2024 has been a sensational year for football as the world witnessed many memorable performances that will go down in history. Many footballers have emerged as breakout stars while renowned players have continued to grace the pitch with exceptional performances.

However, some footballers have consistently performed well in 2024 with their club or country and continued to stand out among others. In this article, Sportz Point explores the five best footballers of 2024. 

Vinicius Jr. (Real Madrid)

Vinicius Jr. has been one of the most instrumental assets for Real Madrid's success in recent years. The 24-year-old Brazilian racked up loads of goals and assists for Los Blancos to enlist himself as one of the best players in 2024.

Vinicius Jr. led Madrid's attack along with Jude Bellingham to clinch the 2023-24 La Liga title, having scored 15 goals while providing 6 assists in 26 appearances. He became a walking nightmare for every defensive line-up in Europe with his sublime ball control, acceleration, and footballing skills. 

The 2023/24 Player of the Season 💫#UCL pic.twitter.com/JImV2RLKBg

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) June 3, 2024

However, Vinicius unleashed his ultimate best in Real Madrid's UCL-winning campaign in the 2023-24 season. He earned the UCL Player of the Season award with 11 goal contributions by his name. Vini performed well in the group games as well as in crucial knockout games; the semi-final and final, against Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund respectively.

Although his second-place finish in the 2024 Ballon d'Or ranking sparked severe controversies, Vinicius Jr. had no trouble in proving himself as one of the most prolific footballers in 2024.

Lamine Yamal (FC Barcelona)

Lamine Yamal is certainly the most promising young talent in football discussions worldwide. Making his debut for FC Barcelona's senior team in 2023, the 17-year-old winger completed his 50th appearance for Barcelona in April 2024, becoming the youngest footballer to achieve the feat. 

However, Lamine's breakout performance for Spain in the UEFA Euro 2024 is the definite highlight of his year. The Spanish teenager, who only turned 17 in July 2024, lifted the 2024 Euro as the youngest winner of the tournament. Lamine won the Young Player of the Tournament award as well, having bagged 1 goal and 4 assists in the competition.

Lamine Yamal has played in the 2023 U17 European Championship and Euro 2024 over the last 14 months.

U17 Euros:
⚽️ 4 goals
🤝 2 assists
🏆 Team of the Tournament

Euros:
⚽️ 1 goal
🤝 4 assists
🏆 Young Player of the Tournament

Shining at all levels on the big stage ✨ pic.twitter.com/iD9iJB4Lfj

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) July 15, 2024

Lamine has added some more glory to his list of personal accolades in 2024 by winning the 2024 Golden Boy Award and the Kopa Trophy.

The youngster continued his record-breaking stint also for his club, as he became the youngest footballer to score in a Clasico game during Barcelona's 4-0 victory over Real Madrid in October 2024. He has been instrumental for Barcelona since the start of the 2024-25 season as well. It seems that the talented winger will continue to showcase his jaw-dropping capabilities with a football at his feet.

Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)

Mohamed Salah has been one of the most consistent footballers for Liverpool in recent years, and now he is paving the way to enter the globe of all-time Premier League greats.

Since Arne Slot arrived in Anfield as Jurgen Klopp's successor, Salah has been a cheat code for the Reds across all competitions. Although he had a distressing start to 2024, now he has transitioned into an even more complete version of a traditional winger. 

The 'Egyptian King' has been responsible for almost 64% of the goals Liverpool scored this season in the league and UCL. It clearly shows his impeccable ability to orchestrate the attack while leading from the front. He has 20 goals and 17 assists by his name in 26 appearances in all competitions so far this season. 

Another record broken by Mohamed Salah 😳📊 pic.twitter.com/RbW6qV1ftL

— Sky Sports (@SkySports) December 29, 2024

The 32-year-old forward has also hit the headlines for breaking Premier League legend Wayne Rooney's record for 36 games with a goal and an assist in a single game.

Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid)

In a world where the forwards steal all the limelight, it is simply exceptional for others to ensure themselves in consideration of the top performers without a doubt. Jude Bellingham is the kind of footballer who not only plays well but also ensures his dominance everywhere on the pitch.

Bellingham left Dortmund in 2023 and signed for Real Madrid, where he continued to elevate his footballing prowess. The Englishman finished 4th on Laliga's list of most goal contributions with 19 goals and 6 assists. Nevertheless, he was named the 2023-24 La Liga Player of the Season for his dynamic performances.

