The last 12 winners of the Ballon d'Or played in La Liga. Here are the best players in the Spanish league right now
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The last 12 Ballon d'Or winners were chosen for their performances in La Liga, which tells you everything you need to know about the quality in the Spanish league.
Lionel Messi may have gone but don't mourn his departure too much, as plenty of others have continued to showcase their talent in his absence.
From some usual suspects to the new kids on the block, here are the best 10 players in La Liga right now.
10. Arnaut Danjuma (Villarreal)
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Eyebrows were raised when Villarreal paid £21 million to sign a Championship player but Danjuma has made a seamless step up from England’s second-tier to Spain’s top flight and has also taken the Champions League by storm.
He has terrifying pace and trickery as well as composure in front of goal, with 13 strikes in all competitions. But the best compliment he has been paid is unseating usual talisman Gerard Moreno as the team’s first-choice striker in the biggest games.
9. Jules Kounde (Sevilla)
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The dynamic ball-playing French defender is the latest gem Sevilla’s renowned sporting director Monchi has unearthed and he is so valuable to the club that they rejected a £46 million bid for him from Chelsea last year.
That proved a shrewd move, with Sevilla boasting the best defence in Spain this season and Kounde has been at the heart of it. Expect even bigger bids for him in the summer.
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8. David Alaba (Real Madrid)
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Real Madrid gained a central defender, full back and all-action midfielder all in one when they signed Alaba, and best of all they got him for free.
The former Bayern Munich man thought nothing of inheriting the number four shirt from Sergio Ramos and has shown a very different type of leadership, empowering team-mates such as centre back partner Eder Militao while often slotting into midfield to either hold the fort or act as another creative outlet.
It was not hard for Madrid fans to warm to Alaba, and then he scored a thumping goal in his first Clasico and more recently celebrated the epic Champions League comeback over Paris Saint Germain by holding aloft a chair. How could they not love him?
7. Nabil Fekir (Real Betis)
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In the Real Betis dressing room they call the Frenchman ‘The Magician’ and it is easy to see why.
The World Cup winner has brought a sense of class and excitement not seen at the club since the days of Denilson but with far more end product.
He has 18 goal contributions this season (that’s one more than Messi has with PSG) propelled Betis into the top four and their push for a return to the Champions League for the first time in 17 years hinges upon him keeping it up.
6. Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid)
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The Belgian goalkeeper has become Madrid's most important player alongside Karim Benzema (more of him later).
Time and time again, he has bailed out Real, his saves proving crucial to them grinding out wins which took them to the 19/20 title and has seen them soar clear at the top of the table this season.
He is an intimidating presence for opposing forwards and has the self-belief, often bordering on arrogance, that is essential to keeping goal at a club as demanding as Real.
5. Vinicius Jr (Real Madrid)
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From the day he arrived in Spain, Vinicius Jr has been breathtaking to watch, but not always for reasons that would please Real Madrid fans. The Brazilian had a rare ability to dribble past three defenders, leave them in his wake but then misplace the final pass or miss the target when he got in the area.
What a player he will be, everyone thought, once he learns how to shoot.
Vinicius graduated from finishing school at the back end of last season with his two sumptuous strikes against Liverpool and has been prolific this campaign, with only strike partner Benzema bettering his mark of 14 strikes in La Liga. And at only 21 years old, the best is surely still to come.
4. Pedri (Barcelona)
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Barcelona have witnessed their share of talented teenagers but not even Lionel Messi nor Andres Iniesta looked as assured and exciting at 19 years old as Pedri does.
In his first season at Barcelona he quickly showed how good he was, soon establishing himself as a regular starter, lighting up an otherwise drab season for the Catalans and striking up a superb understanding with Messi, who is not easily impressed.
He was so brilliant that Spain demanded he played at Euro 2020 – where he was named young player of the tournament — and the Olympics. His exertions predictably caught up with him in the form of injuries and when he was out Barcelona’s results nosedived. Once he returned to action, they picked up again, and he has been at the forefront of their resurgence in the new year under Xavi.
3. Luka Modric (Real Madrid)
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Few players are as good at rebelling against the dying of the light as the Croatian, who seems to get better with age.
At 36 he still graces the midfield whenever he steps out to play thanks to his incredible passing range and remarkable energy levels, looking as fit as ever.
Plus, practically every goal he scores is a work of art.
2. Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid)
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Some wondered if the precocious Portuguese could really thrive under a coach as tactically rigid as Diego Simeone and it certainly took time for the player to convince the Argentine he was worthy of a regular place in the team, often being benched for the biggest games despite his £106 million price tag.
Now the beast has awoken, and Felix is Atletico’s new talisman, usurping Luis Suarez, the returning Antoine Griezmann and last season’s sensation Marcos Llorente as the club’s most valuable player, with seven goals and two assists in his last eight games.
1. Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)
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Jose Mourinho once said playing Benzema was like going hunting with a cat. These days, it's like going out with a pack of wolves.
The best thing that happened to the Frenchman's career was Cristiano Ronaldo leaving and when Messi left he rose to the challenge of becoming La Liga's best player.
He is now the undisputed King of La Liga, far and away the top scorer and assist provider this season, firing Madrid on course for the title.
And if you need any more proof of Benzema's importance, just look what happened when he missed the most recent Clasico (Madrid lost 4-0). Arise Sir Karim, it's been a long time coming.
Richard Martin is an experienced football writer, editor and social media producer. Before returning to London, he spent 10 years in Spain as a football correspondent and has attended over 600 games across 16 countries, his favourite being Argentina. He has also worked for Reuters, The Telegraph, The Daily Mail, The Times and AS.
