Modric is not the only Luka ending 2018 on a high, as Luka Jovic leads the goalscoring charts in Bundesliga alongside Paco Alcacer on 12 goals.
It won't be easy for him to be ahead come the end of the year with Bayern Munich awaiting, but the 21-year-old will fancy his chances.
He will be hoping to score up against his former coach, Niko Kovac, who led him and his team to win the DfB Pokal last season.
"I needed someone like Niko Kovac, he woke me up and I owe the success I have now to him," the Bosnian striker admitted.
"It was because of him that I became a complete professional again."
He ended last season with eight goals, four as a sub, in 22 games in the Bundesliga.
"If Luka carries on like this he will be a world class player, he's one of the best in Europe at his age, he can score with his right, his left, his head, he's complete," Kovac responded in admiration.
From 17 goals in all competitions this season, adding five from the Europa League where he is the second top scorer, eight have been with his left, seven on his right and two with his head.
All of that on top of a sky high conversion rate in front of goal at 29.3 percent.
"He's a hunter, he scores four of every five chances," his new coach, Addi Hutter, said.
Team-mate of Lucas Torro
He plays alongside Spaniard Lucas Torro at Eintracht Frankfurt and he could not hide his joy in having such talent in the line-up.
"He's a brilliant striker, he's not the typical number nine, he's more mobile," the former Real Madrid, Real Oviedo and Osasuna midfielder said.
"He has some spectacular features: it seems he's not quick, but he is, he's strong, technically very good, scores and fights a lot.
"He has enormous potential."
Those complements are echoed by another experienced player in ex-Milan midfielder Kevin Prince Boateng, who now plays for Sassuolo having left Frankfurt.
"He has football in his blood, he's a street player who has a smell for goal," Boateng said.
"You have to be careful, but he has what it takes to be a world class star," said his coach Addi Hutter.
Jovic's highlight this season undoubtedly came against Fortuna Dusseldorf, where he scored five goals in a single game to become the youngest player ever to do so.
"I haven't managed that since I was 12-years-old," Jovic joked after the game speaking to Bild.
"I believe in my abilities, but I didn't think this year would be so good.
Only Paris Saint-Germain (33), Barcelona (31) and Dortmund (27) have scored more than Eintracht Frankfurt's front line which has Jovic (12), Sebastien Haller (9) and Ante Rebic (5).
"There's chemistry between us," says Jovic.
A gem for Eintracht
"He will be the best striker in Europe, he's the Serbian Falcao," said Zvezdan Terzic, the managing director of Red Star Belgrade in 2014/15 as Jovic showed what he could do, becoming the club's youngest ever goalscorer at the age of 16-years-old.
At Benfica, where he joined for 6.5 million euros from Apollon, he played just 17 games and scored four goals in the reserves.
"I wasn't very professional, I run more here in a month than there in a year," he told FB.
"He lacked patience," Jose Boto, who scouted him for Benfica, told A Bola.
Eintracht have now got the best out of him, signing him on with an option to buy worth between six and 12m euros.
"I'd like to stay," Jovic has said, despite interest from Barcelona, Liverpool and Bayern Munich.
If any of those European giants does launch a move, they'd be prepared to pay for the prolific goalscorer.
whykallar
2
Luka Jovic is a prolific striker, he's so fantastic and amazing at his age, it's going to be great having him at Barca to replace Suarez, i hope he can change his mind to join us in this coming summer to team up with Messi and Dembele at the top, cant wait to see Jovic on my team Barca next season.
footballfanatic7298
0
I see you don't watch matches
why would you assume that
dettaboss4l
0
I really hope barca sign this guy in summer. him and de ligt have to be top priority in market for Barca. Suarez is at the end of his career, so is pique.
I see you don't watch matches
footballfanatic7298
3
I really hope barca sign this guy in summer. him and de ligt have to be top priority in market for Barca. Suarez is at the end of his career, so is pique.
BarcelonaManCityFC
2
He’s a good player but he will not defeat the king!!
deebashbhandari
7
He is the best young player in the world right now. He is also natural born talent sriker. The bigger clubs in the world shouldnt miss to sign him . He has already scored 5 goals in single bundesliga match this season which is not easy from every angle...❤❤❤❤ He shouldnt be missed by top clubs..The hottest propery of modern football..❤❤
Bartholonew
4
Messi wins 5th Golden boot. France football - Let's put Messi on 10th position.
