Top six greatest Real Madrid players to wear No. 10

Kylian Mbappe recently inherited No.10 at Los Blancos.

Real Madrid players to wear No. 10 on their backs include some of the best players to ever wear a white shirt.

Real Madrid’s No. 10 was available for grabs after Luka Modrić left at the end of the 2024–25 season. Kylian Mbappe took over and is now wearing the recognisable number.

Great attackers and defenders have also worn the shirt, making it one of the team’s most sought-after numbers each year. Wearing the No. 10 puts on an entirely different kind of pressure, on top of the already high expectations of playing in a white shirt.

Few players helped to create and advance the number 10 legacy at Madrid, even though some did not live up to the shirt’s expectations.

Players to wear number 10 at Madrid

6. Mesut Ozil

When Mesut Özil joined Madrid in 2010, Lassana Diarra gave him the No. 10 shirt. The German international scored 27 goals and provided an incredible 80 assists in just his three years at the Spanish club.

With the ball at his disposal, the midfielder worked his magic, constantly trying to find one of the exceptional players who comprised Real Madrid’s front line with his passing. Gonzalo Higuaín, Karim Benzema, and Cristiano Ronaldo all received assists from Özil’s selfless performance.

Özil was the most underappreciated player in Real Madrid’s 2011–12 LaLiga-winning season, in which the Spanish powerhouses earned 100 points and scored 121 goals.

5. Clarence Seedorf

Prior to joining Real Madrid, Clarence Seedorf was a champion, and he carried on his successful ways with the Spanish powerhouse. In the inaugural campaign with Los Blancos, the Dutchman earned a LaLiga title to his trophy collection. In the following year, he won the European Cup, and in his third and final season wearing a white shirt, he won the Intercontinental Cup.

Seedorf was brilliant in midfield, but when called upon, he also helped lead the assault. The midfielder contributed 55 goals in all competitions by the end of his three-year stay with Real Madrid.

4. Luis Figo

To play for both Real Madrid and FC Barcelona and still be so highly regarded requires a certain type of pedigree. The Galacticos era began in 2000 when Luís Figo moved from Catalonia to Madrid, becoming the club’s record signing at the time.

During his career, Figo led Los Blancos to seven trophies, including two LaLiga championships and the UEFA Champions League victory in 2002. Only eight Real Madrid players have ever won the Ballon d’Or, including the midfielder.

3. Ferenc Puskas

Ferenc Puskás is among the greatest goal scorers in the history of the sport and for Real Madrid.

Puskás is the sixth-leading goalscorer in Los Blancos’ history, having scored 242 goals in 262 games. However, all of the players who are ranked higher than him in the club’s rankings have hundreds more appearances than the Hungarian.

Real Madrid won three European Cups thanks to the international superstar’s deadly skill in front of goal. When the pressure was high, Puskás was at his best.

2. Luka Modric

Luka Modrić is among the best Real Madrid players to wear the number 10. Wearing a white jersey, the Croatian achieved everything that can be achieved in the sport.

Modrić is a player of generational class and quality on the field, regardless of his titles. The 39-year-old solidified his reputation as Real Madrid’s greatest centre midfielder by dominating the pace of every game against any opponent with his exquisite passing and seemingly effortless set-piece deliveries.

1. Kylian Mbappe

Kylian Mbappe is the latest No.10 wearer for Real Madrid, after having joined the club last season. The Frenchman enjoyed a productive season with Los Blancos in the 2024-25 campaign, netting 44 goals across all competitions and winning the European Golden Boot.

The former Paris Saint-Germain star is the chosen one who inherited the iconic No.10 at the club during the 2025-26 season after the departure of Modric. He hopes to live up to the number and lead Los Blancos to silverware.

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