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Top 33 Real Sociedad Players of All Time

By YPB Team

Back-to-back league titles in the early 1980s, Copa del Rey nights and an academy that keeps selling stars abroad all feed this list. Some picks are one-club stalwarts; others stayed just long enough to leave a mark in San Sebastián.

  1. Luis Arconada — ranked #11
    Luis Arconada
    Goalkeeper who made 551 appearances for the club and won the 1980–81 and 1981–82 La Liga titles.
    1000pts
  2. Mikel Merino — ranked #22
    Mikel Merino
    Midfielder who won the 2020 Copa del Rey with the club and made 242 appearances before joining Arsenal in 2024.
    689pts
  3. Txiki Begiristain — ranked #33
    Txiki Begiristain
    Winger who played for the first team from 1982 to 1988, winning the 1987 Copa del Rey before joining Barcelona.
    626pts
  4. Martín Zubimendi — ranked #44
    Martín Zubimendi
    Academy defensive midfielder who made 236 appearances and won the 2020 Copa del Rey before joining Arsenal in 2025.
    626pts
  5. Imanol Agirretxe — ranked #55
    Imanol Agirretxe
    Academy striker who played for the first team from 2005 until injuries forced his retirement in 2018.
    587pts
  6. Alexander Isak — ranked #66
    Alexander Isak
    Swedish striker who scored 44 goals in 132 games from 2019 to 2022 before joining Newcastle United.
    542pts
  7. Antoine Griezmann — ranked #77
    Antoine Griezmann
    Academy forward who helped win the 2009–10 Segunda División title and scored 52 goals in 202 games before joining Atlético Madrid in 2014.
    542pts
  8. Valeri Karpin — ranked #88
    Valeri Karpin
    Russian midfielder who had two spells at the club, 1994–1996 and 2002–2005, totalling 194 appearances.
    491pts
  9. José Mari Bakero — ranked #99
    José Mari Bakero
    Attacking midfielder who scored 90 goals in 288 games for the club from 1980 to 1988 before joining Barcelona.
    491pts
  10. Jesús María Zamora — ranked #1010
    Jesús María Zamora
    Midfielder who made 588 appearances and scored the late equaliser at Sporting Gijón that clinched the 1980–81 La Liga title.
    491pts
  11. John Aldridge — ranked #1111
    John Aldridge
    Republic of Ireland striker who in 1989 became the club's first foreign signing in decades and scored 40 goals in two seasons.
    491pts
  12. Claudio Bravo — ranked #1212
    Claudio Bravo
    Chilean goalkeeper who made 237 appearances for the club between 2006 and 2014 before joining Barcelona.
    491pts
  13. Robin Le Normand — ranked #1313
    Robin Le Normand
    French-born centre-back who won the 2020 Copa del Rey with the club and Euro 2024 with Spain before joining Atlético Madrid.
    491pts
  14. Xabi Prieto — ranked #1414
    Xabi Prieto
    One-club midfielder who made 530 appearances and scored 73 goals for Real Sociedad between 2003 and 2018.
    434pts
  15. Álex Remiro — ranked #1515
    Álex Remiro
    Goalkeeper who joined from Athletic Bilbao in 2019, won the 2020 Copa del Rey and has passed 300 appearances for the club.
    434pts
  16. Carlos Vela — ranked #1616
    Carlos Vela
    Mexican forward who scored 73 goals in 250 games from 2011 to 2018 and helped the club reach the 2013–14 Champions League.
    434pts
  17. Jon Andoni Larrañaga — ranked #1717
    Jon Andoni Larrañaga
    Defender and midfielder who played 589 official games from 1980 to 1994, second only to Górriz in club history, and won both 1980s league titles.
    434pts
  18. David Silva — ranked #1818
    David Silva
    Spanish playmaker who joined from Manchester City in 2020 and won the 2020 Copa del Rey before retiring in 2023.
    434pts
  19. Darko Kovačević — ranked #1919
    Darko Kovačević
    Serbian striker who scored 107 goals for the club across two spells, 1996–1999 and 2001–2007, including the 2002–03 runner-up season.
    367pts
  20. Nihat Kahveci — ranked #2020
    Nihat Kahveci
    Turkish striker who scored 23 league goals in 2002–03 as the club finished second in La Liga.
    367pts
  21. Mikel Oyarzabal — ranked #2121
    Mikel Oyarzabal
    Academy forward and captain who scored the penalty that won the 2020 Copa del Rey final against Athletic Bilbao.
    289pts
  22. Takefusa Kubo — ranked #2222
    Takefusa Kubo
    Japanese winger who joined from Real Madrid in 2022 and has made more than 160 appearances for the club.
    289pts
  23. Mikel Aranburu — ranked #2323
    Mikel Aranburu
    One-club midfielder who made 427 official appearances for Real Sociedad between 1997 and 2012.
    289pts
  24. Asier Illarramendi — ranked #2424
    Asier Illarramendi
    Academy midfielder who left for Real Madrid in 2013 and returned in 2015 for a second spell that lasted until 2023.
    289pts
  25. Roberto López Ufarte — ranked #2525
    Roberto López Ufarte
    Left winger who played for the club from 1975 to 1987, won both of its 1980s league titles and was in Spain's squad at the 1982 World Cup.
    197pts
  26. Alberto López — ranked #2626
    Alberto López
    Goalkeeper who made 377 official appearances for the first team between 1993 and 2006.
    197pts
  27. Jesús María Satrústegui — ranked #2727
    Jesús María Satrústegui
    Striker from 1973 to 1986 who is the club's all-time top scorer with more than 160 goals and won the 1980–81 and 1981–82 La Liga titles.
    197pts
  28. Inaxio Kortabarria — ranked #2828
    Inaxio Kortabarria
    Centre-back who played for the club from 1971 to 1985 and, with Athletic's José Ángel Iribar, carried the Basque flag onto the pitch before the December 1976 derby.
    197pts
  29. Iñigo Martínez — ranked #2929
    Iñigo Martínez
    Academy centre-back who made nearly 240 appearances before Athletic Bilbao paid his release clause in January 2018.
    197pts
  30. Xabi Alonso — ranked #3030
    Xabi Alonso
    Academy midfielder who anchored the 2002–03 side that finished La Liga runner-up before joining Liverpool in 2004.
    0pts
  31. Meho Kodro — ranked #3131
    Meho Kodro
    Bosnian striker who scored 81 goals in 146 games for the club from 1991 to 1995 before joining Barcelona.
    0pts
  32. Loren — ranked #3232
    Loren
    Versatile forward and centre-back who made 411 appearances for the club across two spells, the second running from 1993 to 2002.
    0pts
  33. Alberto Górriz — ranked #3333
    Alberto Górriz
    Defender who holds the club record of 599 official appearances, made between 1979 and 1993.
    0pts

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