10 Worst Defeats in Real Madrid History (Ranked)

Real Madrid are the most decorated club in European football history, having won the UEFA Champions League a record 15 times. They've also claimed the UEFA Cup—now known as the Europa League—twice and lifted the UEFA Super Cup on six occasions. Domestically, Los Blancos reign supreme in La Liga, with last season’s title triumph marking their 36th—putting them nine ahead of fierce rivals Barcelona.

But even for a club of such prestige, humiliating defeats have occasionally crept in over their 122-year history. From crushing El Clásico losses to bruising Champions League setbacks, Real Madrid have experienced their fair share of humbling moments. Carlo Ancelotti’s current side, for example, endured a disappointing 3-0 defeat to Arsenal in the first leg of the 2024/25 Champions League quarter-finals—though it's far from the worst they've suffered.

Here’s a look back at 10 of Real Madrid’s most painful defeats.

Ranking Criteria

• Stage of competition: How significant the match was (e.g. European knockout ties or title-deciding fixtures).

• Margin of defeat: How many goals were conceded and the overall scoreline.

10. Real Madrid 2-6 Barcelona

2nd May 2009

In what turned out to be one of the most iconic El Clásico thrashings of all time, Barcelona dismantled Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu in May 2009. Thierry Henry—already a familiar tormentor of Los Blancos following his stunning solo goal for Arsenal in 2006—returned to haunt the Madrid faithful once more, scoring twice in a breathtaking performance.

Although Gonzalo Higuaín gave Real an early lead, it didn’t take long for Barcelona to flip the script. Henry and Lionel Messi each netted a brace, while centre-backs Carles Puyol and Gerard Piqué also got on the scoresheet in a 6-2 demolition that left the home crowd shell-shocked.

What made this defeat even more devastating was the timing—both sides were battling for the La Liga title with only a few matches remaining. Barcelona’s statement win not only silenced the Bernabéu but all but sealed the title in emphatic style.

9. Real Zaragoza 6-1 Real Madrid

8th February 2006

Despite fielding a star-studded lineup featuring Ronaldo, David Beckham, Julio Baptista, and Roberto Carlos, Real Madrid suffered one of their most humbling defeats in years— their worst since a 6-0 thrashing by Valencia seven seasons prior. With Barcelona pulling 10 points clear in the La Liga title race, Madrid’s hopes of salvaging their season rested heavily on the Copa del Rey.

But instead of a resurgence, they were dismantled in the semi-final first leg, as Diego Milito ran riot with four goals, including a blistering first-half hat-trick. It was a night to forget for the Galácticos, and a brutal reminder that even the most talented squads can endure painful lows.

8. Real Madrid 0-6 Athletic Bilbao

18th January 1931

In what would go down as one of the most humiliating seasons in Real Madrid’s history, Los Blancos suffered what was, at the time, their worst-ever defeat—a record that would be broken just weeks later. Under the management of Lippo Hertzka, Madrid were 4-0 down by half-time, and the misery only deepened as two more goals followed in the second half, sealing a crushing loss on home soil.

However, Hertzka would orchestrate a remarkable turnaround. Just a year later, he led the team to an unbeaten league campaign, guiding them to the La Liga title in sensational fashion and restoring pride at the Bernabéu.

7. AC Milan 5-0 Real Madrid

19th April 1989

Following a 1-1 draw at the Santiago Bernabéu in the 1988/89 European Cup semi-final first leg, AC Milan welcomed Real Madrid to the San Siro with the tie finely balanced. But any hopes of a tight contest were quickly dashed. The Italian giants took control from the start, with Carlo Ancelotti opening the scoring in the 18th minute after calmly slotting past Francisco Buyo. Just seven minutes later, Frank Rijkaard rose highest to nod in a Mauro Tassotti corner, doubling Milan’s lead.

Right before half-time, the Rossoneri struck again—this time through Ruud Gullit, who connected with a pinpoint Roberto Donadoni cross to make it 3-0. After the break, the dominance continued. Marco van Basten added a fourth in the 49th minute, before Donadoni rounded off the scoring ten minutes later, sealing a stunning 5-0 victory over the Spanish heavyweights.

It was a landmark result for Arrigo Sacchi’s Milan, who went on to lift the trophy for a third time after thrashing Steaua București 4-0 in the final.

6. Barcelona 5-0 Real Madrid

29th November 2010

Barcelona have handed Real Madrid a 5-0 thrashing on two occasions since 1994, with the most recent coming in November 2010—a night that has gone down as one of the most iconic in El Clasico history. At the time, Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona hosted Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid in a top-of-the-table clash at Camp Nou. Los Blancos arrived in red-hot form, having taken 32 points from a possible 36 in their opening 12 La Liga matches.

But their momentum came to a crashing halt. Just ten minutes in, Xavi opened the scoring with a clever lob over Iker Casillas. Eight minutes later, Pedro doubled the lead, finishing off a precise David Villa cross. Tensions boiled over shortly after, with Cristiano Ronaldo shoving Guardiola in frustration after the Barcelona manager cheekily tossed the ball away to delay a Real Madrid free kick.

Things only got worse for Mourinho’s side in the second half. David Villa scored twice in quick succession to make it 4-0, and in stoppage time, Jeffren Suarez capped off the rout with a fifth goal. It was a night of footballing brilliance from Barcelona and one of the most dominant performances the rivalry has ever seen.

