10 BEST Real Madrid signings since 1990s ranked – Ronaldo 1st, Figo 10th, Ramos 3rd
Real Madrid are arguably the biggest club in the world and have perennially been associated with the best players on the planet.
The history of Los Blancos is replete with world-class footballers, legends and players who have won the World Cup and the Ballon d’Or.
Below are the 10 best signings that Madrid have made.
It is important to note that for the purpose of this list, we have included players that the Spanish club have signed since the 1990s only, meaning iconic figures like Ferenc Puskás and Alfredo Di Stéfano have been overlooked.
With no further ado, here are the top 10 best signings made by Los Blancos in that period, starting with No 10…
10. Luis Figo (2000 – 2005)
Luis Figo is one of the greatest footballers of all time and also the most controversial transfer in history.
The former Portugal international winger made worldwide headline news when he joined Real Madrid from bitter rivals Barcelona in the summer of 2000.
Just like at Barcelona, Figo was a huge success at Madrid, winning LaLiga twice and the Champions League once.
Figo was also the first marquee signing for Madrid that kickstarted the Galacticos era.
9. Zinedine Zidane (2001 – 2006)
Zinedine Zidane is one of the greatest footballing artists of all time and was a sheer joy to watch.
Arguably the most graceful footballer ever with the ball at his feet, the former France international attacking midfielder won LaLiga and the Champions League once each during his time at Los Blancos.
Other players at Madrid have won more trophies than Zidane did, but combined with his iconic volley in the 2022 Champions League final and the thrill that he brought to fans whenever he had the ball on the pitch, he will go down in history as one of the greatest signings Madrid ever made.
8. Roberto Carlos (1996 – 2007)
Roberto Carlos is the most attack-minded left-back of all time and is the second greatest ever in his position in Real Madrid’s history.
The Brazilian legend was a marvel to behold, with his marauding runs and his sensational free kicks.
Carlos won LaLiga four times and the Champions League thrice during his time at Madrid.
7. Toni Kroos (2014 – 2024)
Real Madrid paid Bayern Munich £27million to sign Toni Kroos in the summer of 2014, just days after he won the 2014 World Cup with Germany.
Kroos was a huge success at Bayern, winning the Bundesliga thrice and the Champions League once.
It pales in comparison, though, to what he achieved during his time at Estadio Bernabeu.
Kroos formed a formidable partnership with Luka Modric and Casemiro in the middle of the park and won LaLiga four times and the Champions League on five occasions with the Spanish and European giants.
6. Karim Benzema (2009 – 2023)
Karim Benzema joined Real Madrid from Lyon in 2009 as a 21-year-old for just £30million.
The French striker left the Spanish club in 2023 as a 35-year-old with a Ballon d’Or, and five Champions Leagues and four La Liga titles. Benzema scored 354 goals and gave 158 assists in 648 matches in all competitions for Madrid.
Benzema won a total of 25 trophies with Madrid and is also the Spanish club’s second-highest goalscorer of all time.
5. Casemiro (2013 – 2022)
One of the greatest defensive midfielders of his generation, Casemiro was a key figure in the Madrid midfield that won three Champions League titles in a row under then manager Zinedine Zidane between 2016 and 2018.
The former Manchester United star won the Champions League with Madrid in 2014 and 2022, too, as well as LaLiga on three occasions.
Casemiro, though, had to earn his way to the Madrid first team, as it was only after a loan spell that Los Blancos decided to sign him on a permanent deal back in 2013.
4. Luka Modric (2012 – 2025)
Real Madrid signed Luka Modric from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2012 for £30million.
The Croatian midfielder was just 26 at the time, and in December 2012, was voted by readers of Real Madrid-leaning Spanish sports publication Marca as the worst signing of the season in LaLiga.
Modric soon proved his detractors wrong and developed into one of the greatest midfielders of all time and an architect of Madrid’s ensuing success.
The conductor in midfield, Modric won the Ballon d’Or and The Best FIFA Men’s Player in 2018, while leading Madrid to four LaLiga titles and six Champions League trophies.
3. Sergio Ramos (2005 – 2021)
Arguably the best central defender of the 21st century (so far), Sergio Ramos cost Real Madrid £18.5million when they signed him from Sevilla in the summer of 2005.
Ramos was only 19 at the time, and he eventually went on to become a leader of the backline that won trophies galore.
A fearsome defender who did not hesitate to get into tackles and put his body on the line every single time he went on the pitch, Ramos scored a remarkable 101 goals and gave 40 assists in 671 appearances for Real Madrid, while winning LaLiga five times and the Champions League on four occasions.
2. Marcelo (2007 – 2022)
Roberto Carlos was the best left-back in Real Madrid’s history… until Marcelo came along.
Other than the legendary Paolo Maldini, there is no one else who can claim to be the best left-back of all time.
Marcelo played like a number 10 going on the attack, and even defensively, he did not hesitate to flick the ball over the attackers’ heads or do the Marseille turn to get out of tight situations.
The Brazilian legend won six LaLiga titles and the Champions League five times with Madrid.
1. Cristiano Ronaldo (2009 – 2018)
Cristiano Ronaldo is not the only best signing that Real Madrid have ever made, but the Portuguese legend is also the greatest player in the club’s history.
Madrid made Ronaldo the most expensive footballer at the time when they paid Manchester United £80million to sign him in the summer of 2009.
It was at Los Blancos that Ronaldo became a goal machine and synonymous with the Ballon d’Or. Ronaldo won Ballon d’Or/FIFA Ballon d’Or four times when he was at Madrid (once at Manchester United) and was named The Best FIFA Men’s Player twice.
During his time at Madrid, Ronaldo won LaLiga twice and the Champions League four times. Ronaldo’s rivalry with Lionel Messi – then at Barcelona – during their time in LaLiga was arguably the best and most intense between two footballers in any era.
