Real Betis are one of the most historic clubs in LaLiga with a fanbase that any club on the planet would envy.
The culture of the club, the support they give to their players, and the way they remember their legends is truly something that must be respected and given honor to, especially in the more corporate modern game.
So from the stars of the past to those in the present like Sergio Canales and Nabil Fekir, let us take a look and rank the best 20 players in the history of Real Betis, including two star strikers as bonus honorable mentions.
22. ST Pepe Mel
Another great Real Betis striker, Pepe Mel made a profound impact on the Seville-based club despite only playing for them for a handful of seasons.
Pepe Mel scored 50 goals in over 100 appearances, winning the Pichichi in Segunda in his first season with the club and then netting 14 times the next season in LaLiga. He would later manage Betis, qualifying for the Europa League once.
21. ST Jorge Molina
A true LaLiga icon, Jorge Molina is still going strong at the age of 40 as an inspirational figure for Granada, and he was also important to Getafe in the seasons before that.
But before banging home goals for eventual LaLiga side Elche, Jorge Molina was vital in getting Real Betis promoted twice and is undoubtedly one of the greatest players in the historic Spanish side’s history.
Molina scored 66 goals in 180 league appearances for Betis, more than making good on the less than two million euros Betis invested to sign him in 2010.
Immediately, Molina helped Betis win promotion by scoring 18 goals with 3 assists, and he would notch an even better 19 goals and 5 assists a few seasons later in 2014/15 when Los Verdiblancos needed the striker to help them move up again.
Although Molina’s numbers in LaLiga were not nearly as impressive, he did score 13 goals and drew more than two fouls per game in 2012/13. And in 2013/14, he scored nine goals with an average of 1.1 key passes and 1.6 fouls drawn per match.
20. CB David Rivas
A captain and a great defender alongside Juanito, David Rivas also built quite the legacy for himself in the lovely city of Seville.
Rivas joined Los Verdiblancos in 1999 and played for them through the next decade until 2010, making 202 total appearances and winning that fabled Copa del Rey in 2004/05.
19. RM Fernando Varela
Although Fernando Varela scored just three goals in his career, one of them was a sweet volleyed finish in El Gran Derbi and the other was an unforgettable solo goal against the mighty FC Barcelona.
Varela ruled the flank for Betis from 1997 to 2006 during a fruitful period for the club, winning the Copa del Rey and establishing himself as a key player for the Andalusian club.
18. CM Alexis Trujillo
Alexis Trujillo made over 200 appearances for Los Verdiblancos in the 1990s in the second decade of his career, having also made over 200 appearances for UD Las Palmas as their captain in the 80s.
The midfielder would also captain Real Betis, helping them make the UEFA Cup multiple times and also nearly came close to winning the Copa del Rey in 1996/97.
Thanks to his incredible passing, he was nicknamed “The Mathematician” and became an indispensable part of those Betis sides.
17. CB Juan Merino
A colossal figure in the history of Real Betis, Juan Merino was a true leader who ruled the center of the defense.
Merino made more than 300 appearances for Los Verdiblancos from 1990 to 2002, and while he was unfortunately unable to be a part of the team to hoist the Copa del Rey, Merino helped set the foundation for Betis’ later success.
He would even go on to manage the team.
16. LB Luis Fernández
A top-class left back, Luis Fernández played for Real Betis from 1996 to 2006, partaking in the squad that won the Copa del Rey and qualified for the Champions League. There were not many better fullbacks in LaLiga during that time period.
15. GK Toni Prats
Goalkeeper Toni Prats played for Celta Vigo and had multiple stints with Mallorca, but he spent the majority of his career with Real Betis, playing 244 matches in total.
It isn’t common for keepers to score goals, yet Prats also has two of those on his resumé. And no, they were not headers from corners or penalties.
Prats scored two free kick goals in the same season, against Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid, no less! The first marked the first time a goalkeeper scored directly from a free kick in LaLiga history.
Prats joined Betis with high expectations and ended up more than living up to them. From the moment he arrived to 2002/03, Prats was the first-choice starter. Though he lost that place, he was still part of the team that won the Copa del Rey in 04/05.
14. RW Finidi George
Although he may have left Real Betis in a bitter way, he loved his time at the historic LaLiga club and created a special bond with fans, unforgettably celebrating his wonderful goals by donning a hat.
Finidi George is one of the most skillful and underrated players in LaLiga history.
The Nigerian international scored 38 goals in 130 matches for Los Verdiblancos from just 1996 to 2000, making a huge impact on the club in a short period of time. The iconic No. 7 consistently scored goals in every season.
