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They say that the hand that holds the Ballon d'Or, rules the Football World and there could not be a better explanation of the award. The Ballon d’Or is the ultimate prize in football excellence, awarded to the best player in world football by France Football. It was first introduced in 1956 and was initially presented only to European players. By 1995, the award was extended to players from any country who played their football in Europe. In another change in 2007, Ballon d’Or was expanded to make football players from all around the globe eligible for the award.
The Ballon d’Or has been the stomping ground of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the past decade, with both players winning the trophy 5 times. This time though, there’s a change in the air and for the first time in 10 years, the World has a chance to see a player lift the fabled trophy for the first time. However, whether the fairy tale actually happens can only be confirmed in December, when the trophy is awarded.
France Football and L’Equipe have been revealing the 30-man shortlist throughout the day on Monday and here we take a look at the 5 favourites, among the shortlisted 30, to win the Ballon d’Or 2018.
#5 Kylian Mbappe
Ballon d’Or 2017 – 7th
The Best FIFA Men’s Player 2018 – 4th
The French youngster signed off a perfect season with 21 goals in 46 appearances for PSG last season, registering 15 assists. With his club, he won the Ligue 1, the Coupe de France and the Coupe de la Ligue and was awarded the Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year for the second year running.
Over the summer, he represented France in the 2018 FIFA World Cup and shook the world with his performances, scoring 4 goals in the tournament, as France became World Champions. Mbappe was subsequently awarded the FIFA World Cup Best Young Player Award and was also a part of the FIFA World Cup Dream Team.
Mbappe has won a lot at a very young age and deserves his place in the 30 man shortlist. However, even though he has also started this season in fantastic form, scoring 10 goals from 7 games in all competitions, one cannot help but feel that the French teenager is one for the future and as such, he is 5th in this list.
#4 Antoine Griezmann
Ballon d’Or 2017 – 18th
The Best FIFA Men’s Player 2018 – 6th
Griezmann won the 2018 FIFA World Cup with France over the summer, scoring 4 goals and was one of their star performers. However, the Frenchman was already on a roll last season, scoring 29 goals in 49 appearances for Atletico Madrid and also registering a further 15 assists. Griezmann ended the season by winning the UEFA Europa League with Atletico Madrid and was adjudged the UEFA Europa League Player of the Season.
He started the new season with a trophy as well, winning the 2018 UEFA Super Cup with Atletico Madrid. This season, Griezmann has already scored 4 goals from 11 games and has recorded 3 assists as well. The Frenchman might be tempted to think that he deserves to win the trophy or at least be in the top 3 again, but unfortunately for him, he is 4th in the list of favourites to win the Ballon d'Or 2018.
#3 Cristiano Ronaldo
Ballon D’Or 2017 – Winner
The Best FIFA Men’s Player 2018 – 2nd
The Portuguese made a sensational switch to the Serie A over the summer, after marking his end to his Real Madrid career with another stunning season. Ronaldo won the Champions League with Real before venturing into the 2018 FIFA World Cup with Portugal. However, his time in Russia was unfruitful, as Portugal crashed out in the round of 16, but Ronaldo did score 4 goals in the tournament, including a hattrick against Spain.
Last season, Ronaldo scored 44 goals from 44 games in all competitions for Real Madrid, ending his time in Spain on a high. This included 26 goals from 27 appearances in the League. Since switching over to Serie A though, the Portuguese found it tough to hit the ground running initially. However, he has recovered well since then and has already scored 4 goals from 9 games, and has recorded 5 assists.
Cristiano Ronaldo finds himself in the 3rd position in this list because even though he has performed exceptionally, he found himself slightly lagging behind compared to the achievement of the players above him here.
#2 Lionel Messi
Ballon d'Or 2017 – 2nd
The Best FIFA Men’s Player 2018 – 5th
The Argentinean magician had another brilliant season with Barcelona, finishing the season by winning the LaLiga 2018 and the Copa Del Rey. He scored 34 goals from 36 games in the league, winning the Pichichi Trophy for the 5th time. He also picked up the European Golden Shoe for a record 5th time. He scored a total 45 goals in 54 appearances and also registered 18 assists, in all competitions. Messi was also the LaLiga top assist provider last season, for the 4th time in his career. It was a testament to a player who has so many facets to his game, he can score, he can assist and he can mesmerize the world with his skills.
Over the summer, Messi endured a disappointing run at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, where Argentina were eliminated from the Round of 16 by eventual winner France. Messi ended the tournament with just 1 goal.
On his return to Barcelona, the Argentinean Skipper won the Supercopa De Espana at the start of the season. Since then Messi has been in inspired form, scoring 11 goals in 11 games so far in the 2018/19 season and also registering 5 assists.
Lionel Messi would certainly have been the favourite to lift the Ballon d'Or again this year, had it not been for a certain player who has had an unbelievable year and holds a minuscule advantage over the Argentinean.
#1 Luka Modric
Ballon d'Or 2017 – 5th
The Best FIFA Men’s Player 2018 – Winner
Perhaps the greatest advantage that the Croatian has over his rivals and competitors is that he has already won the Best FIFA Men’s Player award this year, which gives him a huge lead and makes him the favourite to lift the Ballon d'Or this year. However, none of that is because of sheer luck; Luka Modric had a fabulous year and has earned the right to be called one of the greatest of the game right now.
Modric ended last season with the Champions League win over Liverpool with Real Madrid. He ended the season with 2 goals and 8 assists from 43 games, however, those numbers do not do justice to his contributions to his team. He was the heart of the Real Madrid midfield, the clock that kept them ticking and ensured that they lifted the Champions League trophy.
The Croatian then captained his country at the 2018 FIFA World Cup at Russia and struck 2 goals as Croatia reached the Final. He endured a heartbreaking defeat at the hands of France, but Modric had already won over football fans all around the world and he was correctly awarded the FIFA World Cup Golden Ball.
This season, Modric has had a shaky start as Real Madrid adjust to life after Cristiano Ronaldo, but the Croatian is still the most favourite player to win the Ballon d’Or right now.