Jude Bellingham has won the 2023/24 LaLiga Player of the Season! 🚨🇪🇸 pic.twitter.com/NeVcQ8kvuv

— LiveScore (@livescore) May 28, 2024

However, Bellingham could not play in his natural position in the 2024 Euros. This positional shift restricted his goalscoring proficiency but he continued to offer his physical ability, defensive quality, and accurate passing skills to help England reach the Euro final. He also came out on top to assist Cole Palmer who scored the only goal for England in the final. 

The 21-year-old youngster also received the prestigious Lareaus World Breakthrough of the Year Award for 2024 to brighten his list of individual honours. Despite finishing third in the 2024 Ballon d'Or ranking, he was certainly one of the best footballers in 2024.

Harry Kane (Bayern Munich)

Harry Kane left Tottenham Hotspur in 2023 to join Bayern Munich, but he did not forget to bring his goalscoring boots to Germany. The 31-year-old striker has comfortably enlisted himself as one of the best footballers of 2024. 

The England captain not only possesses lethal finishing skills but also has brilliant positioning sense which helps him to be a very natural number nine. However, Kane found his best version in Bayern and concluded the 2023-24 Bundesliga season with his personal best tally of 36 goals which led him to win his maiden European Golden Boot trophy in 2024. 

Kane has already scored 20 goals and provided 9 assists in 20 matches in all competitions this season and continued to be one of the best footballers in 2024.

The No.10 jersey in football is always an iconic one. Be it for any club, country or any team playing in a local tournament, usually the best player of the team or the attacker wears the No.10 jersey for the team. 

FC Barcelona, one of the best and historical clubs in the World, had some of the greatest players ever to wear the No. 10 jersey for them. Today, in this article, we will discuss 10 legendary Barcelona players who have worn the jersey no. 10. 

To give you the context of the article, let me remind you that, after a great 2024-25 season, Lamine Yamal is set to wear the No.10 jersey for FC Barcelona in the next season, only if Ansu Fati leaves the club. 

Read Also | Football jersey numbers: Significance of jersey numbers in football

1. Lionel Messi (2008-2021)

If you talk about any stats or legendary things about FC Barcelona, there is a chance that you will have to mention the little man from Argentina, Lionel Messi. Most goals, most trophies, most assists, most Ballon d'Ors, and many more records for the club - Messi has everything to his name.

Messi had 672 goals and 303 assists in 778 appearances for FC Barcelona and left the club with the most number of titles. The 8-time Ballon d'Or winner wore the No.10 jersey for the first time in 2008 when Ronaldinho left the Catalan club to join AC Milan. 

Since then, Messi has worn the iconic jersey for 14 years, before leaving the club as the greatest Barcelona player. 

Read Also | 11 players who have won the most trophies in football history

2. Diego Maradona (1982–1984)

An Argentine legend followed by another one. One of the greatest footballers ever, Diego Maradona, who is known for his time at Italian Club Napoli, spent two seasons at FC Barcelona as well. 

Although Maradona's stint at Barcelona was full of controversies and injuries, he scored 38 goals in 58 matches and won the Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup for FC Barcelona. 

3. Ronaldinho (2003–2008)

With his Samba magic and flair, Ronaldinho is regarded as one of the greatest Barcelona players ever. The Brazilian legend was there when Messi made his debut and gave him all the support to fill his shoes later. Before Messi, it was Ronaldinho, who used to wear the No. 10 jersey for FC Barcelona. 

Ronaldinho scored 94 goals and provided 71 assists in 207 matches for FC Barcelona. 

Alongside winning two La Liga titles, he also won the 2006 UEFA Champions League for the Spanish club.

Read Also | Top 10 Greatest EL Clasico Matches of All Time

4. Gary Lineker (1986–1989)

Gary Lineker is one of the greatest English players ever to play for FC Barcelona. From 1986 to 1989, Lineker played for FC Barcelona in 138 matches, wearing the famous No. 10 jersey. 

Lineker scored 51 goals for the Catalan club and helped them win the Copa del Rey in 1988 and the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1989.

