Ranking Florentino Pérez’s Best Signings at Real Madrid

Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez has been an iconic name in football. He took over as Los Blancos president in 2000 and remained so until 2006. He was then re-appointed in 2009 and has held the position ever since.

Under Pérez, the Spanish giants have achieved immense success, making them arguably the biggest club in the world. They have won 62 trophies under the Spaniard, with the last one being the UEFA Champions League trophy earlier this year.

Much of this success has come on the back of some brilliant signings over the years. He started the era of ‘Galacticos’, which was bringing in some of the biggest superstars in football at Real Madrid together.

Pérez recently signed Kylian Mbappé on a free transfer from PSG. The Frenchman could very well become the next Galactico but he isn’t on our list because we are yet to see his impact at the club.

Also Read: Ranking the 10 most expensive Spanish transfers of all-time

On that note, let’s take a look at the best signings made by Florentino Perez:

The Top 10 of Florentino Pérez’s Best Signings at Real Madrid

10. David Beckham

A player like David Beckham being 10^th on the list should be an indicator of the kinds of signings Florentino Pérez has made during his time at Real Madrid.

Beckham arrived at the Santiago Bernabéu for €35 million in 2003 after an illustrious spell at Manchester United. He made 159 appearances for the club, scoring 20 goals and providing 51 assists. He helped them win one La Liga and one Copa del Rey before joining LAFC in 2007.

9. Luis Figo

This was a highly controversial signing as Florentino Pérez signed Luís Figo from arch-rivals Barcelona in 2000 after triggering his €62 million release clause. Figo had achieved great success at Camp Nou and this move angered Barça fans.

However, the Portuguese went about with his business at the Santiago Bernabéu, winning two La Liga titles and one UEFA Champions League, among other honors. He scored 57 goals and provided 93 assists in 245 games.

8. Gareth Bale

The Spanish giants signed Gareth Bale from Tottenham Hotspur for a then world-record fee of €101 million in 2013. He instantly became a huge success, scoring an iconic winner in the Copa del Rey final and helping them win the 10^th Champions League trophy.

Overall, Bale registered 106 goals and 67 assists in 258 games for Los Blancos, including some of the most iconic goals in football history. He won five Champions League trophies, among other honors, before leaving for LAFC in 2022 and eventually retiring.

7. Ronaldo Nazário

Highly regarded as one of the greatest strikers of all time, Ronaldo Nazário joined Real Madrid from Inter Milan in 2002 for €42 million. He scored 103 goals and provided 35 assists in 177 games, winning two La Liga titles, among other honors. He left the club in January 2007, joining AC Milan.

6. Toni Kroos

Florentino Pérez signed Toni Kroos from Bayern Munich for just €25 million back in 2014 and what a bargain it turned out to be. He recorded 28 goals and 99 assists in 465 games, helping them win five UEFA Champions League trophies, among other honors.

Kroos formed a formidable midfield partnership with Luka Modrić and Casemiro, who dominated the European stage for years. He then surprisingly retired in the summer of 2024.

Also Read: Ranking greatest Real Madrid midfielders of all time

5. Karim Benzema

Karim Benzema arrived in Madrid in the iconic transfer window of 2009, where Madrid signed Benzema, Kaká, and Cristiano Ronaldo, among other players. He went on to become the second-highest scorer in the club’s history with 354 goals and 165 assists in 648 games.

He almost singlehandedly helped them win the Champions League trophy in the 2021-22 season and won the Ballon d’Or that season as well.

4. Sergio Ramos

An absolute legend at the club and someone, who many recognize as the captain, Sergio Ramos joined Real Madrid from Sevilla for €27 million in 2005. He made 671 appearances for the club, scoring 101 goals and providing 40 assists as well.

The center-back captained the side for a long while too, to huge success and won four Champions League trophies, among other honors.

3. Luka Modrić

Florentino Pérez signed Luka Modrić from Tottenham Hotspur for €35 million in 2012. The 38-year-old is still playing for the club and has so far made 534 appearances, contributing 39 goals and 86 assists.

Modrić has provided some iconic moments for the club, including an assist for Sergio Ramos’ last-minute equalizer in the Champions League final against Atlético Madrid in 2014. He’s won six UCL trophies, among numerous other honors with the Spanish giants.

2. Zinedine Zidane

Zinedine Zidane was already known as a superstar before joining Real Madrid from Juventus in 2001 for €77.5 million. However, his status grew as an absolute legend and an icon after his spell at the Spanish Giants.

Zidane scored 49 goals and provided 68 assists in 227 games, including the iconic volley in the 2002 Champions League final against Bayer Leverkusen. He won numerous trophies at the club before retiring in 2006.

1. Cristiano Ronaldo

Regarded by many as one of the two greatest players of all time and the greatest Real Madrid player, Cristiano Ronaldo tops this list. He also tops the club’s goalscoring charts with 450 goals in 438 games to go with his 131 assists.

Ronaldo arrived at the club from Manchester United in 2009 for a then-world-record fee of €94 million. He helped them win four Champions League titles, among other honors. The Portuguese footballer left in 2018 to join Juventus and currently plies his trade for Al-Nassr.

FAQs

Q. Who are the best players signed by Florentino Pérez?

A. Cristiano Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane, and Sergio Ramos are three examples of the best players signed by Florentino Pérez.

Q. Who was the most expensive player signed by Florentino Pérez?

A. Eden Hazard – he joined Real Madrid from Chelsea for €115 million in 2019.

Also Read: Ranking the 10 best Real Madrid defenders of all-time