12. Sergio Ramos
Given all the attacking talent in today’s game, it’d be hard to picture any defender hoisting the Ballon d’Or. But if there is any one defender who has a strong case for the honor, it’s the captain of Real Madrid.
Sergio Ramos is the leader on a team of leaders and his experience paid off hugely in Real’s run to Champions League glory. Anchoring one of the top defenses in Europe, Ramos was the most consistent player on a back line that included Pepe, Marcelo and Dani Carvajal.
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At this point, Ramos is as Real Madrid as any current player. Since coming over from Sevilla as a teenager, Ramos has been a fixture at center back in both La Liga and the Champions League.
Though he wasn’t named La Liga’s best defender in 2016 after a four-year run earning the honor, he made up for it by being named in the Champions League best XI for the second time in three seasons.
Now 30, his eye for goal is still as strong as ever. Since coming to the capital, Ramos has at at least two La Liga goals in every season, a mark which he’s already hit through just six games this year.