Boasting 13 Champions Leagues and 34 La Liga titles, Real Madrid are statistically the most decorated club in Europe. The whole philosophy of Los Blancos is based around one thing - winning, and they tend to go to any extent to meet their goal.
Real Madrid do have a capable youth academy in place, but they are not fond of putting all their eggs in one basket. The club have brought some exceptional talents to the Santiago Bernabeu over the years. Many of these footballers were already the best in the business, but Real Madrid gave them the opportunity to soar even higher.
Today, we will take a look at five Ballon d’Or winners who have made a difference. Here are the top five Ballon d’Or winners in Real Madrid’s illustrious history:
Seeing Luka Modric on this list of Real Madrid greats may come as a surprise to some, but we believe his inclusion is completely justified. From being dubbed the worst signing of 2012 to winning the Ballon d’Or in 2018, Modric has surely come a long way.
He did not have it easy in the Spanish capital, but he never lost sight of his goal and ultimately emerged victorious.
Luka Modric, 36, has played over 400 games for Los Blancos. The central midfielder is an expert at carrying the ball, packs a killer right foot, and is a capable interceptor.
The Croatian international is the metronome of this Real Madrid team and it is almost impossible to imagine life after he calls it a day.
Zinedine Zidane is widely hailed as one of the best midfielders to ever play the game. He was elegant, full of poise, and could practically talk to the sphere we call football.
Zidane’s brilliance was beyond comprehension and Real Madrid were desperate to have the Frenchman on their books. In 2001, the Spanish giants signed the Frenchman from Juventus for a world-record fee of €77.5 million and got more than what they paid for.
In his debut season, Zinedine Zidane scored an iconic volley in the Champions League final against Bayer Leverkusen, winning the game for Real Madrid. He remained in the Spanish capital for five seasons and no one could dismantle him from the team.
Zidane did not win his Ballon d’Or with Real Madrid, but his performances were worthy of a shout.
The 1998 Ballon d’Or winner returned to the club as manager in 2016 and led the club to a historic Champions League three-peat.
