Ranking every Real Madrid player to take the number 10 shirt

A shirt steeped in history

Few shirts in football carry as much weight as Real Madrid’s number 10, once worn by the great Ferenc Puskás. The tradition now continues with Kylian Mbappé, confirmed as its latest bearer, and just the 10th player to take it on since fixed numbers were introduced in La Liga for the 1995-96 season. Let's see how he stacks up against the rest!

10. Lassana Diarra

Diarra was dubbed the "new Makélélé" when he arrived from Portsmouth in 2009. He initially wore the number 6 before bizarrely switching to 10, normally reserved for creative midfielders, following Wesley Sneijder's departure to Inter Milan.

9. Robinho

Brazil's golden boy arrived in Madrid in 2005 and was immediately handed the prestigious number 10 shirt, tasked with filling the considerable boots of Luís Figo. The young winger showed glimpses of his potential but struggled with consistency throughout his three-year stay at the Bernabéu.

Bench-warmer

Madrid won two league titles during Robinho's tenure, though his performances rarely justified the faith shown in him. He was frequently benched due to inconsistent displays before leaving for Manchester City in 2008 as their first major big-money signing.

8. James Rodríguez

The 2014 World Cup's breakout star earned his move to Madrid through spectacular performances with Colombia, including that unforgettable volley against Uruguay. However, a fractured right foot in his debut season ruled him out for two months, hampering his adaptation to Spanish football.

What could have been...

7. Wesley Sneijder

The Dutch playmaker joined from Ajax in 2007 as the second-most expensive Dutch player in history, netting nine goals in his first season as Madrid clinched the league title, per Transfermarkt. A goal on his debut against Atlético in the Madrid derby provided the perfect introduction to life at the Bernabéu.

A short stay

However, injuries and off-field distractions saw Sneijder lose form under Juande Ramos the following season. The arrivals of Kaká and Cristiano Ronaldo pushed him further down the pecking order, leading to his 2009 sale to Inter Milan, where he promptly won the treble.

6. Michael Laudrup

The Danish maestro arrived at Madrid in 1994 from Barcelona, a controversial transfer that shocked Spanish football. Laudrup's sublime technical ability and vision made him the perfect conductor for Madrid's attack, orchestrating play with an elegance that few players have ever matched at the Bernabéu.

5. Mesut Özil

José Mourinho's creative lynchpin formed a devastating attacking triumvirate alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema. The German playmaker's 80 assists in 159 appearances (per Transfermarkt) perfectly encapsulated his role as Madrid's chief creator, threading passes with surgical precision that unlocked the tightest defences across Europe.

Telepathic understanding

Özil was instrumental in wresting the 2011-12 title away from Pep Guardiola's dominant Barcelona. However, criticism over his work rate and defensive contributions persisted, and Madrid's need for funds to sign Gareth Bale led to his Arsenal sale. This prompted dismay from Cristiano, who told Spanish newspaper AS: "He knew my movements better than anyone else."

4. Clarence Seedorf

The Dutch midfielder arrived in Madrid in 1996 and immediately made his mark despite a relatively brief 2.5-year stay. Seedorf's commanding presence in midfield helped Madrid secure the 1997 league title, followed by Champions League glory the following season.

Serial winner

His Madrid career is perfectly encapsulated by that thunderous 40-yard strike against Atlético in 1997; even so, John Toshack's arrival led to a reduction in his playing time, resulting in his departure to Inter Milan in December 1999. He would eventually win four Champions League titles with three different clubs.

3. Kylian Mbappé

Mbappé's highly anticipated arrival in 2024 from PSG came with massive expectations.  The French superstar's debut season (wearing the number 9) was nothing short of spectacular, netting 44 goals to claim both the Pichichi trophy and European Golden Boot, setting a new Real Madrid record for goals scored by a debutant, according to Transfermarkt.

A trophyless campaign

Despite his historic individual numbers and massive personal impact, Madrid underachieved as a collective during his debut campaign, failing to secure any major trophies. His brilliant performances couldn't mask the team's tactical struggles, though time is very much still on his side as he inherits his new shirt number.

2. Luís Figo

The most controversial transfer in football history saw Figo swap Barcelona for Madrid in 2000, earning him pig's heads thrown from the Camp Nou stands but also the 2000 Ballon d'Or. As Florentino Pérez's first Galáctico signing, the Portuguese maestro's betrayal of Barcelona was matched only by his exceptional talent.

Enormous talent

Figo won everything available during his Madrid tenure, justifying Barcelona fans' anguish with performances that demonstrated why he was arguably the most talented of all the Galácticos. Eventually, David Beckham's arrival hastened his move to Inter Milan in 2005.

1. Luka Modrić

When the Croatian left Tottenham in 2012, few predicted he would spend 13 years at Madrid, having initially been branded "the worst signing of the season". However, critics were soon silenced as Modrić's sublime skill, combined with remarkable longevity, made him one of Madrid's greatest players of all time, culminating in the 2018 Ballon d'Or.