Over the years, Real Madrid has seen a number of legendary strikers leave their mark on the club’s history. With their talent, charisma and efficiency, they have scored many goals and thrilled the Bernabeu. We have compiled a list of the 11 best strikers in Real Madrid’s history.

From Alfredo Di Stéfano to Karim Benzema, Real Madrid have always had iconic strikers who have done unbelievable things at the Bernabeu. The club from the Spanish capital has always managed to attract the best footballers of each generation, and several golden ball winners have worn the white shirt of the Casa Blanca.

Before Real Madrid’s current generation of outstanding strikers, including Vinicius Jr, Rodrygo Goes and Kylian Mbappé, Florentino Perez’s club managed to form a legendary trio in the recent history of Real Madrid. Between 2016 and 2018, Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo managed to win three Champions Leagues in a row while having been monstrous on the European stage.

Before them, Real Madrid had other charismatic strikers such as Raúl González, Ronaldo Luis Nazario de Lima and Luis Figo. But none of them has left such an indelible mark on the club’s history as Cristiano Ronaldo, the Lusitanian now captain of Al Nassr.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid’s best ever striker

Having arrived in 2009 from Manchester United, where he won everything including the Ballon d’Or, Cristiano Ronaldo has taken Real Madrid to a new dimension. A veritable goal machine, Cristiano Ronaldo has redefined the role of striker at Real Madrid. His ability to shine in crucial moments has made him the club’s all-time top scorer and player. The Portuguese scored 450 goals in just 438 games for the Casa Blanca, playing on the left side of the attack.

With CR7, Real Madrid dominated not only Spain but also Europe, winning 4 Champions Leagues during his time in the Spanish capital (2009 to 2018). He logically dominates this ranking of the best strikers in Real Madrid’s history.

Di Stefano and Benzema hot on Cristiano Ronaldo’s heels

Cristiano Ronaldo tops the list of Real Madrid’s best ever strikers. That much is obvious. But for all that he represents in the history of Real Madrid, Alfredo Di Stefano comes in second place.

The architect of Real Madrid’s success in the 1950s, Di Stefano was above all a symbol of total football, capable of shining in every area of the pitch. To this day, he is the one and only footballer to win France Football’s Super Ballon d’Or. In Madrid, Di Stefano is deified with a list of honours as long as his arm (5 European Cups, 8 Liga titles and 2 golden balls). He scored 308 goals in 396 games for the Casa Blanca.

Behind the Spanish and Argentine legend, Karim Benzema completes the podium in this ranking of the best strikers in Real Madrid’s history. The French striker went from playing second fiddle to Cristiano Ronaldo to leading the line after the Portuguese left for Juventus in 2018. KB9 managed to make history at Real Madrid after an unprecedented season crowned by the 2022 Golden Ball. His longevity and influence on Real Madrid’s recent successes make him the third-best striker in the club’s history. KB9 has scored 354 goals in 648 games for Madrid.

Here is the complete list of Real Madrid’s best ever strikers

Rang
Nom
Nationalité
Nombre de buts
Nombre de matchs
Palmarès

1
Cristiano Ronaldo
Portugal
450
438
4 Ligues des champions, 2 Liga, 4 Ballons d’Or

2
Alfredo Di Stefano
Argentine/Espagne
308
396
5 Ligues des champions, 8 Liga, 2 Ballons d’Or

3
Karim Benzema
France
354
648
5 Ligues des champions, 4 Liga, 1 Ballon d’Or

4
Raúl González
Espagne
323
741
3 Ligues des champions, 6 Liga

5
Ferenc Puskas
Hongrie
242
262
3 Ligues des champions, 5 Liga

6
Hugo Sánchez
Mexique
208
282
5 Liga, 1 Soulier d’Or

7
Ronaldo Nazário
Brésil
104
177
1 Liga, 1 Soulier d’Or

8
Santillana
Espagne
290
645
9 Liga, 2 Coupes UEFA

9
Emilio Butragueño
Espagne
171
463
6 Liga, 2 Coupes UEFA

10
Gareth Bale
Pays de Galles
106
258
5 Ligues des champions, 3 Liga

11
Vinicius Jr
Brésil
60
225
1 Ligue des champions, 2 Liga