The 8 Most Celebrated Real Madrid C.F. Players of All Time

Real Madrid is the most successful club in Spanish football history. They are one of the founding members of FIFA and are the richest club in the world, in terms of revenue.

The club's history reaches as far back as 1902, giving it plenty of time to have accrued some of the finest talent the football world has ever seen.

From then to now, Real Madrid has 31 La Liga titles, 18 Spanish Copa del Rey Cups, nine European Cups or UEFA Champions Leagues, eight Spanish Super Cups, three Intercontinental Cups, two UEFA Cups, one UEFA Super Cup, one Copa Eva Duarte and one Copa de la Liga.

With all this history and success, what names deserves to be touted as the most celebrated players in the club's history?

Alfred Di Stefano

Alfred Di Stefano was the focal point of Real Madrid in the late 1950s, when the club won five-consecutive European Cups.

The Argentinian forward scored a goal in each of the first four cup finals and scored a hat trick during the fifth and final year of Madrid's domination.

Di Stefano is widely considered one of the best, if not the best, players of all time because of his versatility, incredible stamina, pace and finishing touch.

During his time with the team from 1953-1964, Di Stefano made 396 appearances for the club and netted 307 goals. He's currently the fourth-highest scoring player in Spain's top division and is Real Madrid's second-highest goal scorer of all time.

Raul Gonzalez Blanco

If Di Stefano piqued your interest as the second highest goal scorer in Real Madrid history, the man known simply as Raul should definitely draw some intrigue.

In 741 appearances with the club, Raul buried 323 goals and helped lead the team to three UEFA Champions League titles.

Zinedine Zidane

Perhaps more known to the casual fan for his headbutt during the 2006 World Cup, Zidane is widely considered one of the best players in the history of football.

In 2004, Zidane was named the best European football player of the past 50 years by the UEFA Golden Jubilee Poll and was included in the FIFA 100, Pelé 's list of the 125 greatest living footballers.

He was transferred to Real Madrid for the then-record sum of about €75 million in 2001. His arrival sparked a string of success for the club, including a 2002 UEFA Champions League Finals victory.

Despite his short stint with the club, Zidane is beloved by the team's fans.

Francisco Gento Lopez

Francisco Gento Lopez was a legendary midfielder for Real Madrid. He was touted mostly for his great speed, but he was also a proficient scorer for the position he played.

Lopez played for Real Madrid at the same time that Alfred Di Stefano did, and for several years after. They both enjoyed great success with the top-level club.

Iker Casillas

After working his way up through Real Madrid's youth system and earning the starting goalkeeper role in the 1999/2000 season, no one has even come close to challenging Iker Casillas for the role since.

Casillas is considered one of the best goaltenders in the world. His agility, quickness and intelligence are some of the main qualities that help make him exemplary at the position.

In 2008, Casillas helped lead the Spanish national team its first European Championship in 44 years and a 2010 World Cup victory after that, winning the tournament's best goalkeeper award in the process.

Roberto Carlos Da Silva Rocha

Roberto Carlos, as he is more commonly known, made more than 500 appearances as a left back for Real Madrid from 1996-2007.

During his time with the club, Real Madrid won four league titles, three UEFA Champions Leagues titles, a UEFA Super Cup, three Supercopa de Espana titles and two Intercontinental Cups.

He was touted for his consistency and strength at the vital position.

Hugo Sanchez Marquez

Hugo Sanchez Marquez is considered the best Mexican footballer of all time. Sanchez played for four clubs in his career, with Real Madrid marking the pinnacle of his career as a striker.

He signed with the team in 1985. From then to the 1989-90 season, Real Madrid won the league title five consecutive years, the Copa del Rey and the UEFA Cup.

Marquez also won four Pichichi trophies during this span. The Pichichi trophy is a trophy awarded to the top goal-scorer each season by the Spanish sports newspaper Marca.

Luís Filipe Madeira Caeiro Figo

Luis Figo is likely more celebrated by Real Madrid fans for his betrayal of the club's league rival, Barcelona.

When Figo made his return three seasons later, he was met with such hate that fans began to throw objects at him. One of the most notable things thrown on the field during the game was a pig's head.

All in all, Figo played for Real Madrid from 2000-05, making 239 total appearances and scoring 57 goals. While there, Madrid won two league titles and a UEFA Champions League title.