After already being voted the World Cup's best player as well as FIFA's player of the season, Luka Modric is now the clear favourite to win the Ballon d'Or 2018 award.
The Croat, who won the Champions League for the fourth time in five years with Real Madrid in May, became an even greater legend for his country in last summer's international tournament in Russia.
The level that Modric has consistently performed at for both club and country have put him ahead of the three French World Cup winners who are also vying for L'Equipe's famous individual award: Antoine Griezmann, Raphael Varane and Kylian Mbappe.
When the Ballon d'Or is delivered to Modric in Paris on Monday, it will end a decade of duopoly between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who have both won five times since Kaka took home the prize in 2007.
The failures of both Argentina and Portugal in Russia have damaged the chances of the Barcelona and Juventus duo, who have dominated the individual awards in the last ten years.
Ronaldo is likely to finish as runner-up on this occasion.
Modric's victory will represent the first time a player born in the old Yugoslavia has lifted the famous trophy.
In 1991, Jean Pierre Papin of Marseille was the winner with second place shared by three players: Lothar Matthaus of Germany, then Dejan Savicevic and Darko Pancev, who both represented Yugoslavia.
Assuming the Real Madrid midfielder emerges victorious, Los Blancos will overtake Juventus in the overall standings with nine winners to eight.
YomiteYomas
352
I think FIFA, UEFA , France football or whoever is handling the ballon d'or thing just want to put an end to CR7 and LEO's dominance, as neutrals its fascinating to have a new winner but only and if they truly deserve it, why not give it to Antonie griezman? he won the Europa league and beat luka modric to the super cup, he won the world cup, this time against Croatia captained by luka modric. what did luka modric win that CR7 or Antonie griezman didn't win? sad how the ballon d'or has lost its credibility
Realmrbreezy
278
This is the first ballon d'or everyone knows the winner even before the award ceremony and that's just to show how much of a joke it is.. Cr7 deserve the award or even Verane deserve it more because he won both UCL & WORLD CUP..
Longlife2000
239
10 YEAR BALLON D’OR LEAGACY OF Cristiano Ronaldo & Leo Messi IS BROKEN.💔😭😭
12UnitedGuyReborn
223
Luka Modric clearly deserves this award for sure whoever wants to hate can hate but that doesn't change the fact that Modric deserves the accolade he performed in clubs most prestigious tournament(UCL) and went on to perform and be given golden ball in football's most prestigious and respected tournament (World cup) I think most football fans nowadays are just too sentimental to actually analyse performance from a neutral ground but it's all good But mind me if anybody comes here to say that Modric will only win because he is at Real Madrid that means the person is also saying Cr7 won 4 of his 5 because he was at Real Madrid also(to all those cr7 fanboys) Hala Madrid
tropicalda
219
The comments here are unbelievable. By reading this you would think that football is just about scoring goals and giving assists. I’d recommend each and everyone of you to go to YouTube and search individual highlights of EVERY game of Luka Modric in the UCL from the round of 16 all the way to the final. And also, he played a HUGE part in getting his country to the World Cup final. For me he deserves that award more than anyone and I think he earned in the 2nd leg against Bayern, that was the biggest display of heart, hustle and determination I’ve EVER seen by a player. Oh and also, for those who say his season after the World Cup has been bad, Ronaldo’s first half of the 17/18 season last year was really bad too, if you’re gonna compare something at least make the right comparisons
Kideimno
196
i think people won't talk about ballon d or, if luka modric win this time because he is deserving but cr7 is more deserving that's why we feel its little unfair.we know that we talk favour of our favorite player like cr7 or messi but this time every n each football fan can see the deserving player, i think people forgot cr7 individual performance this season.so finally people will congrat luka modric but i will always say that cr7 give his balloon d or to luka modric because people don't want to see deserving player like Ronaldo.i think ballon d or value is little bit decreasing this time. because they are not going to give deserving player.
Loveneuer
116
It's like this entire sub is full of 10 year olds. All throughout 2018's first 8 months everyone here praised Modric for how amazing he is, now when he starts winning the prizes everyone shits on him. Just because he's had a poor start to 2018/19 does not eliminate his previous performances throughout the rest of the year.