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#8 N'Golo Kante
N'Golo Kante is undoubtedly among the best defensive midfielders in the world currently. It almost seems that he has endless stamina by how easily he covers most parts of the pitch. His trait is to intercept the ball from the opposition and create a counter-attack for his team. Kante also likes to join the attack and is not afraid to shoot from a distance.
Kante's performances were one of the prime reasons for France's victory at the 2018 FIFA World Cup. He made a record 20 interceptions at the tournament and hence was the shield which protected the French defence from opposition's attacks.
Hence, Kante deserves to be one of the top contenders to lift the Ballon d'Or Award.
#7 Sergio Ramos
Sergio Ramos is perhaps the best central defender in the game at the moment. He is a strong tackler who likes to give his all for the team. Ramos also has the ability to score headers from set-pieces for Real Madrid in crucial circumstances. He is a strong leader who likes to lead his team from the front.
Ramos was one of the key figures in Real Madrid's 3 successive Champions League victories. Due to his presence at the back, Real Madrid's defence is quite formidable. However, a shoddy World Cup campaign might harm his chances to win this year's Ballon d'Or Award.
