Ranking the 4 midfielders to win the Ballon d'Or in the 21st century
The Ballon d'Or is the highest achievement for an individual player in football. It is an award that has historically rewarded players who provide their teams with a large number of direct goal contributions. Naturally, this means that a majority of the time, this award went to an attacker.
However, once in a while you will see a player from the middle of the park win Ballon d'Or as well. The performances by these midfielders are so consistently stellar that not even attackers who regularly score goals are able to compete with them.
In the 21st century, we have seen this happen four times. So on that note, let's take a look at
4 midfielders to win the Ballon d'Or in the 21st century
#4 Pavel Nedved
Pavel Nedved was a wide midfielder who dominated the Serie A for more than a decade. He won the Ballon d'Or in 2003 with Juventus, helping them confidently secure the Serie A title and driving them to the Champions League final.
Happy 43rd birthday to Pavel Nedvěd.
3 Serie A titles
2 Coppa Italia
1 Ballon d'Or (2003)
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After establishing himself as a talented player with Lazio, the Czech midfielder was signed by Juventus in 2001 as a replacement for the outgoing Zinedine Zidane. He possessed the brilliant ability to create chances for his teammates through pin-point crosses from the left. He was also able to cut inside and score with his weaker foot.
Nedved quickly filled Zidane's boots, averaging 0.75 goal contributions in his first two seasons at Juventus, helping them secure back-to-back domestic titles.
He ended his career with 196 goal contributions in 554 appearances in club football. He secured four domestic league titles and three appearances in the UEFA 'Team of the Year'.
#3 Luis Figo
Similar to Nedved, Luis Figo was a wide midfielder who liked to control the right flank of the pitch. He was part of one of the most controversial moments in football history as he transferred from Barcelona to direct rivals Real Madrid in 2000.
🎂Happy Birthday to Luis Figo, the original Portuguese Galáctico 🇵🇹
🗓️ Games: 770
⚽ Goals: 144
🎯 Assists: 159
🏆 2000 Ballon d'Or winner. https://t.co/0SY9tmzrOg
The Portuguese midfielder won the first Ballon d'Or of the 21st century in 2000, the year he transferred to Real Madrid. He was given the award for coming off a solid season with Barcelona. He scored 14 goals in 51 appearances for Blaugrana He was also the spark in the Galacticos' eventual La Liga victory the following season.
Figo was a menace for defenders, as he was a master of close control dribbling. He took on the full back at every opportunity and beat them with flair and elegance. He was also an excellent creator, averaging 20 goal contributions per season in his prime.
Figo was an instant favorite wherever he played, securing eight domestic titles and a Champions League winner's medal.