The 10 Greatest Real Madrid Teams Of All Time, Ranked

Few football clubs boast a legacy as rich and storied as Real Madrid. From their pioneering days in the 1950s to their recent dominance under Zinedine Zidane, the club has delivered some of the most unforgettable seasons in football history. This article ranks the 10 greatest single seasons in Real Madrid’s history, blending historical significance, trophy success, and fan sentiment. Whether it’s the birth of a dynasty, a historic double, or a legendary comeback, these teams have defined what it means to be “Los Blancos.”

Ranking a top 10 of any club’s history is difficult, but since Real Madrid have been dominating European football for the last 70 years – literally winning the first five European Cups in history – it’s even more difficult to set an order when there have been so many great teams, players, and managers in this storied club’s history.

But that’s what makes an exercise like this so fond and nostalgic. It’s been a chance to revisit the history of the most successful and most followed club on the planet.

Those same, nearly half-a-billion fans understand the weight of expectations that come with any team in any given year donning the Real Madrid badge, and when those players are able to deliver on expectations and rewrite the history and legacy of this great club, they will be remembered forever.

10. 1997–98: Heynckes Ends the European Drought

After decades without European success, Real Madrid finally lifted the Champions League trophy again, signaling a return to glory.

Key achievements: UEFA Champions League winners

Notable players: Raúl, Fernando Hierro, Clarence Seedorf

Style & impact: Jupp Heynckes remains criminally underrated and deserves to be on the list of the greatest Champions League managers of all time right alongside fellow Real Madrid winners Carlo Ancelotti and Zinedine Zidane.

As much as Heynckes is revered for his impact on Bayern Munich decades later, he won his first career Champions League as a manager 15 years prior at Real Madrid to break up a title drought for the winningest Champions League club in history – a title drought of more than 30 years since the Merengues defeated Partizan in 1966.

So if you want to talk about kicking a monkey off the proverbial back, Heynckes’s 1998 triumph was an even bigger deal than La Decima; it’s just that most of us remember La Decima more recently…or weren’t even with it enough to have lived through the 1998 title win.

Heynckes is a player’s coach and an elite motivator pretty much on par with Ancelotti in his style. He maximizes his players, he tweaks their positions on the pitch to help them be their best selves, he motivates them, and, well, he just lets them play.

He helped Real Madrid get their mojo back, and his Champions League triumph enhanced his reputation as a great cup manager, having brought lowly Tenerife to the semifinals of the UEFA Cup just a season earlier.

Real Madrid won the Champions League by blasting through a joke of a group stage, dominating German sides Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund by comfortable aggregate in the knockouts, and then outlasting a legendary Juventus team 1-0, courtesy of a 66th-minute goal from iconic striker Predrag Mijatovic.

Legacy: Although Real Madrid would finish just fourth in LaLiga and actually fired Heynckes because their domestic season was so poor, the 1997/98 season and Champions League title triumph set in motion the beginnings of a more modern Madrid.

Raul, one of the bedrock players of this team, was just 20 years old, and he, Fernando Redondo, and Fernando Hierro would entrench themselves as some of the biggest legends in Los Blancos history.

The Galacticos era and Florentino Perez’s first reign as president would follow, and the juxtaposition of European dominance but domestic futility this season would be the hallmark of the DNA of Madrid: European success above all else.

9. 2011–12: Mourinho’s Record-Breaking League Run

Under José Mourinho, Real Madrid smashed the La Liga points record with 100 points, showcasing an unprecedented level of domestic dominance.

Key achievements: La Liga champions with 100 points (record)

Notable players: Cristiano Ronaldo, Sergio Ramos, Iker Casillas

Style & impact: Although there are a multitude of reasons why Florentino Perez would want to bring in a manager with Jose Mourinho’s resume and demeanor, his biggest draw to hiring Mourinho was the Portuguese manager’s reputation as a Barcelona killer.

Mourinho devised a masterful tactical plan to knock Barcelona, one of the most dominant forces in the history of this sport, by, essentially, ceding position so that he could achieve superiority off the ball.

It was a brilliant strategy, using a team’s own strength against them, and Mourinho brought this idea of football and perfected it with the almost perfect players at his disposal at Real Madrid.

Under his countryman, Cristiano Ronaldo became a goal-scoring monster, buoyed by the once-in-a-lifetime playmaking from Mesut Ozil in the middle and a host of underappreciated standouts on the wings.

