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Luka Modric has emerged the winner of the 2018 Ballon d’Or following a stellar year with both Croatia and Real Madrid. The former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder beat off stiff competition from Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi to win the award.
Tipped as the favourite before the official announcement, it came as little surprise that both Ronaldo and Messi failed to show up at the ceremony. The superstar duo has dominated the Ballon d’Or for the past decade, with each winning the award five times.
In fact, the last time a player aside Ronaldo and Messi won the prestigious award was in 2007, when AC Milan’s Ricardo Kaka beat the pair to scoop the prize. Modric, though, has overcome the odds to win his first Ballon d’Or award.
The Croatia captain enjoyed a wonderful year, helping Real Madrid to a third successive UEFA Champions League trophy. He also played a key role as Croatia finished runners-up to France during the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
The Ballon d’Or becomes the fourth major individual award that Modric has won this year. The 33-year-old was first adjudged the European Best Player, before also being voted the FIFA World Best Player. He also won the Golden Ball during the World Cup following his stunning performances in Croatia’s run to the final of the tournament.
Meanwhile, Ronaldo came in second-place after the Croat, with Antoine Griezmann and Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe finishing third and fourth respectively. Barcelona captain Messi surprisingly finished in a distant 5th.
The other players that made the top 10 of the 2018 Ballon d’Or are Mohamed Salah, Raphael Verane, Eden Hazard, Kevin de Brunye and Harry Kane in that order.
Well, the world of Twitter has erupted into a frenzy following the official announcement of Modric’s win of the award.
Here are some of the best tweets from football fans:
