Popularly dubbed "San Iker" ("Saint Iker") for his ability to produce miraculous saves, Iker Casillas is widely regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time. He is known for his athleticism, quick reactions and outstanding shot-stopping ability. Having spent the majority of his career at Real Madrid, Casillas is one of the few players to achieve over 1000 professional career matches, and holds the record for the most clean sheets in the UEFA Champions League.

Real Madrid established itself as a major force in both Spanish and European football during the 1950s, winning five consecutive European Cups and reaching the final seven times. This success was replicated in the league, which the club won five times in the space of seven years. This team, which included Alfredo Di Stéfano, Ferenc Puskás, Francisco Gento, and Raymond Kopa, is considered by some in the sport to be the greatest team of all time.

The club won the European Cup for a sixth time in 1966 defeating Partizan Belgrade 2-1 in the final with a team composed entirely of same nationality players, a first in the competition. This team became known as the Yé-yé. The name "Yé-yé" came from the "Yeah, yeah, yeah" chorus in the Beatles' song "She Loves You" after four members of the team posed for Marca and impersonated the Beatles.

Best known for his achievements with Real Madrid, Alfredo Di Stéfano was instrumental in the club's domination of the European Cup and La Liga during the 1950s. Along with Francisco Gento and José María Zárraga, he was one of only three players to play a part in all five victories, scoring goals in each of the five finals.

The season has been often termed by some newspapers as "La Liga de los Récords" (Spanish for "The League of the Records") as Real Madrid broke several long-standing La Liga records, the most prominent being the highest number of points in a single La Liga season. Their total of 100 was one point better than the previous record set by Barcelona in the 2009-10 season.

The most successful Real Madrid manager in terms of trophies won is Miguel Muñoz, who won nine La Liga titles, two Copa del Rey trophies, two European Cup titles and one Intercontinental Cup in his 15-year reign as manager. He is also the club's longest-serving manager.

Real Madrid has maintained the white shirt for its home kit throughout the history of the club, but there was one season that the shorts were a different color. Inspired by London-based team Corinthian F.C., one of the most famous teams at the time known for its elegance and sportsmanship, team executives decided that Real Madrid would replicate the English team's style by wearing black shorts. The initiative lasted just one year. After being eliminated from the cup by Barcelona with a 1-5 defeat in Madrid and a 2-0 defeat in Catalonia, President Pedro Parages decided to return to an all-white kit, claiming that the other kit brought bad luck.

By the early 1980s, Real Madrid had lost its grasp on the Liga title until a new cohort of home-grown stars brought domestic success back to the club. Spanish sport journalist Julio César Iglesias gave to this generation the name La Quinta del Buitre ("Vulture's Cohort"), which was derived from the nickname El Buitre given to Emilio Butragueño, the most charismatic and prominent player of the group. The other four members were Manola Sanchís, Rafael Martín Vázquez, Míchel, and Miguel Pardeza. All five players were graduates of Real Madrid's youth academy, La Fábrica.

Raúl played 741 first-team matches with Real Madrid from 1994 to 2010. Iker Casillas comes second with 725 appearances, followed by Manuel Sanchis, Jr., with 710.

Regarded as one of the greatest Spanish players of all time and one of the greatest ever players in his position, Gento was an extremely fast left-winger, with excellent vision and technical ability, which made him an effective assist provider. In addition to his control and creative ability, he was also a goalscoring threat due to his striking ability from distance.