It all came together to perfection in Mourinho’s second season, as Real Madrid dethroned the seemingly unstoppable Barcelona, setting records for goals scored and points in a La Liga campaign.

Cristiano obviously led the way with 46 goals (and 12 assists), but two other players (strikers Karim Benzema and Gonzalo Higuain) scored more than 20 goals while Ozil and Angel Di Maria both produced more than Ronaldo’s 12 assists in La Liga.

Legacy: Real Madrid didn’t win a Champions League title in the 2011/12 season, and while that’s usually seen as the benchmark by which any Merengue side is measured, there’s a reason why Mourinho’s 2011/12 campaign is a special exception.

After all, their agonizing elimination to Bayern Munich in the semifinals was so devastating that Mourinho would later admit that it was the only time he ever cried after losing. And at the time, his only thoughts were to console his superstar, Ronaldo, who was even more devastated by the shootout defeat.

This razor-thin defeat was the only blight on what would have otherwise been the greatest season by a team in history. And yet this side is only ninth on the Real Madrid list alone, such is the unfair nature of football and the decisive moments that tell us who is remembered and who is forgotten.

But the 2011/12 Real Madrid side did win La Liga emphatically, averaging a jaw-dropping 3.18 goals per game. They will never, ever be forgotten, and we may never see counterattacking football done so artfully and violently again.

8. 2001–02: Zidane’s Volley and European Glory

One of the most iconic moments in Champions League history came in this season’s final when Zidane scored a breathtaking volley to secure Real Madrid’s ninth European Cup.

Key achievements: UEFA Champions League winners

Notable players: Zinedine Zidane, Raul, Fernando Hierro

Style & impact: The 2001/02 season was the pinnacle of achievement for the Galacticos, and without this Champions League triumph over Bayer Leverkusen, perhaps fans would not look at the Galacticos era with any fondness.

It was, in fact, the only time in which Real Madrid won the Champions League during this era, and they weren’t even particularly great in La Liga. Similarly to the 1997/98 title triumph under Heynckes, Los Blancos could only muster a third-placed finish in the league.

But goodness, they were undeniable in the Champions League, and the chief protagonist was Zinedine Zidane. The magical, World Cup-winning Frenchman had just joined Madrid in 2001 as the most expensive transfer in history, having set Serie A – the best league in the world at the time – ablaze with 6 goals and 14 assists from midfield.

Undeniable on the ball and impossible to dispossess, the 29-year-old single-handedly repaid Real’s transfer investment and inspired a legion of future Madrid legends like Cristiano Ronaldo and Jude Bellingham with 14 goal contributions in the league and 5 more in the Champions League, including a sweet left-footed volley in the Final that is widely regarded as one of the most difficult technical goals ever scored – let alone on that stage.

Legacy: The way the 2001/02 Real Madrid season is talked about is almost unbelievable. The season was a legend in and of itself not specifically because of the Champions League triumph – there have been plenty of those in Real’s history – but because of the players who took the field.

It was the crowning achievement of Zidane’s club career because after losing back-to-back Finals with Juventus, including that very one to Heynckes’s Real Madrid, Zizou finally stood out on the ultimate stage of club football just as he did a few years ago in the international game for France.

Zidane had a legion of legends by his side, too. The striker partnership of Fernando Morientes and Raul was one of the best of the era, combining for 33 goals that season.

Fernando Hierro and Claude Makelele provided an elite defensive spine with young emerging goalkeeper Iker Casillas behind them and the bombastic Roberto Carlos offering his unique skill set to the left.

And then, of course, there was the original Galactico, Luis Figo, who stepped into an unselfish role to support the goal-scoring forwards and Zidane’s own mazy forays into the attack.

The 2001/02 Champions League team was a reminder of what the Galacticos could have – and should have – been if Florentino listened to reason instead of dollar signs and built a squad around this nucleus instead of blowing it all up by jetting Makelele out the door just a year later.

7. 2021–22: The Historic Double and Epic Comebacks

Real Madrid stunned the football world with dramatic comebacks en route to winning both La Liga and the Champions League. Overcoming giants like PSG, Chelsea, Manchester City, and Liverpool, this season reinforced their reputation for never giving up.

