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For the first time in 10 years, a superstar other than Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo has finally stepped up to rule the football world, with Croatian playmaker Luka Modric emerging as the latest player to claim the coveted Ballon d'Or accolade.
Following a successful year at both club and international levels, the Real Madrid midfielder was presented the prestigious prize to honor his brilliant displays and achievements during the term - although that has not gone too well with everyone as some people still believe that there were better candidates who should have won the award instead of the Croatian international.
And that is understandable, considering the fact that many superstars performed extraordinarily and reached amazing heights with their respective clubs and nations during the year.
However, with a sincere mind and an unbiased assessment, it is without doubt that Luka Modric deserved to go home with the Ballon d'Or award this year and below are 3 reasons why he is truly a worthy winner of the award:
#3 His Champions League exploits
In Real Madrid's UEFA Champions League-winning team that consisted of incredible attackers including the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, and Marco Asensio last season, Luka Modric was often overlooked but the Croatian playmaker deserves a lot of recognition for his tremendous effort in Los Blancos European triumph during the term.
Modric is actually less of a typical goalscorer but his exploits in the middle of the pitch played a significant role as the Spanish giants cruised to their record third consecutive UEFA Champions League trophy last season.
The Croatian International controlled the tempo of games, engineering possession, linking the defence to attack, as well as improving the balance and overall performance of the team.
His display against a rampant Bayern Munich side that pressed and attacked aggressively during the second-leg of their semi-final encounter last season, where Modric was constantly dropping deep to receive the ball, absorbing pressure and calming the pace of the game before taking it forward to transition it to attack, speaks volume of his enormous efforts.
#2 The FIFA World Cup
Following a successful European campaign in which Luka Modric helped Real Madrid to claim the UEFA Champions League trophy, the midfielder stepped into the recent FIFA World Cup tournament in Russia with a high spirit as he looked to make his country proud in the coveted competition.
Modric was a huge revelation in the World Cup, putting in a couple of unbelievable performances and quickly overturning Croatia's status from underdogs to one of the most impressive sides during the tournament.
The midfielder finished the competition with 2 vital goals and 1 assist to his name, coupled with his amazing role of captaining the side and engineering team play from the middle of the pitch. He succeeded in leading Croatia to their first ever World Cup final in Russia and he was also named the best player of the tournament - such performances actually deserve a Ballon d'Or recognition.
#1 His Overall Influence
Luka Modric deserved to win the Ballon d'Or award this year because he won the UEFA Champions League with Real Madrid and also reached the final of the FIFA World Cup with his nation in Russia.
However, it is not just the fact that he succeeded in both the Champions League and the World Cup that made him worthy of the accolade, rather, it is his overall influence in each of the competitions that actually justify his tag as the most impressive footballer in the world for the year.
Modric might have not scored 40 goals or bagged 20 assists, but his ability to influence games while acting as the chief orchestrator and ensuring the maximum effectiveness of his team to achieve victory just as we saw in the UEFA Champions League and most evidently in the FIFA World Cup is a huge proof that he is actually worthy of being a Ballon d'Or winner.
