2. Sergio Ramos
The captain has been the heart and soul of this Real Madrid side, both through the thick and thin. His impact on the team’s fortunes has been magnificent. Whenever the captain is out of the side, the team tends to suffer, and that was the same story throughout 2020.
He has not only been a defensive juggernaut, but he also relishes the opportunity to score goals and step up for his team in clutch situations. He led the team to a league title and the Spanish Super Cup, while also adding free-kick goals in his arsenal.
He was rightfully nominated in the FIFA FIFPro World XI 2020 alongside Virgil van Dijk, the two forming a rivalry of their own owing to constant comparisons from media, pundits, and the fans alike. He was quite simply the best centre-back in 2020, there are no qualms about that.
At 34, he is still going strong, stepping up defensively in tough situations and showing nerves of steel in front of goal as the team’s designated penalty taker, ending up as the second-highest goalscorer of the year behind Karim Benzema.
His importance to this team is second to none. Against Manchester City, his presence was largely missed as Real Madrid were knocked out of the Round of 16 stage for the second successive season in the UEFA Champions League.