Top 10 Greatest La Liga Players of All Time

Alfredo Di Stéfano was the central figure in Real Madrid's five consecutive European Cups (1956–60) and won La Liga eight times. He scored 307 goals in 396 La Liga appearances for Madrid and was the first player to score in five consecutive European Cup Finals. He won the Ballon d'Or in 1957 and 1959. His role in building Real Madrid's global identity in the 1950s and 1960s is equivalent to Messi's role at Barcelona — without Di Stéfano, the modern concept of Madrid as the world's greatest club may never have developed.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored 311 La Liga goals in 292 appearances for Real Madrid — the highest ratio (1.07 per game) of any major La Liga scorer — and won La Liga twice (2012, 2017). He won the Ballon d'Or in his Madrid years in 2011, 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2017. His 48 La Liga goals in 34 games in 2011–12 was a record at the time, broken by Messi in the same season. His rivalry with Messi at La Liga level — the two players scored 79 La Liga hat-tricks between 2010 and 2018 — is the greatest individual rivalry in the league's history.

Xavi Hernández made 505 La Liga appearances for Barcelona — the most by any player in the club's history — and won La Liga a record 8 times. He was the central architect of Barcelona's tiki-taka system that dominated world football between 2008 and 2012. In the 2009–10 La Liga season he completed 91.2% of his passes — a league record. He won UEFA's Best Player in Europe award in 2011. His partnership with Iniesta in Barcelona's midfield is considered the finest midfield combination in football history.

Ronaldinho's four seasons at Barcelona (2003–08) produced two La Liga titles and the 2005 Ballon d'Or, his best years coinciding with football's most joyful era. He scored 70 La Liga goals in 145 appearances and was the first player in La Liga history to receive a standing ovation from the Santiago Bernabéu crowd — in a 3–0 Barcelona win in November 2005 — when he scored twice with a performance so extraordinary that even Real Madrid fans could not stop themselves applauding.

Andrés Iniesta made 442 La Liga appearances for Barcelona and won 9 La Liga titles — equalling Xavi's record. His ability to operate in impossibly tight spaces at maximum speed made him the most difficult player to dispossess in La Liga history — opposition teams regularly averaged 0.6 ball recoveries per 90 minutes against him. He scored the World Cup-winning goal for Spain against the Netherlands in 2010 and was named Player of the Tournament. He retired as one of the four or five greatest midfielders in football history.

Hugo Sánchez won La Liga five consecutive times (1986–90) with Real Madrid and was La Liga's top scorer in five separate seasons — scoring 38 goals in 35 games in 1989–90. He scored 208 La Liga goals in 282 appearances and is Mexico's greatest export to European football. His acrobatic volleys, scissor kicks, and backheel finishes gave him a style of scoring unmatched for flair and difficulty. He was named the best La Liga player of the 1980s by UEFA in their retrospective awards.

Raúl González was Real Madrid's all-time top scorer (228 La Liga goals) before Cristiano Ronaldo surpassed him, won La Liga 6 times, and was the Champions League's all-time top scorer (71 goals) before Ronaldo surpassed that record too. He represented Madrid in 741 official appearances across 16 seasons (1994–2010) and was captain through the club's second galáctico era. He won the UEFA Champions League in 1998, 2000, and 2002. Raúl's loyalty, professionalism, and longevity made him the archetype of the single-club great.

Luka Modrić has won La Liga 6 times with Real Madrid and the Champions League 5 times — the most by any non-Spanish outfield player in the competition's history. He won the Ballon d'Or in 2018, ending the Messi-Ronaldo duopoly that had dominated for 10 years. His performance at the 2018 World Cup — where he led Croatia to the final — combined with his Champions League consistency earned him the FIFA Best Player award. Still playing at elite level for Madrid at 38 in 2024, he extended his La Liga record to 556 appearances.

Sergio Ramos made 671 La Liga appearances — the most by any Spanish-born player in history — and won 5 La Liga titles and 4 Champions League titles with Real Madrid. He scored 101 career goals as a centre-back, including the last-minute equaliser in the 2014 Champions League Final that changed the match's entire trajectory. He earned 180 caps for Spain (a national record) and won the World Cup (2010) and two European Championships (2008, 2012). He is the only outfield player in football history to score in five consecutive Champions League seasons.