Jackisdore
2
Man was also the leader in "Big chances created" department with 35 in 17-18 season among the players in top 5 leagues. Followed by Payet (32) and KDB (28). Messi is impossible!
Terrorbob
0
Messi and 5 is new Arsenal and 4. But I don't think it's fair to give the award to Messi since he's neither French nor Croatian. Give it to Benzema.
masaboot
1
Why is it given in December? In any case, Messi had already won it back in ~May, right?
Derrickse
0
Did messi attended? more importantly did Modric attended the gala? Nope. But Messi had to.
herbivorous
3
I think it’s come to the conclusion that the balón de or has become a popularity contest. I understand why modric got it, but Messi had the best individual year no doubt about it. Stats wise.
Armstrongrno
0
I know you are just quoting the article, but how is that three wins in a row for Messi? This is a good point. I bet it got mixed up with the third consecutive year a Barcelona player won it, because they mention Suarez as another winner in there, but not Ronaldo.
Nathaner
0
26 goals and 5 assists in 27 games isnt bad lol. Yes Messi had 8 more goals but he also played 9 more games.
Andredu
0
26 goals and 5 assists in 27 games isnt bad lol. Yes Messi had 8 more goals but he also played 9 more games.
fdisk
0
What I am saying is Messi has let's say two really tough teams to face for four league games a season. Whereas he in England he would have to face 5 for 10 tough games against relatively similar quality.
Brown83
0
Messi has beaten all your best teams home & away. Football is a team sport. Barcelona is arguably the best team in the world, they could do that with or without Messi. Put it this way with Messi Barca dominates English opposition without him we scrap a draw or a hard fought win. The difference between every team in the world and Barca is Messi.
klcom
0
Football is a team sport. Barcelona is arguably the best team in the world, they could do that with or without Messi. Put it this way with Messi Barca dominates English opposition without him we scrap a draw or a hard fought win. The difference between every team in the world and Barca is Messi.
CP3
1
They speak of gold boot with 12 goals, when Messi takes 14?
Muhsina
0
Put it this way with Messi Barca dominates English opposition without him we scrap a draw or a hard fought win. The difference between every team in the world and Barca is Messi.
teenager
0
he sees a bit of Bundesliga knows that this is the best young forward in the current European scene ... There are many forwards of similar age, some stalled their progression as Dolberg, others relaxed as Werner and others took giant steps this temp as Jovic, Pepe or the one from Genoa (Piatek). But without doubts Jovic this temp is the best and a sure bet to future. A bargain for Frankfurt this purchase and I think the ideal thing for the player is to follow a temp if they qualify for CL. PD: Eye that Rebic and Haller are much better players nowadays, but Jovic is the typical lethal striker more in the style of Messi defining and not so selfish in the attacking climates as CR.
Worldmend
0
He scored against Juve in an inconsequential group stage match and scored against Chelsea in the round of 16. Then he proceeded to have a monumental LeBron 2011-esque choke against Roma away. Pitiful performance
zhaon
0
I do not know anything about this player. I have read some comments that say he is a mobile forward, not the typical auctioneer. Anyone who follows more the Bundes or the Eintrach can you tell me that? If it looks good or looks more like a one season Wonder? If it goes up that good by the European soccer, because removing to Icardi and to a lesser extent Werner, towards years that did not leave good nines. And it looks like this and Piatek point ways.
passioncc
0
I do not know anything about this player. I have read some comments that say he is a mobile forward, not the typical auctioneer. Anyone who follows more the Bundes or the Eintrach can you tell me that? If it looks good or looks more like a one season Wonder? If it goes up that good by the European soccer, because removing to Icardi and to a lesser extent Werner, towards years that did not leave good nines. And it looks like this and Piatek point ways.
Longlife2000
0
only time will tell if he can become one of the best players in the world because we have seen so many young players who had a good start and we're tip to become world best player to challenge Messi and Ronaldo for ballon d'or and other individual truphy but after one year we don't hear from them again but still Messi and Ronaldo are doing what they started as young players they are doing the same for more than 10 years so let all not put pressure on this young guy leave him alone and don't compere him to Messi and Ronaldo because no player in the world have been compere to Messi and Ronaldo and been able to Survive after one good season so time will tell. ...
VanishPrasad
5
21 years of age ? Come on , battle with Mbappe.