13. DM Arzu
A legend of the club, Arzu elevated Real Betis from the moment he arrived. He was a stalwart defensive midfielder and a captain for Los Verdiblancos, helping the LaLiga side conquer the Copa del Rey in 2004/05.
Like Juanito, he joined in 2000, though his time with he club spanned more than the decade, ending a bit bitterly in 2011.
But Arzu’s peaks were fantastic.
He even scored Betis’ first goal in Champions League history. Later in his career, he would transition to center back to help the team further, though his best days were certainly in the middle of the park, where he was one of the best anchors in Spain.
12. AM Sergio Canales
Sergio Canales never really stuck at Real Madrid or Valencia, but the former Racing Santander product made quite the name for himself with Real Sociedad before upping his game to another level since joining Real Betis in 2018/19.
A worthy investment, Canales has been the star of the show in so many ways for Los Verdiblancos, establishing himself as one of the classiest creators in the Spanish top flight.
Canales has notched at least six assists in LaLiga on three occasions, scoring 21 goals in his first three seasons with the club. His technique is special, as he is capable of providing ingenious assists from nothing or scoring long-range goals.
And did I mention he is also a Copa del Rey winner for Betis (and Madrid)? Individually, he has made LaLiga’s Team of the Season twice, which highlights his class.
11. CM Capi
Capi made his professional debut for Real Betis’ first team in 1997 after spending years with the B team, and aside from a loan spell with Granada and seasons with Xerez and youth club Camas to close his career, Los Verdiblancos was the only club he knew.
The midfielder was key to Betis winning the Copa del Rey again in 2004/05.
He was a beloved figure at the club, making over 300 official appearances in the middle of the park. Capi ended up being one of the best midfielders in Spanish football in the 2000s.
10. ST Alfonso
Alfonso began his career with Real Madrid and even played for Barcelona and Marseille after leaving Real Betis. But his best years were easily with Los Verdiblancos, and he would even return to the club after his stint at Barcelona/Marseille.
In total, Alfonso made around 200 appearances for Betis, scoring nearly 70 top-flight goals.
Alfonso is a historic figure in LaLiga who positively impacted both Madrid and Betis, winning the Copa del Rey with the latter in 2004/05. He retired as the third-highest goal-scorer in the club’s history, even establishing himself as a national team player during his peak.
An immediate impact player for Betis, his 25 goals in 1996/97 were second in all of LaLiga, only bested by one of the greatest strikers of all time in Ronaldo Nazário.
9. AM Nabil Fekir
The left-footed genius from Lyon was one of the classiest players in Ligue 1, and it didn’t take him long to assert himself as an elite player in LaLiga.
Nabil Fekir is almost impossible to stop on the ball with his world-class skills, low center of gravity, and knack for scoring great goals or notching stunning assists.
The more attacking of the two modern great playmakers for Betis alongside Sergio Canales, Fekir had 18 goals and 17 assists in his first three seasons with Los Verdiblancos.
Those are excellent numbers but don’t even tell the whole story. Fekir has been one of the best overall players in LaLiga, especially in 2021/22 when he had 2.5 key passes, 2.4 dribbles completed, and 2.7 fouls drawn per match.
Fekir is only just beginning to write his full legacy in Seville as a Copa del Rey winner and maestro in the final third. The 29-year-old should still have a few more seasons of top-quality football for Real Betis.
8. DM Juanjo Cañas
An institution at Real Betis, Juanjo Cañas made over 300 appearances for the club from 1991 to 2006 in a midfield role, helping anchor the side.
He was the captain, being there for the historic moment in 2004/05 when Los Verdiblancos hoisted the Copa del Rey.
Cañas was essentially a one-club man, only spending the final two seasons of his career with local club Alcalá in the third division.
He goes down in history as one of the most special and beloved characters in Betis history. The man had no fear in midfield and played the game with a passion and an intensity that is rare to see.
7. RB Francisco Bizcocho
Real Betis have had a few wonderful fullbacks in their history, and although he played in a different era, Francisco Bizcocho must absolutely be recognized as one of them.
The man who punched home one of the decisive penalties for Betis in their first-ever Copa del Rey triumph of 1976/77, Bizcocho spent more than a decade at the club from 1971 to 1982, making nearly 300 top-flight appearances.
Bizcocho’s name will always be in the Betis history books. Few clubs love their legends quite like the Béticos.
6. ST Rubén Castro
Rubén Castro is one of the greatest strikers in LaLiga history. He is still scoring goals in Spanish football, albeit outside the top flight for another historic club in Málaga.
