive passing range.
With Real Madrid, Guti won five La Liga and three UEFA Champions League titles, among others. He was a key player for the club for several years. Guti was known for his out-of-the-box creativity in terms of assisting his teammates.
You can watch a compilation of some of Guti's best assists here:
Guti also represented Spain 14 times, scoring three goals. He retired after a season in Turkey with Besiktas in 2011. The Spaniard has recently worked in coaching positions, including Real Madrid Youth, assistant at Besiktas and Almeria's manager.
#1 Marcelo
Marcelo was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1988. He came through the youth ranks at Fluminense, and made his senior debut for the club in 2005. After just one season there, he was signed by Real Madrid in 2007, and has been at the club since then.
He has made 533 appearances for Real Madrid thus far, scoring 38 goals and providing 101 assists. The Brazilian is well known for his offensive prowess. His overlapping runs on the left wing have been an asset for Madrid in attack. Marcelo plays with flair, and has great ball control, strength, agility and dribbling skills.
He is one of the most decorated players in Los Blancos' rich history, but has not received adequate praise, possibly due to the position he plays in. With Real Madrid, Marcelo has won five La Liga, four UEFA Champions League and two Copa del Rey, among others. He is one trophy away from equalling Paco Gento's record of 23 trophies for Madrid.
Marcelo has also made 58 appearances for Brazil, scoring six goals and providing 12 assists. He was part of the team that won the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2013.
The Brazilian is currently still with Real Madrid. However, it remains to be seen if he remains at the club beyond this season when his contract would run out.
