Croatian playmaker Luka Modric has won the Ballon d'Or, capping an
excellent year for the Real Madrid midfielder, and breaking a
decade-long reign by Ronaldo and Messi as the only players to win the
award since 2007.
For Modric, 2018 was certainly his annus mirabilis thus far in his
career, captaining his nation to a first World Cup final in Russia in
the same summer he was pivotal in guiding Real Madrid to a
record-breaking 13th European title and an precedented third Champions
League in a row.
Modric
was the favorite to scoop the award, after being named FIFA Best Men's
Player in September, beating competition from Cristiano Ronaldo
and Mohamed Salah.
At Monday night’s plush ceremony in Paris,
France, hosted by former French international David Ginola, Modric won
perhaps the more prestigious Ballon d'Or, being plucked from a list of
30 of the world's elite players to be effectively named the best
player in the world. Ronaldo was voted second with Antoine Griezmann
came third.
French
wonder kid Kylian Mbappe was awarded the Trophee Kopa for the best
player under 21 years of age, having scored one of France's four goals
against Modric's Croatia in the Russia 2018 final to become world
champion.
Mbappe,
still aged only 19, was given the first-ever Trophee Kopa, named after
France legend Raymond Kopa and voted for by former Ballon d'Or winners
News Source: Goal.com, RT.com, theguardian.com, Dailymail.co.uk
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