Castro has played for several teams, but his most fruitful seasons were 100 percent with Betis, where he became one of the club’s most prolific strikers ever.
From 2010 to 2018, Castro built a special legacy in Seville, scoring 148 goals with 35 assists in 289 appearances. Castro has previously been an afterthought for Deportivo La Coruña before moving to Betis for less than two million euros.
He ended up being one of the bargains of the decade in Spanish football, immediately establishing himself as a key player in an exciting attack that included another legendary LaLiga striker in Jorge Molina.
Castro helped Betis achieve promotion twice, combining for a staggering 59 goals in those two seasons in Segunda. In LaLiga, Castro scored more than 15 goals in three seasons to prove himself as a top striker in the top flight.
5. LM Julio Cardeñosa
Some people may know Julio Cardeñosa for his miss against Brazil in the 1978 World Cup, but more people should know Cardeñosa as a great player for Real Betis from 1974 to 1985.
The midfielder made 338 appearances for the club, eventually coaching them for a season, too. Cardeñosa scored 42 league goals for Betis with his sweet left foot and was one of the best players in LaLiga during that time span.
Barcelona actually wanted to sign him early in his tenure with Betis, but Los Verdiblancos resisted the transfer.
He would stay and end up becoming, to this day, one of their five most-capped players ever.
4. CB Juanito
Another former Real Betis captain, Juanito became revered for his work ethic and for being one of the best central defenders in Spanish football during the 2000s, even earning several caps with the Spanish national team.
He was part of the squad that won the 2008 European Championships, playing the match against Greece.
Juanito spent the majority of the decade with Betis from 2000 to 2009, having made nearly 100 appearances with the B team. In fact, Juanito would even coach the B team for a few seasons shortly after his retirement.
Part of the side that won the Copa del Rey in 2004/05 and qualified for the Champions League, Juanito even showed an all-around side to his game as a defender by scoring four goals in that season. In total, he would score 19 times for Betis in LaLiga, including four in the previous season and three in the 2006/07 campaign.
Something of a late-bloomer in Spanish football, Juanito’s legacy with the club won’t soon be forgotten.
3. GK José Ramón Esnaola
Not many players have made more than 500 appearances in LaLiga, but Real Sociedad and Real Betis legend José Ramón Esnaola is on that limited list of players.
Esnaola spent the majority of his career with Real Betis, making a total of 378 appearances in LaLiga.
His heroics in the shootout of the 1976/77 Copa del Rey Final will never be forgotten, as he made three saves in the shootout and even scored the winning penalty for his side.
He is one of the players with the most appearances for Betis in history, standing right there with Joaquín in his longevity. A top keeper, Esnaola was instrumental in Betis qualified for the UEFA Cup on multiple occasions.
2. LWB Rafael Gordillo
Before joining Real Madrid and scoring in a UEFA Cup Final, Rafael Gordillo was a wonderful player for Real Betis, and he even returned to the city of Seville for a second stint with the historic Andalusian club later in his career.
Gordillo, with his low-set socks, was something of an institution in Spanish football. The exciting wing-back made well over 300 appearances for Los Verdiblancos across those two stints, scoring 31 goals despite being more of a provider than scorer.
He was a part of the squad that won Betis’ first Copa del Rey in 1976/77.
It was once said of Gordillo that whoever doesn’t love him, doesn’t love their own mother. Now that’s being a different level of fan-favorite entirely!
1. RW Joaquín
Joaquín holds a special place in the hearts of Real Betis fans. His 471 appearances across two stints are the most in Real Betis history.
The versatile winger is also among the top goal-scorers and first in assists (45) since they started being officially recorded.
From his iconic (NSFW) photo when winning the Copa del Rey with Betis for the first time in nearly 30 years in 2004/05 to his influence when Los Verdiblancos won it again in 21/22, Joaquín has been a key part of some of Betis’ most fruitful eras.
A classy technician and a true leader, he currently wears the armband for Betis whenever he plays. Although those appearances are becoming more sparing, his status is as revered as ever.
Since re-joining Betis in 2015, Joaquín has recorded at least 1.2 key passes per game in seven seasons and 1.2 dribbles per game in five, including averaging 1.3 key passes per match in 2022/23 despite only starting one out of his 11 LaLiga appearances.
That speaks volumes about his intelligence and overall quality as an attacking player. He is truly Mr. Consistent.
The managing editor of The Trivela Effect, Kevin has 15 years of experience in digital media. He covered Real Madrid from 2019-2022 for The Real Champs as a site manager. You can contact him at the site’s official Twitter handle @TrivelaEffect or via the site’s official email thetrivelaeffect@gmail.com.