5. Rivaldo (1997–2002)

Rivaldo, the Brazilian legend and captain, joined FC Barcelona in the 1997 season and played 235 games for the Catalan, the most he played for any club in his career. The attacking midfielder scored 130 goals for Barcelona and won four titles, including two La Liga titles. 

Not only that, during his stint at Barcelona, he won the FIFA Best Player Award and Ballon d'Or award in 1999. 

Read Also | Football Facts: Players With Champions League, World Cup and Ballon d'Or

6. César Rodríguez (1939–1955)

Since there was no consistency in jersey numbers during the 1930s and 1940s era, it is quite unclear how many games he played wearing the No. 10 jersey for FC Barcelona. But Cesar, who wore the No. 10 jersey occasionally for FC Barcelona, played 344 games for the club.

In those games, he scored 226 goals and won 11 trophies for the club, including 5 La Liga titles. With 28 goals, he also finished the 1948-49 season as the top scorer of La Liga.

7. Juan Román Riquelme (2002–2005)

Another Argentine legend is on the list of legendary players to wear the No. 10 jersey for FC Barcelona. Riquelme, the legendary Argentine attacking midfielder, though he only played 42 games for FC Barcelona, made his mark before leaving for Villarreal and Boca Juniors. 

8. Michael Laudrup (1989–1994)

Laudrup, the Danish playmaker, was an integral part of Johan Cruyff’s dream team. The stylish midfielder played 226 games for FC Barcelona and scored 54 goals for the club. Along with his goals, Laudrup assisted 26 times as well. 

Laudrup won 9 trophies for FC Barcelona, including 1 UEFA Champions League, 4 La Liga titles, 1 UEFA Supercup and 2 Spanish Super Cups. Post becoming FC Barcelona.

After his successful 1992 and 1993 seasons, Laudrup joined Real Madrid the next season. 

9. Luis Suárez Miramontes (1955–1961)

One of the greatest Spanish midfielders, Luis Suárez Miramontes, is also one of the greatest FC Barcelona players. Luis Suárez Miramontes, in 176 games for FC Barcelona, scored 80 goals and assisted 21 times. 

Suarez won two La Liga titles and two Spanish Cup titles for FC Barcelona before moving to Inter Milan, where he flourished as a striker and went on to win two Champions League titles as well. 

But before leaving for Inter Milan, he won the 1960 Ballon d'Or while playing for FC Barcelona.

10. Hugo Sotil (1973–1976)

Hugo Sotil, the Peruvian striker, was one of the key players for FC Barcelona during the Johan Cruyff era. In 70 games, he scored 18 goals and helped FC Barcelona win the 1973–74 La Liga title.

Hugo was one of the key members of Barcelona's resurgence in the 1970s. 

The English Premier League, or the Premier League, has been the best football league in Europe for a long now. As per UEFA Club Coefficients, the Premier League is the best football league on the continent, with the best standard of football and competitiveness. 

The competitiveness not only makes it tough for teams to finish at the summit of the points table, but the battle for the UEFA Champions League spot also intensifies. This season, Liverpool FC, Arsenal FC, Manchester City, Chelsea FC, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur have already qualified for the UEFA Champions League from the Premier League. 

This is the first time six teams from any league have qualified for the Champions League. Not only that, there is also a chance that another team can qualify for the UEFA Champions League next season, depending on Chelsea's performance in the Conference League final this season. 

Read Also | Ranking all 33 UEFA Champions League finals

How do teams qualify for the Champions League from a league?

Till the 2022-23 season, every top-four team from the European Leagues used to qualify for the UEFA Champions League. Along with the top four teams, the Europa League winners also qualified for the Champions League next season. 

But, from the 2024 season, along with the top four teams and Europa League/Conference League winners, leagues started getting an additional European Performance Spot. EPS is awarded to the league with strong UEFA coefficient performances, which the Premier League earned this season as well. 

Read Also | Every Premier League club’s biggest Free Transfer Exit

Premier League teams to qualify for the Champions League every season since 2016

2015-16

In the 2025-16 Champions League season, Chelsea qualified as the champions of the Premier League 2014-15. Manchester City and Arsenal qualified as the second and third finishers of the league. 

Meanwhile, Manchester United qualified for the Champions League play-off round as the UEFA Europa League 2014-15 winners.

