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#3 Luka Modric
Croatian maestro Luka Modric benefitted immensely from Zinedine Zidane's coaching. Despite being 31 when the French coach first took over at the Bernabeu in 2016, Modric aged like a fine wine under his tutelage.
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While Kroos keeps the ball moving and Casemiro breaks up play, Modric is the most creative of Real Madrid's legendary midfield trio. Given the freedom to drift around the pitch, the Croatian uses his neat footwork and tidy dribbling to negotiate even the tightest of spaces.
His passing remains impeccable and the midfielder also poses a shooting threat from distance. With 16 goals and 30 assists in 202 games under Zidane, Modric was rewarded for his excellence with the 2018 Ballon d'Or award.
The Croatian captain's influence extends way beyond stats or numbers, and he will go down as one of the finest midfielders to have stepped on the pitch.
#2 Karim Benzema
French forward Karim Benzema flourished under the guidance of his compatriot. Like Modric, the striker seems to be getting better with age and continues to go from strength to strength.
With 217 appearances, Benzema was Zinedine Zidane's most capped player during their time together at Real Madrid. The striker repaid the faith of his manager by netting 108 goals and providing 49 assists.
After spending the majority of his career in the shadows of his illustrious teammates, Benzema has grown into Real Madrid's talisman in recent seasons. He came fourth in the 2021 Ballon d'Or vote, which is his best finish so far.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo
No player has scored more goals for Zinedine Zidane than Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese superstar has netted 112 times in just 114 games under the Frenchman while also providing 30 assists. He is four goals ahead of second-placed Karim Benzema, despite playing over 100 fewer games.
Zinedine Zidane and Cristiano Ronaldo formed a productive partnership at Real Madrid. The Portuguese forward won the 2017 Ballon d'Or while playing under the Frenchman, successfully defending his crown from the previous season.
The duo also led Real Madrid to three successive Champions League titles, a La Liga triumph, a Spanish Super Cup and back-to-back UEFA Super Cups and Club World Cups.
