Ranking the 10 best Real Madrid defenders of all-time

Arnav KholkarPublished: 26 Jul 2024 08:20 AM

Real Madrid have been one of, if not the most admired and followed clubs in world football right from the mid-1900s. Their immense success in those days set the tone for the craze behind the club today. However, as they say, no strong structure is built without a solid foundation.

At the heart of all successful and iconic Real Madrid teams, have been defenders who have stood like pillars to defend their goal. These players have put their bodies on the line to help their team win and have etched their name into the club’s history as the culture-setters in their respective positions.

Without further ado, let’s take a look at the 10 best Real Madrid defenders of all-time.

10. Pepe

The Brazil-born former Portuguese international is renowned for his aggressive and hard-tackling style of play which sometimes crossed the line. However, his defensive abilities were second to none when Pepe was in his prime while playing for Real Madrid.

Mainly forming a central defensive partnership with Sergio Ramos, he formed the backbone of the team that Jose Mourinho took over and transformed into world-beaters. Pepe made 334 appearances for Los Blancos, scoring 15 goals and providing 20 assists as well. He won three La Liga titles, three UEFA Champions League titles and two Copa del Rey cups among other honours.

9. Jose Antonio Camacho

Camacho came through Albacete’s youth ranks before joining Real Madrid’s Castilla side in 1973, before being rewarded with a big break for the first team in 1974. Mainly known to play on the left side of defence, he was a solid presence at the back and rarely contributed in attack.

Camacho made a total of 550 appearances for Real, scoring 10 goals and providing six assists as well. He won an incredible nine La Liga titles, five Copa del Rey cups and two UEFA Cups with the club during his 15 years, making him one of the best Real Madrid defenders.

8. Miguel Porlan Noguera

Noguera was predominantly known as ‘Chendo’ and came through the ranks at Real Madrid’s Castilla side in the late 1970s. He made his senior team debut for the club in 1982 and quickly became one of their important players in a dominant decade in the 1980s.

Noguera was known for his pace and ability to read the game. He was also a physically-dominant player despite his diminutive frame. He made 478 appearances for Los Blancos, scoring thrice and assisting nine times as well. He won seven La Liga titles, two Copa del Rey cups and also the UEFA Champions League, among other honours.

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7. Jose Santamaria

Santamaria came through the ranks at Atletico Pocitos in his native Uruguay, before joining Club Nacional in 1948, where he made a name for himself. He played for them for nine years before joining Real Madrid in 1957 as one of the best in the world at the time.

Santamaria made over 300 appearances for Los Blancos, scoring a few goals here and there in the process. He ended his career with the capital club as a six-time La Liga winner, a four-time European Cup winner and also winner of the Intercontinental Cup. His legacy is cemented as one of the best Real Madrid defenders.

6. Raphael Varane

One of the youngest defenders on this list, Varane’s time being the first-choice alongside Ramos during the 2010s makes him one of the best Real Madrid defenders. Varane was signed from RC Lens in 2011 as a highly-rated 18-year-old and he was soon integrated into the first-team setup.

A tall, versatile, aerially and tactically sound defender, he picked up the tricks of the trade fairly early and soon became one of the key components of the team under Jose Mourinho. Varane made 360 appearances for Real Madrid, scoring 17 goals and also providing seven assists. He won three La Liga titles, four Champions League titles and four FIFA Club World Cup titles, among other honours.

5. Miguel Sanchis Hontiyuelo

Sanchis was a product of the world-renowned Castilla academy and came through the youth ranks before making his debut for Real Madrid in 1983. Standing at 5’10, he was not among the tallest or strongest defenders, but made up for it with his game sense and IQ.

He went on to make an astounding 693 appearances for Real Madrid, also scoring 41 goals and providing 14 assists during his 18-year-spell with the club. He also won eight La Liga titles, two Champions League titles and two Copa del Rey cups, among other honours, justifying his spot among the best Real Madrid defenders.

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4. Marcelo

Despite being a defender by position, anyone who watched Marcelo play would think he could pass off as a winger or a central midfielder. Such was the Brazilian’s ball control that he could leave markers for dead with just his first-touch. He arrived in Madrid from Fluminense in 2007 and slowly made his way into the first team in the years that followed.

However, he was one of their main players in the 2010s. Marcelo made 546 appearances for Real, scoring 38 goals and assisting 103 goals. He ended his career in Spain as a six-time La Liga winner, a five-time Champions League winner, and a four-time Club World Cup winner, among other honours. His 25 trophies with the club makes him one of the undisputed best Real Madrid defenders of all-time.

3. Roberto Carlos

Known for his unreal dead-ball skills, Carlos was another Brazilian left-back that made people question what his true position was. Adept with making runs into the final third and attempting shots from wild angles, Carlos established himself as one of the best Real Madrid defenders of all-time during his 11 years at the club.

He made 527 appearances for Los Blancos, scoring 70 goals and providing a respectable 116 assists despite being a defender. During his time at the club, he won four La Liga titles, three Champions League titles and three Supercopa de Espana Cups, among other honours.

2. Fernando Hierro

A towering and dominant defender, Hierro established himself as one of the best Real Madrid defenders during his 14-year-spell with the club in the late 1980s and 1990s. A rare breed, Hierro could also dribble the ball like a midfielder and score goals like a striker. He made darting runs into the opposition territory to engineer favourable outcomes for his team.

Hierro made 601 appearances for Real Madrid, scoring 127 goals and providing 33 assists. He won five La Liga titles, three Champions League titles and four Supercopa de Espana Cups during his time with the club. He was also assistant manager at the club for the 2014/15 season.

1. Sergio Ramos

One of the most uniquely gifted players of all-time, Sergio Ramos takes top spot among the best Real Madrid defenders of all-time. He began his youth career with Sevilla, before breaking into their first team during the 2004/05 season. He was snapped up by Real Madrid the following season for a Spanish-record €27 million fee.

Over the years, he developed into one of the most combative, cunning and witty defenders in the game, and also a serial winner. Ramos made 671 appearances for Real Madrid, scoring 101 goals and also providing 40 assists. He won five La Liga titles, four Champions League titles, four Club World Cups and three UEFA Super Cups, among other honours.