1. Chelsea
2. Manchester City
3. Arsenal
4. Manchester United

2016-17

Leicester City surprised everyone to win the 2015-16 Premier League after a historic season. They entered the Champions League as the champions of England. Arsenal, Spurs and Manchester City qualified as the second to fourth spot finishers. 

• Leicester City (Champions, 1st)
• Arsenal (2nd)
• Tottenham Hotspur (3rd)
• Manchester City (4th)

2017-18

Chelsea qualified for the Champions League by winning the 2016-17 Premier League. Spurs, who were very close of a title, finished second to qualify for Europe. Manchester City and Liverpool qualified as the third and fourth place finishers. 

Meantime, Manchester United, who were sixth in the league qualified after winning the 2016-17 UEFA Europa League. 

• Chelsea (Champions, 1st)
• Tottenham Hotspur (2nd)
• Manchester City (3rd)
• Liverpool (4th)
• Manchester United (6th, qualified via Europa League win)

2018-19

Manchester City's domination in the Premier League started with winning the 2017-18 season, as they entered the Champions League 2018-19 as the champions of England. Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, and Liverpool were the other teams to qualify for Champions League.

Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur played an all-England final where Liverpool defeated Spurs by 2-0 to win the title. 

• Manchester City (Champions, 1st)
• Manchester United (2nd)
• Tottenham Hotspur (3rd)
• Liverpool (4th)

2019-20

After winning the Champions League, Liverpool finished second in the Premier League, just one point behind the champions, Manchester City. Chelsea and Spurs qualified as the third and fourth team from Premier League.

• Manchester City (Champions, 1st)
• Liverpool (2nd)
• Chelsea (3rd)
• Tottenham Hotspur (4th)

2020-21

Liverpool finally broke City's Premier League domination as they lifted 2019-20 Premier League title with 18 points lead over Manchester City, who finished second. Manchester United and Chelsea were the other teams to qualify for the Champions League.

Manchester City and Chelsea played an all-English Champions League in 2021, where Chelsea won their second UCL title. 

• Liverpool (Champions, 1st)
• Manchester City (2nd)
• Manchester United (3rd)
• Chelsea (4th)

2021-22

Manchester City again won the Premier League title to qualify for Europe, with Manchester United finishing second in the league. Liverpool and Chelsea were the other tequalified as the third and fourth teams from the Premier League. 

Liverpool lost the Champions League final against Real Madrid in the 2021-22 season.

• Manchester City (Champions, 1st)
• Manchester United (2nd)
• Liverpool (3rd)
• Chelsea (4th)

2022-23

City defended the Premier League title in the 2021-22 season and entered the Champions League 2022-23, which they eventually won, beating Inter Milan in the final. 

Liverpool, who lost the Premier League race by just one point, qualified alongside Chelsea and Spurs.

• Manchester City (Champions, 1st)
• Liverpool (2nd)
• Chelsea (3rd)
• Tottenham Hotspur (4th)

2023-24

City won their third consecutive Premier League title helped them earn the Champions League spot. Arsenal, Manchester United and Newcastle United qualified for the Champions League 2023-24. 

• Manchester City (Champions, 1st)
• Arsenal (2nd)
• Manchester United (3rd)
• Newcastle United (4th)

2024-25

Back-to-back four Premier League titles for City ensured them another go at the Champions League. Arsenal, Liverpool, and Aston Villa were the other teams from Premier League to qualify for the new format Champions Legaue. 

Arsenal were the only team from the Premier League to play semi-final that season.

• Manchester City (Champions, 1st)
• Arsenal (2nd)
• Liverpool (3rd)
• Aston Villa (4th)

Read Also | Most English Top Flight Titles: Liverpool equal with United

2025-26

A record six teams qualified for the 2025-26 Champions League season from the Premier League. Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea qualified as the top four teams. The EPS allowed an added spot as Newcastle United qualified as the fifth team.

Spurs qualified as the Europa League 2024-25 winners. Chelsea can also become the seventh team to qualify from the Premier League, if they win the UEFA Conference League final against Real Betis on 28th May. 

• Liverpool (Champions, 1st)
• Arsenal (2nd)
• Manchester City (3rd)
• Chelsea (4th)
• Newcastle United (5th)
• Tottenham Hotspur (17th, qualified via Europa League win)

The game between Real Madrid and Real Sociedad was stopped for a few minutes as Luka Modric was substituted in the second half.

