Modric lifts the 2018 Ballon d'Or at the Bernabeu. Photo: AFP

Modric lifts the 2018 Ballon d'Or at the Bernabeu. Photo: AFP

Modric's move to AC Milan after his contract expired leaves a significant void, both on the field and in the locker room. His departure marks the end of an era, taking with him the legacy of 28 major titles, prominently displayed at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium.

Among Modric's impressive collection of titles is the 2018 Ballon d'Or, which he won the same year Real Madrid won the Champions League and he captained Croatia to the World Cup final. Following Benzema's departure in the summer of 2023, Modric, the 2022 Ballon d'Or winner, was the sole remaining player in Real Madrid's squad to hold this prestigious individual award.

Modric's exit marks an unprecedented moment in the past quarter-century at the Bernabeu. Since 2000, Real Madrid's squad has always boasted at least one Ballon d'Or recipient, with a total of 9 such players having donned the white jersey.

Ronaldo (white shirt) receives the 2022 Ballon d'Or alongside former winners and teammates, including Kopa (left), Figo, Di Stefano, and Zidane. Photo: Marca

The Ballon d'Or was created to celebrate the European Cup, which became the Champions League in 1993. In three of the first four years of the award, it went to Real Madrid legends: twice to Di Stefano and once to Raymond Kopa.

For decades, the award eluded Real Madrid. However, with the turn of the century and President Florentino Perez's "Galacticos" policy of signing the world's best players, Ballon d'Or winners became a regular presence at the Bernabeu.

The Galacticos Era of the Ballon d'Or

Luis Figo, the blockbuster signing that propelled Florentino Perez to the presidency in 2000, began Real Madrid’s 25-year streak of having a Ballon d'Or winner in their ranks. Figo was featured on the cover of France Football on 19/12/2000, when the award was traditionally announced. The following summer, Zidane, the 1998 Ballon d'Or winner after leading France to World Cup victory, joined the team. In the summer of 2022, Real Madrid signed Ronaldo de Lima, who had won the award in 1997 and again in December 2022 as a Real Madrid player.

In December 2006, Cannavaro, already a Real Madrid player, receives the Ballon d'Or from Italian actress Monica Belluci. Photo: Marca

Ronaldo (white shirt) receives the 2022 Ballon d'Or alongside former winners and teammates, including Kopa (left), Figo, Di Stefano, and Zidane. Photo: Marca

The 2004-2005 season saw 4 Ballon d'Or winners in Real Madrid's squad: Figo, Zidane, Ronaldo, and Michael Owen, the 2001 recipient, who arrived from Liverpool.

With the departures of Figo and Owen in 2005 and Zidane's retirement in the summer of 2006, Ronaldo de Lima became the sole Ballon d'Or holder until his departure in late January 2007.

However, Ronaldo's solitude was short-lived. In the summer of 2006, Real Madrid signed Fabio Cannavaro, who won the Ballon d'Or later that year after captaining Italy to World Cup glory. Following Ronaldo's move to Milan in January 2007, Cannavaro became the sole Ballon d'Or winner in the Real Madrid squad for the next two and a half years.

Ronaldo displays his 5 Ballon d'Ors, four of which he won with Real Madrid, at the Bernabeu in 2017. Photo: UEFA

In December 2006, Cannavaro, already a Real Madrid player, receives the Ballon d'Or from Italian actress Monica Belluci. Photo: Marca

The Cristiano Ronaldo Era

The summer of 2009 marked a significant shift at Real Madrid. Coinciding with Florentino Perez's return as president, the club overhauled its squad with over 350 million USD in investments, bringing in players who would define an era. Cannavaro departed that summer, but Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo, the 2007 and 2008 Ballon d'Or winners respectively, joined along with Karim Benzema, the future 2022 winner, and current manager Xabi Alonso.

Kaka returned to Milan in 2013 after 4 disappointing years. However, with Cristiano Ronaldo leading the charge, Real Madrid entered a new era of success, reclaiming dominance in the Champions League with 4 titles. Ronaldo added 4 more Ballon d'Ors to his collection in 2013, 2014, 2016, and 2017.

Ronaldo displays his 5 Ballon d'Ors, four of which he won with Real Madrid, at the Bernabeu in 2017. Photo: UEFA

Modric and Benzema

Ronaldo's departure to Juventus in the summer of 2018 left a void, and Real Madrid temporarily lacked a Ballon d'Or winner. However, this lasted only a few months. On 3/12/2018, Modric received the Ballon d'Or at the Grand Palais in Paris.

This prestige continued in the locker room until the end of the 2024-2025 season. It was further extended when Benzema, after a stellar season with 44 goals, including 15 in Real Madrid's 14th Champions League triumph, received the award on 17/10/2022 at the Theatre du Chatelet.

Now, a quarter-century of Ballon d'Or presence ends with Modric's departure. While several Real Madrid players, including Vinicius, Jude Bellingham, Dani Carvajal, Kylian Mbappe, Toni Kroos, Fede Valverde, and Antonio Rudiger, were among the nominees for the most recent Ballon d'Or, the award ultimately went to Rodri of Man City.

With Xabi Alonso's current squad lacking a clear frontrunner for this year's Ballon d'Or, the void left by Modric will likely remain for at least another year.

Hoang Thong (AS)