In brief
With legendary players like Andres Iniesta, Xavi, and Sergio Ramos donning the renowned red shirt, Spain has a long and illustrious footballing history.
Both David Villa and Raul are among the top 11 players in their country and are among the greatest goal scorers in Spanish football history.
Due to the fact that the legendary striker was born in Argentina, Alfred Di Stefano is not included on the list.
Many contemporary football fans recall Spain’s powerful national team, which won three major trophies between 2008 and 2012, as evidence of the country’s lengthy history of producing exceptionally great players.
Some of the greatest football players to ever don the iconic red shirt have played for La Roja, a country known for producing technically talented players. This includes many Champions League winners and the only Ballon d’Or winner ever to be born in Spain.
If one were to compile a list of the greatest players to have ever represented Argentina at the international level, Alfredo Di Stefano would be at the top. However, because he was born in Argentina, the prolific striker is not included in the rankings below.
Having said that, we used some of the following criteria to rank the top 11 Spanish players in history:
International Career Club for Longevity Impact on Teams of Career Trophies Won Individual Honours
The Top 11 Spanish Performers in History
Rank
The player
Clubs
One
Iniesta Andres
Vissel Kobe, Barcelona, and Emirates Club
2.
Xavi
Al Sadd, Barcelona
3.
Ramos, Sergio
Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, and Sevilla
4.
Casillas Iker
Porto and Real Madrid
5.
Raul
Al Sadd, New York Cosmos, Schalke 04, and Real Madrid
6.
Busquets, Sergio
Miami Inter and Barcelona
7.
Suarez Luis
Barcelona, Inter Milan, Sampdoria, Espana Industrial, and Deportivo La Coruna
8.
Villa, David
New York City FC, Melbourne City, Atletico Madrid, Valencia, Barcelona, Real Zaragoza, Sporting Gijon, and Vissel Kobe
9.
Puyol Carles
Barcelona
10.
Butragueno Emilio
Celaya and Real Madrid
11.
Hierro, Fernando
Real Madrid, Bolton Wanderers, Al-Rayyan, and Valladolid
1Andres Iniesta
Clubs: Barcelona, Vissel Kobe, Emirates Club
Our all-time favourite Spanish player is Andres Iniesta. In terms of team honours, the enchanted midfielder accomplished all by winning four Champions League medals and numerous La Liga titles. But Iniesta’s impact extends beyond club football; he played a key role in what may have been the best Spanish squad in history.
His goal in extra time at the 2010 World Cup final against the Netherlands solidified his legacy in his nation’s history. In 2008 and 2012, he was a key member of the team that won the European Championship. Because of his longevity in the sport, he finishes slightly ahead of a colleague with whom he had a great working relationship in his prime.
2Xavi
Clubs: Barcelona, Al Sadd
At the club and international levels, Xavi narrowly loses out to his former colleague for first place. Although the maestro had a different role than Iniesta, he was equally crucial to Barcelona’s success in the 2000s and 2010s. Because of his unparalleled passing range, he dominated the midfield like a conductor.
Given that Xavi played for the same winning teams as Iniesta, his trophy cupboard is astounding. He played a beautiful deep-lying role in Pep Guardiola’s great Barcelona team. During a stint at Al Sadd, the 44-year-old even achieved success elsewhere, winning trophies in Qatar.
3Sergio Ramos
Clubs: Sevilla, Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain
There have been many outstanding centre defenders throughout the history of the game, and Sergio Ramos is at the top of the list. The Spaniard, who has been among the finest in his position for more than ten years, is a fiery character on the pitch with underappreciated technical skill when in control of the ball.
The Real Madrid legend returned to Sevilla, the club where his professional career began, and continued to play top-tier football in his own country at the age of 38. Ramos helped Los Blancos win four trophies in five years, which was the most dominant time in Champions League history for any club team. Perhaps the most iconic event in his lengthy and illustrious career was his last-minute header against fierce rivals Atletico in 2014.
4Iker Casillas
Clubs: Real Madrid, Porto
Few goalkeepers in football history can say they had more successful careers than Iker Casillas. In his prime at the Santiago Bernabeu, the goalie was unbeatable. He wasn’t quite as tall as most ‘keepers (under 6’0″), but his amazing agility and astute placement more than made up for it.