Real Madrid players gave him a guard of honour while Toni Kroos and Carlo Ancelotti gave a special hug to Real Madrid's most decorated player ever. 

Read Also | Luka Modric to Depart Real Madrid After Club World Cup, Leaving Legacy as Club Legend

Modric will end his Real Madrid career with the FIFA Club World Cup and, till now, has won 28 trophies for the Los Blancos. 

Along with Modric, it was also Carlo Ancelotti's last home match for Real Madrid, as he will also be leaving Real Madrid at the end of this season. 

The European leagues are up and running and we have already witnessed some great encounters between the top European teams. The hunt to win the European Golden Boot is also taking shape for the 2024-25 season.

Some big names from the Top five European leagues are already in full swing and they are scoring loads of goals to clinch the coveted annual award for the highest goalscorer in Europe. However, some young and talented players have enlisted themselves in the charts as well; even from outside of the top five European leagues.

According to the coefficient rankings updated by UEFA on 7 November 2024, the top five European Leagues are the English Premier League, Serie A (Italy), LaLiga (Spain), Bundesliga (Germany), and French Ligue 1 respectively. 

Sportzpoint brings you all the details about the leading goalscorers in the top five European leagues, details of the UEFA League ranking, and the leading goalscorers competing for the 2024-25 European Golden Boot.

The European Golden Boot Race

The Golden Boot is awarded by European Sports Media (ESM) which is a unified association of Football Magazine publications such as Marca, Kicker, La Gazzetta dello Sport, Frankfurter AZ, etc. They took over since 1996-97 season and started a new ranking system based on the position of the league for the respective players. 

The UEFA coefficient ranking is considered a measure for weighting points, with the principle being to acknowledge players who score in leagues of higher quality according to rankings, which makes it tougher to find the back of the net.

The number of goals scored in the top five leagues of Europe are counted with a multiplier of two, while those from leagues ranked six to 21 receive a 1.5 multiplier, and goals from all other leagues are counted as one.

This is how the points system works. 

⚽️🏆 Players with the Most European Golden Boot Wins:

🇦🇷 Lionel Messi: 6
🇵🇹 Cristiano Ronaldo: 4
🇺🇾 Luis Suarez: 2
🇫🇷 Thierry Henry: 2
🇵🇱 Robert Lewandowski: 2

😳😳😳🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/AObaXoSpah

— Sholy Nation Sports (@Sholynationsp) July 26, 2024

Before looking at the players' list, here is the official UEFA ranking of league coefficients:

UEFA Ranking: League coefficients

Rank 1-5

Goal scorers from these five leagues receive a multiplier of 2. 

Rank 6-21

Goal scorers from these leagues ranked from 6 to 21 receive a multiplier of 1.5. 

Top goalscorers of the 2024-25 season in the top 5 European Leagues (as of 24th May 2025):

Premier League | England

1. Mohamed Salah | 28 Goals

• Club: Liverpool FC
• Nationality: Egypt
• Appearances: 37
• Goals: 28

2. Alexander Isak | 23 goals

• Club: Newcastle United
• Nationality: Sweden
• Appearances: 33
• Goals: 23

3. Erling Haaland | 21 goals

• Club: Manchester City
• Nationality: Norway
• Appearances: 30
• Goals: 21

4. Chris Wood | 20 goals

• Club: Nottingham Forrest
• Nationality: New Zealand
• Appearances: 35
• Goals: 20

