Which Spanish football players are the best? The best footballers who were either Spanish-born or who were members of the Spanish national team are listed on this list. Fans of La Furia Roja have been waiting for Spain to regain their #1 ranking since the golden generation won three international titles from 2008 to 2012, despite the fact that the Spanish men’s national team has a long and illustrious history of producing elite international talent. So, which Spanish footballers are the best? Who are the all-time greatest Spanish footballers? National heroes like Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Iker Casillas, Carles Puyol, Sergio Ramos, Gerard Piqué, and David Villa are among the greatest Spanish soccer players.
Greatest Spanish footballers To Have Played
Andres Iniesta
One out of our all-time favourite Spanish footballers is Andres Iniesta. The incredible midfield player won four Champions League trophies and numerous La Liga crowns, accomplishing everything conceivable in terms of team accolades. But Iniesta’s impact goes beyond club football. He was a key member of what is arguably the best Spanish team in history. His goal in extra time at the 2010 World Cup final against the Netherlands solidified his legacy in the nation’s history. His contribution to the team’s victories in the 2008 and 2012 European Championships was crucial. Because of his sustained presence in the sport, he finishes slightly ahead of a teammate with whom he collaborated very effectively during his prime.
Xavi
At the club and international levels, Xavi just loses out to his former colleague for the top slot. Although the ace had a different role than Iniesta, he was nevertheless crucial to Barcelona’s success in the 2000s and 2010s. He was like a conductor controlling the midfield, with a passing range that few could equal. Given that Xavi was a member of Iniesta’s winning teams, his trophy case is outstanding. His supporting role on Pep Guardiola’s winning Barcelona team was exquisite. The 44-year-old even achieved success in other places, winning trophies in Qatar while playing for Al Sadd.
Iker Casillas
There are two goalkeepers who are among the greatest and most influential in Spanish history: Ricardo Zamora and Andoni Zubizaretta. Real Madrid and the Spanish national team are both captained by Iker Casillas. Along with numerous individual honours, he has won multiple Liga and Champions league titles, the World Cup, the Euro Cup, and more. A World Cup championship is without a doubt his best achievement. The fact that he only allowed two goals against him and that he had a clean sheet during the World Cup’s elimination phase are even more amazing. With all of his successes, Iker may have surpassed the great goalkeepers that came before him as the all-time best.
Luis Suarez
Not that one, please. There was a player by the same name before there was the Luis Suarez that fans know and adore today. The attacking player holds the distinction of being the only man to win the Ballon d’Or, the most important individual award in sports. He was born in Spain. He did this back in 1960, following two consecutive La Liga titles with Barcelona. During his time with Inter Milan, Suarez went on to add two European Cups to his collection of trophies. He assisted Spain in winning the European Nations’ Cup in 1964 while he was a member of the Italian powerhouses.
Sergio Ramos
Sergio Ramos García is a professional football player from Spain that specialises in centre back play. His most recent team was Sevilla in La Liga. Regarded as one of the best defenders of all time, he is renowned for his leadership, aerial prowess, and tackling prowess. The sixteen seasons he played at Real Madrid are what made him most famous. During that time, he won four UEFA Champions League titles, two UEFA European Championships, and the 2010 FIFA World Cup with the Spanish national team.
Ramos, who was born at Seville’s gates, came through the club’s junior academy and played for the main team for two seasons before joining Real Madrid in the summer of 2005. As of right now, Ramos is the player with the most caps in the history of the Spanish national team and is tenth all-time in goals scored for his nation. With 131 matches won, he also holds the record for the most victories for Spain on the international front. With eleven selections to the FIFPro World11, Ramos holds the record for most selections made by a defender and ranks third overall.
Carles Puyol
Carles Puyol was Spain’s undisputed leader, a lion at the rear. The center-back, a superb technical player and a no-nonsense defender, was just a different being. The legendary player for Barcelona won two championships with La Roja, and he was a member of the winning teams at the 2010 World Cup and the 2008 European Championship.
David Villa
The all-time leading goalscorer for Spain only needed to crack the top 10. A key player in Barcelona’s early-2010s triumph, David Villa scored the game-winning goal at Wembley Stadium to help his team upset Manchester United 3-1 in the 2011 Champions League final. With 59 goals in 98 games, he had a record greater than one goal per two games for his nation. The former star of Valencia didn’t always play in the middle of the pitch; instead, Villa spent most of his time on the left wing. The valiant Spaniard has one of the deadliest right feet of any player.
Raúl
Because of the club’s low financial standing, Jesus Gil, the president of Athletico Madrid at the time, decided to close the youth programme in 1994. Nobody could have predicted that one of the players from that young system would go on to become one of the best footballers in Spanish history and sign with Real Madrid, their rivals across town. Raúl took Emilio Butragueño’s place directly, and Madrid could not have wished for a finer successor. Raúl has achieved so much that it’s hard to list them all. However, three Champions Leagues and six Liga championships are among those achievements. He is the second-highest scorer in La Liga and the all-time leader in the Champions League.
Xabi Alonso
The head coach of Bundesliga team Bayer Leverkusen is Xabier Alonso Olano, a Spanish professional football manager and former player. In addition to being regarded as one of the world’s top young managers, he is one of the best midfielders of his generation. Alonso started his playing career with Real Sociedad, the primary team of Gipuzkoa, his home province. Then-manager John Toshack named him Real Sociedad’s captain following a brief loan stint at Eibar. In the 2002–03 season, he led the team to second place with his success in the role.
In the Euro 2012 quarterfinal matchup against France on June 23, 2012, Alonso earned his 100th cap for Spain. To mark the milestone, he scored both of Spain’s goals, which advanced them to the semifinals. Alonso announced his retirement from international football after Spain’s World Cup 2014 campaign ended in elimination from the group stages. He is now the eighth-most-capped player in the history of the country with 114 caps.
Emilio Butragueño
One of the Spanish greats who is a distinct kind of legend is Emilio Butragueño. While most people consider league titles and other material achievements to be the measure of success, Butragueño’s skill and flair took Real Madrid to new heights. Among the renowned “Quinta del Buitre,” which consists of five Real Madrid academy grads signed by Alfredo Di Stefano and closely guided by Jose Antonio Camacho, is Butragueño. Seldom is the ball control and play-flow management of Butragueño in and around the box matched. He was a gifted individual who introduced the love of football to the nation’s capital.
Fernando Hierro
Fernando Hierro, a defender for one of the most successful and goal-scoring teams in history, is a Spanish legend. He has scored 137 goals. Defenders rarely rate among the all-time greats on the front line, as this slideshow’s prior comments made clear. Hierro is not a typical defender. He was able to lead the defence and play higher up the pitch because of his talent with the ball.You can study Hierro’s tackle and free kick techniques by viewing a video of him playing. Hierro had no fear and was not above getting a little dirty when the circumstances demanded it. Since his resignation, Madrid has not had a defender of his calibre.
Ricardo Zamora
Ricardo Zamora was one of Spain’s numerous firsts. He was one of the first players chosen for the inaugural Spanish national squad. Zamora is Spain’s first real star goalie. He is also the Spanish team’s first real personality. For his daring and skill as a goalie, Zamora was well-known around the world. At six feet five, Zamora was a formidable goalie who possessed a hint of rebellion. While travelling back home after winning the silver medal in the Olympics in 1920, Zamora was detained for smuggling cigars from Havana. He also received a match suspension during the competition for striking an Italian player. His failure to declare a signing fee on tax forms resulted in a complete year-long play ban.
More: How to join Aston Villa FC Academy
The Olympique de Marseille Academy
Everton Football Academy Trails