Alfredo Di Stéfano was the central figure in Real Madrid's five consecutive European Cups (1956–60) and won La Liga eight times. He scored 307 goals in 396 La Liga appearances for Madrid and was the first player to score in five consecutive European Cup Finals. He won the Ballon d'Or in 1957 and 1959. His role in building Real Madrid's global identity in the 1950s and 1960s is equivalent to Messi's role at Barcelona — without Di Stéfano, the modern concept of Madrid as the world's greatest club may never have developed.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored 311 La Liga goals in 292 appearances for Real Madrid — the highest ratio (1.07 per game) of any major La Liga scorer — and won La Liga twice (2012, 2017). He won the Ballon d'Or in his Madrid years in 2011, 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2017. His 48 La Liga goals in 34 games in 2011–12 was a record at the time, broken by Messi in the same season. His rivalry with Messi at La Liga level — the two players scored 79 La Liga hat-tricks between 2010 and 2018 — is the greatest individual rivalry in the league's history.

Xavi Hernández made 505 La Liga appearances for Barcelona — the most by any player in the club's history — and won La Liga a record 8 times. He was the central architect of Barcelona's tiki-taka system that dominated world football between 2008 and 2012. In the 2009–10 La Liga season he completed 91.2% of his passes — a league record. He won UEFA's Best Player in Europe award in 2011. His partnership with Iniesta in Barcelona's midfield is considered the finest midfield combination in football history.

Ronaldinho's four seasons at Barcelona (2003–08) produced two La Liga titles and the 2005 Ballon d'Or, his best years coinciding with football's most joyful era. He scored 70 La Liga goals in 145 appearances and was the first player in La Liga history to receive a standing ovation from the Santiago Bernabéu crowd — in a 3–0 Barcelona win in November 2005 — when he scored twice with a performance so extraordinary that even Real Madrid fans could not stop themselves applauding.

Andrés Iniesta made 442 La Liga appearances for Barcelona and won 9 La Liga titles — equalling Xavi's record. His ability to operate in impossibly tight spaces at maximum speed made him the most difficult player to dispossess in La Liga history — opposition teams regularly averaged 0.6 ball recoveries per 90 minutes against him. He scored the World Cup-winning goal for Spain against the Netherlands in 2010 and was named Player of the Tournament. He retired as one of the four or five greatest midfielders in football history.

Hugo Sánchez won La Liga five consecutive times (1986–90) with Real Madrid and was La Liga's top scorer in five separate seasons — scoring 38 goals in 35 games in 1989–90. He scored 208 La Liga goals in 282 appearances and is Mexico's greatest export to European football. His acrobatic volleys, scissor kicks, and backheel finishes gave him a style of scoring unmatched for flair and difficulty. He was named the best La Liga player of the 1980s by UEFA in their retrospective awards.

Raúl González was Real Madrid's all-time top scorer (228 La Liga goals) before Cristiano Ronaldo surpassed him, won La Liga 6 times, and was the Champions League's all-time top scorer (71 goals) before Ronaldo surpassed that record too. He represented Madrid in 741 official appearances across 16 seasons (1994–2010) and was captain through the club's second galáctico era. He won the UEFA Champions League in 1998, 2000, and 2002. Raúl's loyalty, professionalism, and longevity made him the archetype of the single-club great.

Luka Modrić has won La Liga 6 times with Real Madrid and the Champions League 5 times — the most by any non-Spanish outfield player in the competition's history. He won the Ballon d'Or in 2018, ending the Messi-Ronaldo duopoly that had dominated for 10 years. His performance at the 2018 World Cup — where he led Croatia to the final — combined with his Champions League consistency earned him the FIFA Best Player award. Still playing at elite level for Madrid at 38 in 2024, he extended his La Liga record to 556 appearances.

Sergio Ramos made 671 La Liga appearances — the most by any Spanish-born player in history — and won 5 La Liga titles and 4 Champions League titles with Real Madrid. He scored 101 career goals as a centre-back, including the last-minute equaliser in the 2014 Champions League Final that changed the match's entire trajectory. He earned 180 caps for Spain (a national record) and won the World Cup (2010) and two European Championships (2008, 2012). He is the only outfield player in football history to score in five consecutive Champions League seasons.