The first defensive midfielder to win. Vindication for the unflashy players who make teams tick.
8th Ballon d'Or. World Cup winner. At this point the award should be renamed after him.
Hat-tricks vs PSG, Chelsea, and Man City in the Champions League. Carried Real Madrid to La Decimocuarta.
7th. Won Copa America with Argentina. Emotional scenes in the Maracanã.
Robert Lewandowski scored 55 goals. Most agree he was robbed.
6th Ballon d'Or. Van Dijk came close — the best defender since Maldini.
Broke the Messi-Ronaldo duopoly. Led Croatia to the World Cup final.
5th. Back-to-back Champions League wins. 53 goals in all competitions.