Key achievements: La Liga champions and UEFA Champions League winners

Notable players: Karim Benzema, Vinícius Jr., Thibaut Courtois

Style & impact: There is almost too much that can be said about Real Madrid’s run to the Champions League Final, but after Los Blancos slumped in 2020/21 without any trophies and watched as a burned out Zinedine Zidane handed in a very public resignation to Florentino Perez, there weren’t exactly high expectations for the Merengues.

They only made two major signings after the ambitious effort to sign Kylian Mbappe at the transfer window failed. The first was teenage phenom midfielder Eduardo Camavinga from Rennes and the second free agent center back David Alaba, who donned the No. 4 after Sergio Ramos exited to – of all teams – PSG after a drawn-out contract dispute with Florentino Perez.

Real Madrid were dead to rights in the Round of 16. They were fortunate to have only lost 1-0 in the first leg, as PSG completely smothered Real, who could scarcely muster a threatening attack while Mbappe pretty much had his way with a backed-into-a-corner defense.

Following a 4-0 blowout loss to Barcelona in El Clasico, Real Madrid fans – and plenty of pundits outside of Spain – were calling for Carlo Ancelotti’s head after back-to-back unacceptable, outright putrid attacking performances in the two biggest games of the season.

And then Karim Benzema took over. Stepping out of the shadow of Cristiano Ronaldo on the international stage, Benzema had always been the main bright spot of a Real Madrid team struggling to find its attacking identity without the most prolific goal-scorer in club history.

Benzema was brilliant in each season without Cristiano, but he stepped up to another level in 2021/22 with a real Robin, breakout star Vinicius Junior, finally by his side.

In rapid time, Benzema delivered a hat trick to turn the tie, and, from then on, Real Madrid didn’t look back. They had rocky starts in the ties against Chelsea and Manchester City, but after the Remontada against PSG, they never let their heads down when they conceded or when all hope seemed loss.

Instead, Real Madrid appeared to go stronger when they went down, and every single player had this belief that they’d win no matter what, leaving opponents stunned.

Real Madrid thrived on the chaos at the end of matches, and after Rodrygo Goes scored two goals from absolutely nothing to resuscitate Real Madrid from the brink of death in the semifinals against the Manchester City super team, their eventual title triumph over Jurgen Klopp’s last truly great Liverpool team was almost a formality.

So much of Real’s Champions League triumph was down to resiliency and a few key players like Thibaut Courtois, Karim Benzema, Luka Modric, and Vinicius Jr. playing out of their skins, but Ancelotti has to get plenty of credit for the adjustments he made when it mattered most.

Ancelotti made all the right subs and started trusting the future lynchpins of the Real Madrid midfield more often, even utilizing Fede Valverde as a right winger on a regular basis over the more popular Marco Asensio, who was unbalancing the squad with his inability run or hold width.

Legacy: The 2021/22 Real Madrid season just might be the favorite of many fans of the club, even above some of the three-peat sides, the La Decima team, Mourinho’s 100-pointers, and Zidane’s Galacticos-era Champions League winners.

For the first time, Real Madrid were truly underdogs in a competition, and in every single tie, a primarily English-driven media had this narrative that Real Madrid were overrated, lucky, and not as talented as the Premier League giants, including the likes of Chelsea and Man City, who had dominated the competition in the previous season.

But Real Madrid proved them all wrong with three of the greatest Champions League comebacks in a row, capped off by the most improbable of them all in the semifinals vs. Man City.

In the league, Real Madrid were unstoppable. The 4-0 wake-up call to Barcelona ended up being a positive, because, in all reality, Barca were not going to trouble a Madrid side that waltzed through La Liga like a fairytale dream, taking full advantage of Barca’s first campaign without Lionel Messi.

6. 2017–18: Zidane’s Third UCL in a Row

In arguably one of the most impressive feats in modern football, Real Madrid won their third Champions League title in three straight seasons, cementing their status as a modern dynasty.

Key achievements: UEFA Champions League winners (third in a row)

Notable players: Cristiano Ronaldo, Toni Kroos, Keylor Navas

Style & impact: The last of the Real Madrid teams in the three-peat era, the 2017/18 outfit was battle-tested and ready for anything the Champions League threw at them, whether that was an experienced Juventus or a hungry Liverpool.

Real Madrid, as is tradition, only finished third in the league, but when push came to shove on the biggest stage of them all in the Champions League, Real Madrid were simply too good and too professional in their approach.

