Top 10 players to play for both Real Madrid and Chelsea

These individuals made their mark for both clubs in their careers.

Chelsea and Real Madrid are two of the biggest football clubs in the world. They are heavyweights in the Premier League and LaLiga respectively. Furthermore, their European triumphs are plenty as well.

Playing for either of these clubs is a dream for most professional footballers. However, some iconic footballers went on to represent both clubs and some of them are still actively playing. It is a significant achievement to represent two European giants in terms of club football and a player has to be brilliant in order to achieve this feat.

Here is a look at the top 10 players to play for both Real Madrid and Chelsea:

Ricardo Carvalho

Ricardo Carvalho was a sensational defender back in his playing days. His partnership with John Terry back when Jose Mourinho was the manager took the Premier League by storm. He joined CFC in 2004 and signed for Real Madrid in 2010 until 2013.

Nicolas Anelka

Nicolas Anelka played for several top clubs during his career. Real Madrid and Chelsea both were on his resume as well. The striker played for Real Madrid in 1999 and 2000. As for the Blues, he represented them from 2007 to 2012.

Claude Makelele

Claude Makelele was regarded as one of the best defensive midfielders of his generation. It is no surprise that he went on to play for both Real Madrid and Chelsea. The midfielder played for the Spanish giants from 2000 to 2003 and then represented the Blues from 2003 to 2008.

Alvaro Morata

Alvaro Morata was close to joining Manchester United but signed for Chelsea in 2017. He stayed with CFC for three years until 2020 when he finally left to join Atletico Madrid, a move that became permanent later. Before joining Chelsea, Morata spent eight years at Real Madrid from 2008 to 2016 with a year at Juventus FC in the middle. 

Michael Essien

Michael Essien was widely regarded as the best defensive midfielder of his generation. He was crucial in Chelsea’s success, winning the Premier League twice and the Champions League once with them. The Ghanaian international played briefly for Real Madrid, 35 games in total.

Mateo Kovacic

Mateo Kovacic is one of the players who is currently playing for one of the two clubs in question. The Croatian international is currently playing for the Blues since joining from Real Madrid back in 2019 after spending four years with the Spanish giants. He has won four Champions League trophies, three with Real Madrid and one with Chelsea.

Arjen Robben

Arjen Robben was one of the players who made the move from Chelsea to Real Madrid back in the day. He played for the Blues from 2004 to 2007 and then made the switch to Spain before signing for Bayern Munich in 2009. The winger made 106 appearances for the Blues and 65 appearances for Los Blancos. 

Antonio Rudiger

Antonio Rudiger is part of the current crop of players who have played for both Chelsea and Real Madrid. The German international signed for the Blues from AS Roma in 2017. He went on to join the Spanish heavyweights at the beginning of the 2022-23 season after winning the Champions League with Chelsea.

Eden Hazard

Eden Hazard is one of the few big-money signings that Real Madrid hierarchy regrets. The Belgian international joined from Chelsea for a €115.00m fee in 2019. He was on top of his game back then. However, Hazard has failed to live up to the expectations, struggling with injuries and form for Real Madrid. He has only seven goals for the Spanish giants in 75 appearances.

Thibaut Courtois

One could safely say that Thibaut Courtois has been the best signing by Real Madrid from Chelsea. The custodian was impressive for the Blues as well, playing for them from 2014 to 2018. He joined Real Madrid in 2018 and has since won eight trophies with the club. Considering his form, it is not long before Courtois collects more silverware.