Di Stéfano was central to the Real Madrid side that won five consecutive European Cups from 1956 to 1960. We put him sixth for the breadth of his involvement: our ranking values a player who can connect phases of an attack, not simply finish one. The objection is powerful: placing a defining figure of European club football outside the top five may overvalue later stars. We accept that risk. His team’s trophies support the historical case, but they cannot by themselves measure one player’s superiority across different eras.
Source: Real Madrid.
Photo: Wim van Rossem for Anefo · CC0. Resized and recompressed; same license.