They had such an enviably deep squad. Backup attackers Marco Asensio, Isco, and Lucas Vazquez combined for 37 goal contributions among them in La Liga, offering very differing profiles that enabled Zinedine Zidane to obtain a tactical advantage against any opponent.

The young players at other positions were quite remarkable, too. Real Madrid had Mateo Kovacic, Dani Ceballos, and Marcos Llorente to draw on from the bench in midfield, and then fullbacks Achraf Hakimi and Theo Hernandez – the future best in the world at their positions – were behind the contemporary best duo in the world in Marcelo and Dani Carvajal.

Legacy: The final season of the three-peat era also showcased the best version of Zinedine Zidane as a manager yet. By then, he was unphased by anything and had already accomplished everything, meaning he could take anybody’s best shot.

No manager could figure out his system or his idea of playing, because he was so flexible and had all the right tools at his disposal to counter whatever anyone else wanted to throw at him.

Zidane was often criticized or his accomplishments downplayed, since the common refrain at the time was that he just let the players play without any tactics but nothing could be further from the truth.

Real Madrid were a well-oiled machine that took down four incredible teams in that competition – and Dortmund in the group stages. PSG, Juventus, Bayern Munich, and Liverpool were all absolute juggernauts, yet Real Madrid dispatched all of them – and only Bayern truly gave them a sweat.

5. 1959–60: The Peak of the Di Stéfano & Puskás Era

This season saw Real Madrid win their fifth consecutive European Cup in style, including a historic 7-3 win in the final over Eintracht Frankfurt. The partnership of Di Stéfano and Ferenc Puskás was at its absolute peak.

Key achievements: Fifth straight European Cup, record-breaking final

Notable players: Alfredo Di Stéfano, Ferenc Puskás, Francisco Gento

Style & impact: They may have lost the league on goal difference, but this Real Madrid team was special. Few of us can remember what this era of football was like, but in terms of the records and statistics, the late 50’s were the most dominant era in Real Madrid history and arguably the most dominant any club has ever been in the history of top-level European football.

Armed with the trident of Alfredo Di Stefano, Ferenc Puskas, and Paco Gento – a who’s who of the greatest Madridistas ever – Real withstood the departure of Raymond Kopa to his home coutnry with Stade de Reims.

Puskas, Di Stefano, and Gento combined for a whopping 89 goals in all competitions, and it’s hard to argue against that trio being the most meaningful crew in Madrid history.

Real Madrid were the true originators of Total Football, dominating with fluid attacking combinations and an unselfish approach with a hard-working defensive and midfield spine behind an attacking trident that was perfectly in sync with each other.

And no single player better epitomized this era of Total Football before Johan Cruyff than Di Stefano, who could play any position at the highest level and do anything on the football pitch.

Legacy: Their switches of play, marauding runs, and impossible-to-track overlaps and underlaps made Real Madrid the dominant team in Europe. They put up 12 goals on aggregate in the Round of 16, 7 in the quarterfinals, 6 in the semifinals, and then dropped 7 on Eintracht in the Final. How do you top that?

Although Real Madrid did not win the league title over Barcelona due to a tie-breaker based on goal difference, they were so beastly and offensively dominant in the European Cup (the old name for the Champions League) that they have to be considered one of the greatest Madrid sides ever.

4. 1956–57: Laying the Foundation of a Dynasty

The follow-up to the inaugural European Cup win, this season solidified Real Madrid’s emerging dynasty with a second consecutive European triumph.

Key achievements: Second European Cup title and La Liga

Notable players: Alfredo Di Stéfano, Raymond Kopa, Francisco Gento

Style & impact: Before Real Madrid could five-peat as champions of Europe (let alone three-peat in the modern era with Zizou as coach), they had to win their first, second, third, and fourth European Cups – the first European Cups in existence.

Their second title triumph came in the 1956/57 season back when the legendary Raymond Kopa – the namesake of the current trophy given to the best young player in world football – was still around in the Spanish capital. In fact, this was his first season at the club after Santiago Bernabeu boldly purchased him from Reims to add more flair, technicality, and chance creation to his team.

Real Madrid won both La Liga and the Champions League this season, edging out rivals Barcelona and Sevilla by five points, with Alfredo Di Stefano pacing all players in the league with 31 goals to more than double the total of the next top scorer in league play, forward Mateos.