5. Hamburger SV 5-1 Real Madrid

23rd April 1980

Real Madrid secured a 2-0 win over Hamburger SV in the first leg of the 1979/80 European Cup semi-final, heading to Germany as strong favourites to reach the final of Europe’s premier competition for the ninth time. However, their confidence was quickly shaken in the return leg, as Hamburg came out flying.

The German side wiped out Madrid’s advantage within 17 minutes thanks to quickfire goals from Manfred Kaltz and Horst Hrubesch. Laurie Cunningham offered a glimmer of hope for Los Blancos by scoring to make it 2-1 on the night, but Hamburg weren’t done yet. Before the half-time whistle, Kaltz and Hrubesch both struck again, turning the tie on its head and putting Hamburg 4-3 up on aggregate.

Madrid fought to find an equaliser in the second half, but despite a more balanced contest, they couldn’t break through Rudi Kargus in goal. Their hopes faded further when Vicente del Bosque was sent off in the 84th minute, and in the dying moments, Caspar Memering sealed a famous 5-1 victory on the night (5-3 on aggregate), sending Hamburg into the final.

4. Benfica 5-1 Real Madrid

24th February 1965

The European Cup was established in 1955, and during its first seven editions, only Real Madrid and Benfica managed to lift the trophy. Although AC Milan and Inter Milan broke their stranglehold in 1963 and 1964 respectively, the Spanish and Portuguese powerhouses remained dominant forces in European football. When they were drawn against each other in the quarter-finals of the 1964/65 European Cup, expectations were high for a closely contested showdown.

Instead, Benfica stunned Real Madrid with a blistering start, racing to a 3-0 lead within the first 25 minutes. Amancio managed to pull one back for the visitors after the break, but late goals from Antonio Simões and Mário Coluna secured a resounding 5-1 win for the hosts. Although Los Blancos claimed a 2-1 victory in the return leg at the Santiago Bernabéu, the damage had already been done in Lisbon.

Despite the heavy defeat, Real Madrid didn’t dwell on the setback for long, bouncing back the following season to capture their sixth European Cup title.

3. Kaiserslautern 5-0 Real Madrid

17th March 1982

After finishing as runners-up in the 1980/81 La Liga season, Real Madrid entered the UEFA Cup for the 1981/82 campaign. They comfortably progressed past Hungary’s Tatabánya, Germany’s Carl Zeiss Jena, and Austria’s Rapid Wien to reach the quarter-finals, where they faced Bundesliga side Kaiserslautern. The first leg at the Santiago Bernabéu went according to plan, with goals from Laurie Cunningham, Francisco García Hernández, and Juanito sealing a 3-1 win for Los Blancos.

Heading into the return leg, Real were firm favourites to advance to the semi-finals. However, Kaiserslautern had other ideas. The German side came flying out of the blocks, scoring twice within the opening 17 minutes to level the tie. The second half saw Real Madrid unravel, as Hans Bongartz, Norbert Eilenfeldt, and Reiner Geye added three more goals to seal a stunning 5-0 victory. The 6-3 aggregate loss remains one of the club’s most humbling exits from European competition.

2. Valencia 6-0 Real Madrid

9th June 1999

Real Madrid faced off against Valencia in the semi-finals of the 1998/99 Copa del Rey, with both sides enduring inconsistent league campaigns. Valencia were sitting sixth in La Liga, outside of the Champions League spots, while Real trailed Barcelona in second. Claudio Ranieri’s side seized the initiative early, taking the lead in the 19th minute through a Claudio López free-kick. Things quickly went from bad to worse for Los Blancos, as Fernando Redondo was sent off just seven minutes later.

Valencia took full advantage of the extra man, piling on the pressure with goals from Alain Roche and Goran Vlaović to go into half-time 4-0 up. Real Madrid looked to limit the damage after the break, but further strikes from Miguel Ángel Angulo and Gaizka Mendieta rounded off a stunning 6-0 rout. It remains Valencia’s biggest-ever win over Real Madrid. Although they lost the second leg 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabéu, the job had already been done, and they went on to defeat Atlético Madrid in the final to lift the trophy.

1. Espanyol 8-1 Real Madrid

5th March 1930

Al mismo tiempo la FMF enfrentaba un problema con la Real Federación Española de Fútbol, que había solicitado la inhabilitación al jugador Gaspar Rubio fichado por el Real España. pic.twitter.com/4tJqLT6wQT

— History Liga MX (@History_LigaMX) March 17, 2020

Real Madrid’s worst defeat in their illustrious history came on March 5, 1930, when they were thrashed 8-1 by Espanyol in La Liga. Earlier that season, Los Blancos had already fallen 4-2 to the Catalan side in an entertaining encounter at home. But the reverse fixture was anything but competitive, as Espanyol dominated from start to finish.

Gaspar Rubio gave Real a glimmer of hope with a goal in the 19th minute to make it 3-1 by half-time, but it was one of the few positives on a day to forget. The second half turned into a complete collapse, with Espanyol netting five more times through Ricardo Gallart, Martín Vantolrà, José Padrón, and Pere Solé. Ironically, Real’s second-heaviest defeat also came at the hands of Espanyol—another heavy 7-1 loss, this time two decades later.