Modric makes history in 2018, but Messi and Ronaldo have already picked the real heir to their Ballon d’Or legacy

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Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric has put a stop to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo‘s stranglehold over the Ballon d’Or by clinching the highly-coveted award for 2018. 

The annual football award, presented by France Football, has been dominated by Messi and Ronaldo for the past decade, with each clinching the accolade five times apiece since 2008.

Is Modric a worthy winner? Five things to know…

  1. The 33-year-old was instrumental as Real clinched a third successive Champions League trophy last season.
  2. Played a pivotal role as Croatia reached the World Cup final.
  3. He was named in the Champions League ‘Team of the Season’ and won the UEFA ‘Midfielder of the Season’.
  4. He also clinched the World Cup Golden Ball for best player of the tournament in Russia.
  5. Has continued to play a chief role for Los Blancos despite poor start to campaign.

Those also in contention for the award included World Cup winners Antoine Griezmann, N’Golo Kante, Hugo Lloris, Kylian Mbappe, Paul Pogba and Raphael Varane, but it was the pint-sized pivot who capped off a memorable year by scooping the award.

Modric is the first Croatian player to ever win the award and only the second of his homeland to place in the top three after Davor Suker finished as a runner-up to Zinedine Zidane in 1998 while plying his trade for Real Madrid.

Ronaldo had won the previous two Ballon d’Or trophies but his exploits for club and country were not enough for him to win an unprecedented sixth title.

Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah – who became the Premier League’s all-time goalscorer for a 38 game season – was also in serious contention after his goalscoring form helped the Reds reach the Champions League final, as was Spurs striker Harry Kane, who won the Golden Boot at the World Cup.

Despite helping Barcelona canter to a domestic double last term, Lionel Messi could only muster a fifth place finish, his lowest ever finish since 2006 some 12 years ago, as Argentina crash out of the World Cup in the Round of 16.

The award, which began in 1956, was selected by a panel of international journalists, which included just one representative from each country.

The top ten included: Harry Kane (ENG/ Tottenham Hotspur), Kevin De Bruyne (BEL/ Manchester City), Eden Hazard (BEL/ Chelsea), Raphael Varane (FRA/Real Madrid), Mohamed Salah (EGY/Liverpool), Lionel Messi (ARG/Barcelona), Kylian Mbappe (FRA/Paris Saint-Germain), Antoine Griezmann (FRA/Atletico Madrid), Cristiano Ronaldo (POR/Real Madrid), Luka Modric (CRO/Real Madrid).

Speaking after picking up the award, Modric said: “It is a unique feeling. I have sensational feelings in me at the moment which I find hard to describe.”

Trophee Kopa award

Alongside the Ballon d’Or, the inaugural Trophee Kopa award was also handed out at the ceremony in Paris, with Paris Saint-Germain striker Kylian Mbappe scooping the award for best young player under the age of 21.

The award is aptly named after former French and Real Madrid great Raymond Kopa, and the winner of the award is also selected by former Ballon d’Or winners.

The teenage talent has enjoyed a sensational year, winning a plethora of domestic titles with the Parisians, as well as lifting the World Cup with Les Bleus in Russia over the summer.

The talented tyro’s exploits saw him net 32 goals and register 13 assists across all competitions for club and country, as he also became the second teenager, after Brazil legend Pele, to score in a World Cup Final.

Mbappe also clinched the FIFA World Cup ‘Best Young Player Award’ and was named in the Ligue 1 ‘Team of the Year.’

The 19-year-old fended off stiff competition from Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold, Borussia Dortmund’s Christian Pulisic, Roma’s Justin Kluivert and AC Milan duo Gianluigi Donnarumma and Patrick Cutrone among other young stars.

Ballon d’Or Feminin

Among all the awards the winner of the women’s Ballon d’Or was also announced, and Ada Hegerberg took the accolade after her performances Lyon and Norway saw the former clinch the Champions League title.

The 23-year-old won the Ballon d’Or Feminin in fine style and was joined on stage by a number of her team-mates including England star Lucy Bronze, as she made an inspirational and powerful speech asking for “every young woman to believe in themselves.”

The post Modric makes history to break Messi-Ronaldo Ballon d’Or duopoly appeared first on Squawka News.



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