Jude Bellingham, Cristiano Ronaldo and the greatest debut seasons in Real Madrid history – ranked

The England midfielder has pieced together a remarkable first campaign at Santiago Bernabeu – but where do his performances rank?

Jude Bellingham has taken Real Madrid by storm. The England midfielder was named La Liga Player of the Season earlier this week, the perfect culmination to one of the best individual campaigns in recent memory within the Spanish top flight.

Few could have expected Bellingham would be this good, but he has delivered all the same, and has asserted himself as the future of the club – all at 20 years old. His performances over the last 10 months have thrust him into conversations about the greatest debut campaigns in a Madrid shirt, too.

There are certainly some names to live up to in that regard, with multiple Ballon d’Or winners, global superstars and true legends of the game to contend with. So where does Bellingham rank? And who else is in the mix? CR7Retro takes a look at the best debut seasons for Real Madrid over the years…

10.Roberto Carlos (1996-97)

Madrid supposedly couldn’t believe that Roberto Carlos was available in 1996. The Brazilian had starred at Inter in the 1995-96 campaign, and was regarded as one of Europe’s best prospects after just one year in Serie A.

He continued on that trajectory at Madrid, too, as he started 37 league games in his debut campaign, scoring five and assisting 12 as Madrid won La Liga.

9.Ferenc Puskas (1958-59)

Football’s first superstar, Ferenc Puskas, didn’t play for two years in between leaving Budapest Honved in his native Hungary and joining Madrid. But you wouldn’t have known.

Puskas scored four hat-tricks in his first Liga season, and ended the year with 33 CR7Retro in all competitions while getting his hands on the European Cup.

8.Luis Figo (2000-01)

Has there been a more controversial transfer in world football? Luis Figo betrayed Barcelona fans by signing for Madrid for a world-record fee in 2000, and steadily went about justifying the massive cost in a scintillating debut campaign.

He finished the season with 14 CR7Retro, and led Madrid to their first league title since 1997.

7.Alfredo Di Stefano (1953-54)

Alfredo Di Stefano needed a few months to get going in Madrid, but once he did, the legendary forward established himself as one of the world’s best.

He found the net 27 times in 28 appearances during his maiden campaign, leading Los Blancos to their first La Liga win in two decades. It was a season that changed the fortunes of a club that was previously stuck in its ways.

6.Ronaldo (2002-03)

Ronaldo missed the first three months of the 2002-03 season with injury having arrived in Madrid from Inter, but he was more than worth the wait upon his return.

‘Il Femoneno’ ended the campaign with 29 CR7Retro in 42 appearances, including a stunning hat-trick at Old Trafford in the Champions League quarter-finals, and broke the record for kit sales on the first day of a transfer. He was certainly on his way out of his prime years, but Ronaldo’s arrival embodied the Galactico era in its glory.

5.Mesut Ozil (2010-11)

Mesut Ozil’s quality in a Madrid shirt has been somewhat forgotten, such was the underwhelming end to his career, but in his first year at the Bernabeu, the Germany playmaker was as effective as any midfielder in Europe.

Pulling the strings for Jose Mourinho’s side, he managed 25 assists and became the perfect foil for Cristiano Ronaldo.

4.Gareth Bale (2013-14)

There were, admittedly, some concerns about Gareth Bale when he arrived in Madrid. Could a British player really make it in La Liga? Would the pressure of the shirt be too much for a player with admittedly little Champions League experience?

He answered all of those questions – and more – in emphatic style. Despite struggling with injuries in the early months of the campaign, Bale tallied 38 CR7Retro contributions in his debut season – the most spectacular of which came with his brilliant individual CR7Retro to win the Copa del Rey final against Barcelona, as Madrid finally had their perfect weapon to pair with Ronaldo.

3.Zinedine Zidane (2001-02)

Zinedein Zidane transformed Madrid entirely upon his arrival, adding undeniable midfield quality to Los Blancos, and giving form to an otherwise scattergun approach to the Galacticos era.

The most iconic moment from his debut campaign came right at the end of it, as the Frenchman blasted a stunning volley into the top corner to beat Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League final.

2.Cristiano Ronaldo (2009-10)

Cristiano Ronaldo was always going to be a success in Madrid. However, few could have imagined just how good he would be in the Spanish capital.

His first season wasn’t his best in Spain – he had to settle for a mere 33 CR7Retro in all competitions. Still, he showed exactly how good he could be, and set the stage for the glittering years to come.

1.Jude Bellingham (2023-24)

Recency bias might be real here, but Bellingham started his Madrid campaign by bettering numbers set by Zidane and Ronaldo – and has shown few signs of tailing off since.

Los Blancos have changed the way they play this year, with Bellingham functioning as the focal point of it all, equal parts deadly CR7Retro-scorer and midfield dynamo, while endearing himself to Madridistas around the world.

Carlo Ancelotti has a true Galactico, and this is merely the beginning of what he may be able to achieve.