5. Bryan Mbeumo | 19 goals

• Club: Brentford
• Nationality: Cameroon
• Appearances: 37
• Goals: 19

Serie A | Italy

1. Mario Retegui | 25 goals 

• Club: Atalanta BC
• Nationality: Italy
• Appearances: 35
• Goals: 25

2. Moise Kean | 18 goals

• Club: AFC Fiorentina
• Nationality: Italy
• Appearances: 10
• Goals: 5

3. Ademola Lookman | 15 goals

• Club: Atalanta BC
• Nationality: Nigeria
• Appearances: 30
• Goals: 15

4. Romelo Lukaku | 14 goals

• Club: Napoli
• Nationality: Belgium
• Appearances: 36
• Goals: 14

5. Marcus Thuram | 14 goals 

• Club: Inter Milan
• Nationality: France
• Appearances: 32
• Goals: 14

LaLiga | Spain

1. Kylian Mbappe | 30 goals

• Club: Real Madrid
• Nationality: France
• Appearances: 34
• Goals: 30

2. Robert Lewandowski | 25 goals 

• Club: FC Barcelona
• Nationality: Poland
• Appearances: 33
• Goals: 25

3. Ante Budimir | 21 goals 

• Club: CA Osasuna
• Nationality: Croatia
• Appearances: 37
• Goals: 21

4. Ayoze Perez | 19 goals 

• Club: Villarreal
• Nationality: Spain
• Appearances: 30
• Goals: 19

5. Raphinha | 18 goals

• Club: FC Barcelona
• Nationality: Brazil
• Appearances: 35
• Goals: 18

Bundesliga | Germany 

1. Harry Kane | 26 goals 

• Club: Bayern Munich
• Nationality: England
• Appearances: 31
• Goals: 26

2. Serhou Guirassy | 21 goals

• Club: Borussia Dortmund
• Nationality: Guinea
• Appearances: 30
• Goals: 21

3. Patrik Schick | 21 goals

• Club: Bayer Leverkusen 
• Nationality: Czech Republic
• Appearances: 31
• Goals: 21

4. Jonathan Burkardt | 18 goals

• Club: 1.FSV Mainz 05
• Nationality: Belgium
• Appearances: 29
• Goals: 18

5. Tim Kleindienst | 16 goals 

• Club: Borussia Mönchengladbach
• Nationality: Germany
• Appearances: 31
• Goals: 16

Ligue 1 | France

1. Ousmane Dembele | 21 goals 

• Club: Paris Saint-Germain
• Nationality: France
• Appearances: 29
• Goals: 21

2. Mason Greenwood | 21 goals 

• Club: Olympique de Marseille
• Nationality: England
• Appearances: 34
• Goals: 21

3. Arnaud Kalimuendo | 17 goals

• Club: Stade Rennais FC
  
• Nationality: France
• Appearances: 33
• Goals: 17

4. Jonathan David | 16 goals

• Club: Lille OSC
• Nationality: Canada
• Appearances: 32
• Goals: 16

5. Alexandre Lacazette | 15 goals

• Club: Lyon
• Nationality: France
• Appearances: 30
• Goals: 15

Read Also | Most goals in Europe's Top Five Leagues in 2023/24 Season

The Ultimate European Golden Boot Race (Among the top 10 European Leagues according to UEFA coefficient rankings)

Considering the players from the top 10 European leagues in this list, this is what the current race of chasing the 2024-25 European Golden Boot looks like:

Real Madrid CF announced that their captain, Luka Modric, will conclude his illustrious tenure with the club following the Club World Cup, set to begin on June 18 in the United States. The Croatian midfielder, widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the club’s history, will bid farewell after an extraordinary 13-year journey.

Since joining Real Madrid in 2012, Modric has been a cornerstone of one of the most triumphant eras in the club’s storied history.

Over his 13 seasons, he amassed an unparalleled 28 titles, including 6 European Cups, 6 Club World Cups, 5 European Super Cups, 4 LaLiga titles, 2 Copas del Rey, and 5 Spanish Super Cups.

His trophy cabinet makes him the player with the most titles in Real Madrid’s 123-year history, a record shared by only five players in football history who have won six European Cups.

Modric’s individual accolades are equally remarkable. In 2018, he claimed the Ballon d’Or, FIFA The Best Men’s Player, and UEFA Men’s Player of the Year awards.

He has been named to the FIFA FIFPro World XI six times and was recognised as the Champions League Best Midfielder twice. On the pitch for Real Madrid, Modric made 590 appearances, scoring 43 goals, and earned a Golden Ball and Silver Ball at the Club World Cup.

Internationally, Modric is Croatia’s record holder for appearances with 186 caps. His leadership guided Croatia to a runner-up finish at the 2018 World Cup, where he won the Golden Ball, and a third-place finish in 2022, earning the Bronze Ball.

Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez praised Modric’s impact, stating, “Luka Modric will forever remain in the hearts of all madridistas as a unique and exemplary footballer who has always embodied the values of Real Madrid. His football has captured the imagination of Madridismo and fans all over the world. His legacy will live on forever.”