Ranking every Real Madrid captain since 1993 from worst to best

Real Madrid are arguably the most successful football club on the planet and when scanning a list of their captains in the modern era it’s not hard to see why. 

Since 1993, Madrid have won 10 La Liga titles alongside eight Champions League trophies, cementing their status as one of the leading clubs in the game.

Every great team needs great leaders and Madrid have been blessed in this regard as some of the leading players of their generation have worn the armband for Spain’s most successful club.

Karim Benzema, who is the front-runner for the 2022 Ballon d’Or after his goalscoring exploits last season, is the latest legend to be appointed as Madrid captain – but how have his six immediate predecessors fared?

We’ve ranked every Madrid club captain since 1993 from worst to best.

6. Marcelo

Marcelo had been at Madrid for 14 seasons before being appointed the club’s first non-Spanish captain in 2021.

And, while the Brazil international left the club after a single season of armband-wearing, he still guided the team to a La Liga and Champions League double in 2021-22.

While Marca claimed that Marcelo was Madrid’s ‘fifth-choice left-back’, his experience was still crucial to the club’s achievements last year.

5. Iker Casillas

After the departure of the two captains Raul and Guti in 2010, Casillas was their natural successor; the goalkeeper had just won the World Cup with Spain and was regarded as one of the best players around.

And Casillas did lead Madrid to La Decima in 2014, ending a club obsession for their 10th European crown that lasted over a decade.

But Saint Iker was on the decline during his five-year spell as club captain. While many sympathised when Jose Mourinho marginalised him in favour of Diego Lopez, Ancelotti only used him in the cup competitions too.

Casillas left for Porto in 2015 but he remains one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time.

READ: 9 reasons Iker Casillas will always be remembered as a football legend

4. Fernando Hierro

Hierro, when he wasn’t acting as Yogi Bear’s body double, was an excellent defender with the happy habit of scoring goals on a regular basis.

Seasoned Premier League viewers may remember him best for his spell with Sam Allardyce’s Bolton but Hierro spent 14 happy years at Madrid, winning La Liga five times alongside three European Cups.

While the centre-back only wore the Madrid armband for his final two seasons at the Bernabeu, he did guide his team to five major trophies…