2025-26 marked the first season in the 21st century where Real Madrid had no Ballon d’Or winners in the squad. Since the turn of the millennium, Los Blancos have always had at least one in their roster.
It started with the seismic transfer of Luis Figo in 2000 – he won it at the back of a great 1999-00 season with FC Barcelona. The first Galactico era – from 2000 to 2006 – had multiple Ballon d’Or winners in the same team – Figo, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo Nazario, and Michael Owen.
After Zidane retired,
Italy’s World Cup-winning captain Fabio Cannavaro joined Real Madrid and kept the Ballon d’Or lineage sustained through 2009. Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo joined Madrid in 2009 as former Ballon d’Or winners with AC Milan and Manchester United, respectively. Cristiano won four more with Real Madrid. After Cristiano, Luka Modric won it in 2018, and Karim Benzema in 2022.
Since Modric left the club in 2025, Real Madrid no longer have a former Ballon d’Or winner in their squad.
