Some of the best soccer players to ever lace up a pair of boots have played for Los Blancos, but only a select few delivered in their Real Madrid debut.
So much of Real Madrid’s past and current success in both Europe and Spain comes down to their world-class players. Throughout the years, Los Blancos have made blockbuster signings to bring the best talent in the world to Madrid, including David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo, and now, Kylian Mbappe. It takes some players a bit of time to find their footing at a new club and in La Liga, but others have managed to make an impact straight away.
Here’s a breakdown of the best Real Madrid debuts of all time.
5. Gareth Bale
All eyes were on Gareth Bale as the former Tottenham man played his first La Liga game for Real Madrid against Villarreal on Sept. 14, 2013. Despite arriving earlier in the summer, the forward had to wait weeks before he was fit enough to play for Carlo Ancelotti’s side.
Despite his lingering knock, Bale was called upon to help Los Blancos end Villarreal’s winning streak, and he did just that. The Welshman scored his first ever Real Madrid goal in his debut, putting his side level after they went down 1-0 early.
The goal would be the first of many for Bale, who would go on to notch 106 goals for Los Blancos, including the winners in the 2014 and the 2018 Champions League finals.
4. Jude Bellingham
Real Madrid needed Jude Bellingham to live up to the hype. After losing Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema without signing a true striker, Los Blancos relied on the then 20-year-old to play as a false 9 and do something Real Madrid failed to do so often in their 2022/23 La Liga campaign—score goals.
The former Borussia Dortmund star announced his arrival in Madrid by scoring his first goal in his debut against Athletic Bilbao on Aug. 12, 2023. Bellingham debuted his now famous goal celebration in a white shirt and has not looked back since, helping Carlo Ancelotti’s side win La Liga and the Champions League in his debut season.
3. Isco
In Carlo Ancelotti’s first ever La Liga game in charge of Real Madrid, Isco also made his debut for Los Blancos, and handed his new manager his first win. Real Betis was a formidable opponent on Aug. 18, 2013, scoring an early goal to take the 1-0 lead. Karim Benzema would score to bring the game level all thanks to a clever assist from his new teammate, Isco.
Los Blancos struggled to find the winner in the second half, and looked destined to walk away with just one point until the former Malaga man scored his first goal for Real Madrid in the 86th minute.
With a goal and an assist in his debut, Isco delivered a more impactful performance in his first La Liga match than some of Real Madrid’s greatest players of all time, including David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Zinedine Zidane.
2. Emilio Butragueno
Emilio Butragueno played his first La Liga match for Real Madrid against Cadiz on Feb. 5, 1984, and what soon transpired etched his debut in history. The Spaniard was a second half substitute after his side was trailing by two goals, and in just 45 minutes on the pitch, he scored a brace to secure all three points for his side.
Real Madrid have had some memorable substitute performances in their history, most recently with Joselu’s late-game heroics against Bayern Munich in the 2024 Champions League semi-finals, but few have been able to do what Butragueno did in their first ever game with the Real Madrid crest on their chest.
1. Ronaldo Nazario
Speaking of brilliant substitute performances, Ronaldo delivered what would be his first of many braces for Real Madrid in his debut. Coming off the bench against Alaves on Oct. 6, 2002, the Brazilian found the back of the net twice in less than 30 minutes on the pitch.
Ronaldo’s debut was a sign of what was to come for the prolific striker. He scored 104 goals in just five years for Los Blancos, and solidified himself as one of the club’s top goalscorers of all time; in fact, he still ranks in the top 20 after leaving Madrid over 17 years ago.
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