Di Stefano was the key to the whole team, as he had the footballing IQ, athleticism, skill, and versatility to fulfill multiple positions in a free role akin to Cruyff, bullying defenders, turning attack into defense, and getting into positions where he could be the one to finish off moves with his golden finishing.

Legacy: Real Madrid’s tactical innovations and dominance at the time all ran through Di Stefano, but it was very much a team effort that set the groundwork for a Madrid side that would dominate Europe to start the European Cup era and thus set in stone decades of brilliance and an institution of excellence.

There is no Real Madrid of today with the likes of Zinedine Zidane, Cristiano Ronaldo, Sergio Ramos, Karim Benzema, and now Kylian Mbappe without the forefathers like Gento and Di Stefano.

And as much as Barcelona are positioned by world football analysts as the tactical innovators and great experimenters in the history of Spanish football, Real Madrid very much held that crown in the 1950s.

3. 2013–14: The Emotional La Décima

After a 12-year wait, Real Madrid clinched their long-coveted 10th European Cup, known as “La Décima.” Gareth Bale’s stunning late goal in the final against Atlético Madrid capped an emotional campaign.

Key achievements: UEFA Champions League winners (La Décima) and Copa del Rey winners

Notable players: Gareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo, Iker Casillas

Style & impact: It had been more than a decade since Real Madrid hoisted the Champions League trophy, and once it starts creeping up on even five years without a European Championship, you can see Madridistas already suffering from withdrawals.

After the Galacticos era blew up in their faces, Real Madrid were hitting rock bottom year after year, and aside from one Ruud van Nistelrooy-fueled title charge, the Merengues were a perennial disappointment and seemed to hit a Champions League quarterfinal wall.

Signing Cristiano Ronaldo (and Karim Benzema) and then hiring Jose Mourinho helped Real Madrid break down that wall and avoid falling well and truly behind a Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta, and Xavi-led Barcelona, but without that Champions League title as a crowning achievement, people around Europe were starting to murmur if Barcelona had now displaced Real Madrid as the biggest European power in football.

Real Madrid had to withstand a resurgent Atletico Madrid, whom they would meet in the Final that season, as their crosstown rivals became a formidable force to be reckoned with under the defensive brilliance of Argentinian legend Diego Simeone as their guiding hand.

But Real Madrid had a legendary manager of their own with Champions League experience in former AC Milan man Carlo Ancelotti, and armed with his kindness and fatherly wisdom, Cristiano, Karim Benzema, and shiny new toy Gareth Bale brought the right amount of firepower to counter the rising threat of Atelti and the perennially dominant Barcelona.

The numbers “92:48” will forever be etched in the hearts of Real Madrid fans, and that Sergio Ramos header to rescue his team from a potential lifetime of embarrassment at losing to “little brother” Atleti is often cited by young Madridistas their defining moment into being fans of the club for life.

Few moments in world football can touch that goal or the drama in the Final that had been building up to that moment, and it was as if the extra time, which Real Madrid dominated, was an early celebration and the players expressing the same jubilation that their fans would for months – and years – to come.

Legacy: La Decima was the first proverbial drop of ketchup dripping out of the stuck bottle – to steal a proverb from Cristiano Ronaldo himself – and it set the stage for Real Madrid becoming the greatest team of the 2010s, without a shadow of a doubt.

There were so many strong teams in that era, too. Borussia Dortmund started the decade strong, Bayern Munich and Juventus were incredible as the crowning teams of their countries, Atletico Madrid and Barcelona stood alongside Real Madrid to make sure Spain had the best league of the decade, and the Premier League brought in waves of great teams from Manchester United to Chelsea to Manchester City and Liverpool by the decade’s end.

Yet the one constant was Real Madrid winning things, all sparked by the additions of Bale and Ancelotti as the final pieces to a team that was lacking Bale’s athletic dynamism and Ancelotti’s quite confidence.

2. 2016–17: Zidane’s Breakthrough Double

Zinedine Zidane’s first full season as manager was a masterclass in leadership and tactical brilliance. Securing both La Liga and the Champions League titles, this season remains a fan favorite for its sheer dominance and tactical flexibility.

Key achievements: La Liga and UEFA Champions League double

Notable players: Cristiano Ronaldo, Sergio Ramos, Luka Modrić

Style & impact: Although Zinedine Zidane had already achieved Champions League greatness as Real Madrid manager the previous season, rescuing the Royal Whites from the clutches of Rafael Benitez, the 2016/17 season was Zizou’s first full campaign as coach and thus his first chance to truly morph the squad into his image during the offseason.

