Paris: Forget Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, Croatian legend Luka Modric is the new king of football world as the Real Madrid star saw off competition from a host of French World Cup stars to win the 2018 FIFA Ballon d’Or Monday, ending the 10-year stranglehold on the award by Ronaldo and Messi.
Modric, 33, was announced as the winner of the prestigious prize in a glitzy ceremony held here. Ronaldo was second, with France and Atletico Madrid striker Antoine Griezmann completing the podium.
Paris Saint-Germain’s teenage forward Kylian Mbappe came fourth, leaving Messi to settle for fifth position. The World Cup winner with France, Mbappe, who does not turn 20 until later this month, picked up the consolation prize of the Kopa Trophy for the best young player.
“As a kid we all have dreams. My dream was to play for a big club and win important trophies,” Modric said. “The Ballon d’Or was more than just a dream for me and it is really an honour and privilege to hold this trophy.”
The gala ceremony also saw a women’s Ballon d’Or named for the first time, with Lyon’s prolific Norwegian striker Ada Hegerberg taking that award.
Modric – the oldest winner since Italy’s Fabio Cannavaro, also 33, in 2006 – was crowned after an outstanding year in which he starred in the Real side that retained the Champions League before heroically helping drag his country to the final of the World Cup for the first time in their history. Croatia lost 2-4 to France in Moscow in the final.
The prize comes after Modric claimed the Golden Ball for the best player at the World Cup before picking up UEFA’s prize for player of the season and FIFA’s Best Player award in September. Modric was also a key member of the Real Madrid team that won the Champions League.
Messi and Ronaldo had won the prize five times each in the last decade but both are now in their 30s and neither stamped their authority on the World Cup.
