The Ballon d’Or is one of the most prestigious awards in football and is conferred on the football player who has been voted the best in the world. This special award has been shared by Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo for the last decade which each of the football stars having won 5 awards.
The 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia was a perfect platform for football players to show off their skills and for new players to make a mark. Ronaldo and Messi had a decent run at the World Cup but it was Croatia’s Luka Modric who left a mark on the tournament by his fantastic performances, inspiring leadership and never-say-die attitude.
Modric who also plays for Real Madrid and had a great run with them in 2018 helping them win their third Champions League trophy in a row. The 33 year old mid-fielder wasn’t a household name before the FIFA World Cup but captured the hearts of billions as helped his beloved Croatia reach the finals of the FIFA World Cup.
Croatia lost to France 4-2 in the final but Modric won the hearts of millions and became a hero not just in Croatia but around the world.
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While Messi and Ronaldo have dominated world football for nearly a decade, they were never really in the running to win the 2018 Ballon d’Or. It did not come as a big surprise when Luka Modric was given the Ballon d’Or Award.
In a statement, Modric said
As a kid we all have dreams. My dream was to play for a big club and win important trophies. The Ballon d’Or was more than just a dream for me and it is really an honour and a privilege to hold this trophy
Modric was very excited with all that he had accomplished in 2018 and called it his dream year. His speech was also inspiration as he spoke about his commitment, hard work and belief in himself as the foundations of his new found success.
Cristiano Ronaldo had the second most amount of votes while France’s Antoine Griezmann and Kylian Mbappe finished in third and fourth place respectively. Lionel Messi for the first time since 2006 finished outside the top three and took the fifth spot. Neymar Jr. had a poor showing and took the 12th spot.
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