Even when Barcelona was at the top of their game, Casillas managed to keep Victor Valdes out of the Spain squad. He demonstrated his value to one of the greatest teams in modern history by being selected to the Team of the Tournament in each of his country’s four major victories.
5Raul
Clubs: Real Madrid, Schalke 04, Al Sadd, New York Cosmos
Raul Gonzalez had to be on this list because he had more than 300 career goals. When given a chance to score, the former Real Madrid attacker was clinical. The Spanish icon is most remembered for his time in La Liga, where he scored goals for joy back home.
Even though he had stints with Schalke, Al Sadd, and the New York Cosmos in his later years, the left-footed poacher still had a flair for scoring goals. Raul had a respectable scoring record in international football as well, scoring 44 goals in just over 100 games.
6Sergio Busquets
Clubs: Barcelona, Inter Miami
the unsung hero of Spain’s and Barcelona’s victories over the last 20 years. The holding midfielder’s intellect enables him to pick up space anywhere on the pitch and spray passes wherever he pleases, making Sergio Busquets one of the most visually appealing football players on the globe.
Busquets is finally starting to get the recognition he unjustly lost out on for a significant portion of his career after joining up with former teammates Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, and Jordi Alba at Inter Miami. It was never going to be simple to replace Xavi, but the 36-year-old handled it with ease during Barca’s aforementioned period of supremacy in European football.
7Luis Suarez
Clubs: Deportivo La Coruna, Espana Industrial, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Sampdoria
Not that one, please. There was a footballer with the same name before Luis Suarez became well-known to fans in the present era. The attacking player is still the only Spanish-born guy to win the Ballon d’Or, the game’s most coveted individual award.
He did this all the way back in 1960, following Barcelona’s consecutive La Liga victories. During his time with Inter Milan, Suarez would go on to add two European Cups to his collection of trophies. He assisted Spain in winning a European Nations Cup in 1964 while he was playing for the Italian powerhouses.
8David Villa
Clubs: Sporting Gijon, Real Zaragoza, Valencia, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, New York City FC, Melbourne City, Vissel Kobe
The all-time best scorer for Spain only needed to place in the top 10. With his iconic goal at Wembley Stadium to help Barcelona defeat Manchester United 3-1 in the 2011 Champions League final, David Villa played a key role in the team’s success in the early 2010s.
With a record of more than a goal per two games, he scored 59 goals for his nation in 98 games. The former Valencia player also didn’t always play in the middle, since Villa spent most of his games on the left side. The brave Spaniard was one of the few players with a more lethal right foot. Compared to some of the other players on the list, he ranks at the bottom because his trophy cabinet isn’t quite as filled.
9Carles Puyol
Clubs: Barcelona
The fact that Barcelona’s renowned captain, Carles Puyol, comes in so low on this list is evidence of how many talented players have come from Spain. We are discussing one of the greatest defenders to ever set foot on a football pitch, who repeatedly placed his life in danger for his team and nation.
La Roja advanced to the final, where Iniesta scored the game-winning goal, thanks to his header against Germany in the 2010 World Cup semifinal. Puyol, who retired at Barcelona as a hero who accomplished everything, is a unique breed since he stayed faithful to his beloved team throughout his career.
10Emilio Butragueno
Clubs: Real Madrid, Celaya
Given that the Real Madrid legend’s finest work was produced in the 1980s, Emilio Butragueno may be a lesser-known name on our list. Butragueno is one of the most successful players to rise through the ranks at the Spanish club, having won six La Liga trophies.
Due to his remarkable speed and agility, the 5’7″ attacker was very challenging for opposition defenders to handle. Although his team regretfully ended second in the Euro 1984 competition, Butragueno’s contributions earned him a spot in the Team of the competition and a Silver Ball trophy. This was his best performance wearing the iconic Spanish red shirt.
11Fernando Hierro
Clubs: Valladolid, Real Madrid, Al-Rayyan, Bolton Wanderers
Fernando Hierro’s 2004 arrival at Reebok Stadium stunned Bolton Wanderers supporters. Before making his Premier League debut, the player who played both defence and midfield for Real Madrid, the biggest club in the world, had participated in European finals.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Hierro had a part in three different Champions League-winning campaigns for the team. The first of those occurred in 1997–98, the same season he won the UEFA Club Defender of the Year award. Although he had 89 games and regrettably didn’t win any big awards, he did amass a respectable 29 goals.
