'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Luka Modric claimed the Ballon d'Or, the prize which is awarded by France Football for the best individual football player. The Croatian was the first person to break the Ronaldo-Messi duopoly, as the duo has clinched the honour for the past decade.
Modric had a fantastic season, as he won the Champions League with Real Madrid and reached the World Cup final with Croatia. But he looks to be one of the many beneficiaries of the huge magnifying glass on Russia.
The likes of Thibaut Courtois, Hugo Lloris, Kylian Mbappe, and Raphael Varane got elevated rankings based on their World Cup displays instead of the club seasons. Players like David De Gea, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Ciro Immobile, and Philippe Coutinho did not even make the top 30, which included shocking names like Karim Benzema and Hugo Lloris.
Cristiano Ronaldo was second in the final rankings, followed by Antoine Griezmann, Kylian Mbappe, and Lionel Messi. Quite a few players will feel that they deserved a higher position, and rightly so. On that note, here are 5 players who deserved to be ranked higher in the Ballon d'Or list.
#1 Lionel Messi
The Argentine wizard finished outside the top 3 for the first time since 2006, and to be honest, there were no grounds for it to happen.
Messi had an unbelievable 2017/18 campaign, as he scored 45 goals in all competitions, which were the most in Europe's top five leagues. He also had the most assists, most chances created, and most dribbles in the season. Messi led Barcelona to the domestic double, and they missed out on an unbeaten LaLiga season as he was rested for their last game - which, you guessed it, Barca lost.
In Russia, Messi had an underwhelming tournament, but those four games below his usual standard have been used to wipe out more than 50 games of utter brilliance. You are surely better than this, France Football.
#2 Mohamed Salah
Mohamed Salah conjured up a season to remember, as he smashed all kinds of records in a stellar first campaign with Liverpool. Signed from Roma in the summer, Salah scored 44 goals in all competitions, which were bettered by only Lionel Messi. He also scored 32 in the Premier League, which set a new record for a 38-game top-flight season.
He led Liverpool to the Champions League final, where he got injured and could not make a mark on the big occasion. The Egyptian carried that injury into the World Cup and couldn't make much of an impact as a result.
The limited participation in Russia has had an effect on Salah's ranking, as he has slipped to sixth place. Salah has 9 goals and 3 assists in the ongoing season, while the likes of Antoine Griezmann and Luka Modric haven't been able to maintain their form. They did win trophies unlike Salah, but it is an individual award for God's sake!
#3 Neymar Jr
Neymar has developed an infamous reputation over the last couple of years, due to his move to PSG and his theatrics on and off the pitch. But if one considers how many players are better than the Brazilian at winning games in the final third, there are a scant few.
Since moving to Paris, Neymar has made 44 appearances for them in the league and Champions League, and he has recorded 40 goals and 22 assists in that period. Some numbers, right? Another narrative which has hampered his cause is that he had a poor World Cup, which is most certainly a myth.
Neymar created the second-most chances in Russia, he had the highest shots on target, and he played starring roles in decisive games against Serbia and Mexico. Diving and flailing aside, Neymar had a pretty good year and he should have been higher than 12th place.
#4 Ivan Rakitic
The Croatian midfielder was ranked joint 19th in the rankings, but his performances in the past year or so deserve better. He was an integral part of the Barcelona side who cantered to the domestic double, losing just one league game in the process.
Then he reached the World Cup final with his nation, meshing well with Luka Modric to ensure that the underdogs had a tournament for the ages. His ice-cool temperament was especially highlighted when he scored the decisive penalties in shootouts against Denmark and Russia.
Rakitic's playmaking was vital to both Croatia and Barcelona, as both are sides who like to dominate possession. The likes of Paul Pogba and Karim Benzema surely had relatively inferior campaigns, and they are failing to impress in the current season as well. The Croat should have definitely deserved a higher rank.
#5 Edinson Cavani
Cavani scored 35 goals in the league and Champions League last season, as PSG won the Ligue 1 title. In the Ballon d'Or rankings, he was ranked below Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale, which is something of an anomaly.
Benzema scored just 5 league goals (yes, you read that right) last season, and his teammate Bale scored 16. In the Champions League, they managed eight goals, just one more than Cavani's total. They did win the trophy, but the Uruguayan's goal record comprehensively beats their combined tally overall.
Cavani has scored 9 league goals this season, which is one more than Bale and Benzema have mustered together. Cavani had a good World Cup as well, scoring thrice in four games for Uruguay. Their order does make you scratch their head, and Cavani should be above the two Real Madrid players.
