The foreigners who shone in 2016

Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)

2016 has been some year for Cristiano Ronaldo. The Real Madrid star scored 33 LaLiga goals across the calendar year, including a remarkable 19 in the last 15 games of the 2015-16 season, as Real Madrid head into the New Year three points clear of Barcelona at the top of the LaLiga table with a game in hand. Factor in his winning penalty in the Champions League final against city rivals Atletico Madrid, captaining Portugal to victory at the 2016 European Championships and notching the fourth Ballon d’Or of his career and it’s clear to see that it’s been a year to remember for the man from Madeira.

Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona)

Luis Enrique can always rely on Lionel Messi to conjure up something out of the ordinary and to turn a game around with a moment of unpredictable magic. The Barcelona star recovered from injury in late 2015 and hit the New Year in top form, ending the 2015-16 season with 26 league goals and an impressive 16 assists, joint-top of the LaLiga assist rankings with strike partner Luis Suarez. The mercurial Argentine has shone as brightly as ever this season, inspiring Barcelona to a come-from-behind 3-2 win at Valencia and scoring important away goals at Sevilla – a performance that led Gerard Pique to declare him to be simply “on another level” – and Real Sociedad on his way to a LaLiga high 12 goals at the Christmas break.

Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid)

El Principito finished the 2015-16 season as Atletico Madrid’s top scorer in the league with 22 goals for the second season in a row and proved the difference for his side at key moments throughout the season, including scoring the only goal of the game in Atleti’s 1-0 derby win against city rivals Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu in February. Griezmann was named the LaLiga Player of the Year at the 2016 LaLiga Awards and has stayed among the goals this season, forging a prolific strike partnership with new signing Kevin Gameiro and Yannick Carrasco as Diego Simeone’s side continue to fight for trophies on multiple fronts.

Luis Suarez (FC Barcelona)

Luis Suarez has been a prolific force up front for Barcelona ever since joining the club from Liverpool in 2014 but 2016 was definitely a standout year for the Uruguayan. He finished the 2015-16 season as LaLiga’s top scorer with 40 goals in just 35 games – the highest winning tally in history by any player not named Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo – six hat-tricks and an unforgettable four-goal haul in Barcelona’s 8-0 win at Deportivo in April. Suarez continued his red-hot form into the new season and currently sits atop the LaLiga Santander goalscoring charts with 12 goals level with teammate Lionel Messi. As long as Suarez stays in top form, goals will never be a problem at the Camp Nou.

Diego Godin (Atletico Madrid)

Few players embody the spirit of Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid quite like Diego Godin. Committed, authoritative and imperious in the air, the Uruguayan’s performances in 2016 once again proved his incalculable worth to the team. Godin was named LaLiga Santander’s Defender of the Year at October’s LaLiga Awards in recognition of his performances and has continued his strong form into this season, playing more minutes in LaLiga than any of his defensive teammates.

Luka Modric (Real Madrid)

The Croatian has proven an indispensable component of the Real Madrid side that has yet to lose in the league (or any competition for that matter) since a 1-0 home loss to city rivals Atletico in February. Direct yet creative, hard-working and technically gifted, Modric‘s performances have made him one of the first names on coach Zinedine Zidane’s team sheet. “He brings so much to the team, he has so much quality,” said the Frenchman in September and it’s hard to disagree with him.

Jan Oblak (Atletico Madrid)

The Atletico Madrid goalkeeper was a rock for his side throughout 2016. Ever-present in the league until he sustained a serious shoulder injury against Villarreal in late December, Jan Oblak won the Zamora trophy awarded to LaLiga’s best goalkeeper having ended the 2015-16 season with 24 clean sheets and an average of just 0.47 goals conceded per game, matching a record set by Deportivo legend Paco Liaño back in 1994. Coach Diego Simeone said in the summer that “Oblak is one of the best goalkeepers in the world” and based on his performances in 2016 it’s hard to argue with him.

Willian Jose (Real Sociedad)

Willian Jose has established himself as one of the most prolific and dangerous strikers in LaLiga since joining the San Sebastian outfit in July. Previously at Las Palmas, for whom he scored nine goals during the club’s first season back in the top flight for 13 years, the Brazilian has come into his own at Real Sociedad. Lethal in the air, Willian Jose has scored more headers (five) than any other player in LaLiga so far this season and had already matched his 2015-16 haul of nine in early December.

Diego Alves (Valencia CF)

The second goalkeeper on our list. 2016 may have been an inconsistent year for Valencia but their Brazilian shot-stopper was as consistent as ever between the sticks. Alves kept up his spectacular penalty-saving record in 2016, saving four spot kicks from Alexander Szymanowski, Antoine Griezmann, Gabi and Carlos Vela in the second half of the year alone to take his total tally to a record 20 penalty saves in LaLiga. The chances are he’ll continue breaking records in 2017.

Florin Andone (Deportivo La Coruña)

The Romanian spent the first half of the year at Cordoba CF in LaLiga 1l2l3 where he finished the 2015-16 season as the division’s second-top scorer with 21 goals. His impressive performances earned him a move to LaLiga Santander side Deportivo where, after a short settling-in period, he’s made his mark with a number of crucial goals including a brace against high-flying Real Sociedad. Andone rounded off 2016 with six goals in the final six LaLiga games before the Christmas break, propelling the Galician side away from the relegation zone and into mid table. Expect big things from the Depor man in 2017.