He did exactly that, and many fans – mostly of rival teams – fail to understand the intricate patterns of play he brought to the team. One of the best midfielders of all time, Zidane coached the greatest modern midfield trio in terms of balance and flexibility in Luka Modric, Casemiro, and Toni Kroos, making all three men the very best in the world in their three totally distinctive roles.

Zidane also got the most out of Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema as a duo in terms of putting the team first and being more tactical in their approaches, and that likely played a role in them being able to prolong their careers.

Real Madrid dominated the big games and got stronger as the season went on. They vanquished Atletico Madrid 3-0 in El Derbi, trashed Napoli in the Champions League knockouts, made the lightest work of Bayern Munich they ever had in the Champions League, brought Atletico Madrid to their knees in the semis, and then squashed Juventus 4-1 in the Final to put an exclamation point on one of the most unequivocal modern-day Champions League runs ever.

Only Barcelona seemed to have Real’s number, but the Blancos took home La Liga honors to go with the Champions League because they were so much more consistent throughout the campaign than the Blaugrana, never taking a game off and showing the utmost professionalism week-in and week-out regardless of the name of the opponent.

Legacy: What Zinedine Zidane did as a manager this season can never be forgotten, because he instilled a level of confidence, self-belief, consistency, and professionalism in this Real Madrid team that has become the benchmark by which all other Madrid teams are measured and try to emulate from here on out.

Every club in European football, whether they want to admit it or not, looks at this 2016/17 Real Madrid squad as the epitome of balance, mentality, and dominance in the modern game and they try to get their own players and coaches to behave in this manner.

Zidane made sure his team came to every game with a clear head and the mentality that every single game is the Final. That Matchday 29 battle against a bottom-half team in the league? It’s worth as much as a night under the Allianz Arena’s bright lights.

Because when you have the mentality that every game puts everything on the line, you aren’t going to get caught slipping. And when you do face the best of the best, you are even more prepared because you’ve played every single game with the mentality that you are facing all the stakes.

1. 1955–56: The Birth of a European Giant

This season marked the dawn of Real Madrid’s dominance on the continental stage. Winning the inaugural European Cup, Real Madrid established themselves as the pioneers of European football glory. Led by Alfredo Di Stéfano, the team combined tactical innovation with star power.

Key achievements: First-ever European Cup champions

Notable players: Alfredo Di Stéfano, Miguel Muñoz, José María Zárraga

Style & impact: Before Raymond Kopa ever played for Real Madrid, he actually suffered at the hands of the most winningest club in European football history, as the first ever European Cup pitted Real Madrid against Kopa’s Stade de Reims.

And it was Real Madrid, of course, that came out on top, knocking off the Just Fontaine-coached side 4-3 in an absolute thriller. Both teams were well-oiled machines with big stars of the day and fancy 3-2-5 WM formations.

Real Madrid were actually down 2-0 within 10 minutes, but they mounted a Remontada of their own with the old face of the franchise, Alfredo Di Stefano, spearheading it with both Real’s opening goal and some brilliance in the final 15 to help set up Hector Rial’s brace and the eventual winner.

At that time, the 3-2-5 WM formation was the cutting edge, and the mentality of the time was that the best way to win was to have the ball and play direct. Reims had the ball, but Real Madrid were more economical with their passing, more innovative with their runs off the ball, and with players like Di Stefano, Rial, and Gento, they had the chemistry to tear anyone up.

Real Madrid only finished third in the league, but they were so good in that first European Cup against legendary sides like Partizan, AC Milan, and Reims – and the overall significance of this season as the first triumph to start the run of five cannot be lost.

Legacy: This was the season that turned Real Madrid into the juggernaut it would become and set the tone for more than a half-century of footballing excellence, including the emphasis on winning and a direct style of football.

At the time, Real Madrid had Di Stefano scoring goals, creating chances, running his head off, and defending with Argentinian countryman Rial as his top striker and partner in crime, and you can always track Real’s history with their best teams having a strong midfield and defensive spine with a Batman and a Robin leading the way in the attack.

Real Madrid displayed a whole lot of heart and professionalism in this first title run, even completing a Remontada in a Final to secure the big trophy, and so much of this first season has repeated itself throughout Real’s splendid history.