The four World Cup stars Real Madrid have signed since 2000

The World Cup is the ultimate audition for players around the globe to grab the attention of Europe’s elite. Real Madrid are a club who have quickly snapped up the services of stars that lit up the grandest football competition for their respective countries in the 21st century.

Madrid have signed a quartet of players on the back of four out of the five World Cups that have been held over the last 22 years.

The Spanish giants broke their trend in 2018 when they made the uncustomary decision not to sign anyone in the summer transfer window that coincided with, and followed, France’s World Cup triumph in Russia.

We’ve taken a closer look at the last four players who impressed at a World Cup before joining Madrid.

Ronaldo missed Brazil’s qualification campaign ahead of the 2002 tournament in South Korea and Japan – rupturing a cruciate ligament in his knee was an injury that left many doubting whether ‘El Fenomeno’ would ever return to the dazzling heights he had previously shown.

But he silenced any doubters and struck up a menacing partnership with Ronaldinho and Rivaldo. Ronaldo came away with the World Cup trophy and the Golden Boot in 2002 after scoring two goals against Germany in the final.

With the forward making a mockery of the world’s best defenders, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez stumped up €45million to complete a deal with Inter Milan for a man who won his second Ballon d’Or at the end of that year.

After scoring on his debut at the start of the 2002-03 season, the Brazil international racked up a further 103 goals in the Spanish capital.

“I have never felt cherished at the Santiago Bernabeu and I don’t get why. I have never been treated with love here,” Ronaldo said during his five-year trophy-laden