7 Real Madrid Stars Who Came Close But Never Won The Ballon d’Or
This year’s Ballon d’Or winner will be announced later today, with Real Madrid players Antonio Rudiger, Dani Carvajal, Federico Valverde, Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe, and Vinicius Jr all nominated. Former Los Blancos midfielder Toni Kroos is also up for the award.
Over the years, many Real Madrid legends have won the esteemed prize, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, and Luis Figo. However, there have been numerous Los Blancos stars who have never won the Ballon d’Or, despite their significant achievements on the pitch for the club.
Let’s take a look at those players who came close to winning the honor.
7. Emilio Butragueno
Spanish forward Emilion Butragueno, nicknamed The Vulture, played for Los Blancos’ first-team squad between 1984 and 1995.
While playing for Real Madrid, he netted 123 times in 341 appearances. He also won a variety of trophies, including La Liga five times and the UEFA Cup (now the Europa League) twice.
After some stellar performances, Butragueno came in third place for the Ballon d’Or in 1986 and 1987, narrowly missing out on the top spot in consecutive years.
6. Predrag Mijatovic
Yugoslavia-born Predrag Mijatovic had a successful three years with Real Madrid between 1996 and 1999, scoring 38 times in 90 games, as well as winning La Liga, the UEFA Champions League, the Spanish Super Cup, and the Intercontinental Cup.
In 1997, Mijatovic achieved a personal career highlight by coming runner-up at the Ballon d’Or award ceremony, losing out to Inter Milan’s Ronaldo, who would later sign with Los Blancos. It would be the only time he would get close to winning the prestigious prize.
5. Amancio
Amancio had a long stint with Real Madrid, playing for the club between 1962 and 1976. While playing for Los Blancos, the A Coruna-born attacker won nine La Liga titles, a European Cup, and three Copa del Reys.
Two years after joining Real Madrid, Amancio was nominated for the Ballon d'Or and secured third place. He missed out on the top prize to Manchester United's Denis Law.
4. Davor Suker
Real Madrid signed Davor Suker from Sevilla in 1996. Two years later, the forward was nominated for the Ballon d'Or, finishing second place behind Zinedine Zidane, who would later make a move to the Santiago Bernabeu.
Suker made an immediate impact at Los Blancos, scoring 24 goals in 38 games during his first season. In the following campaign, he netted 10 times in 29 appearances. Despite his form, it wasn't enough to secure the Ballon d'Or from French midfielder Zidane.
3. Roberto Carlos
Between 1996 and 2007, Brazilian Roberto Carlos, considered to be one of the greatest left-backs in history, dazzled Real Madrid supporters with his high-energy performances and exceptional skill.
Following an incredible campaign, Carlos was named the Ballon d’Or runner-up in 2002, behind Los Blancos teammate Ronaldo. Despite his spectacular success on the pitch, that would be the only time he would break into the top three at the award ceremony.
2. Raul
What an incredible run Raul had with Real Madrid. The Spanish forward joined Los Blancos as a youth player in 1994 and made 550 appearances for the club before leaving the Santiago Bernabeu in 2010.
The prolific goal scorer, who netted 228 times during his spell with the club, is considered to be one of Real Madrid’s greatest forwards.
In 2001, Raul was the Ballon d’Or runner-up. Much like Carlos, it would be the only time he would be named in the top three.
1. Ferenc Puskas
From 1958 to 1966, Hungary international Ferenc Puskas scored 156 times in his 180 games for Real Madrid - a remarkable achievement.
During his run with the club, Puskas won a plethora of trophies, including La Liga five times and the European Cup (now the UEFA Champions League ) on three occasions. Notably, he scored four goals in the 1960 Champions League Final.
Despite his achievements, the Hungarian forward was never honored with the Ballon d’Or. He came close in 1960 but he was pipped to the top spot by Barcelona’s Luis Suarez, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers in Spanish football history.
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