Modric surpasses C. Ronaldo to win the Golden Ball
The Croatian midfielder ended CR7 and Messi's 10-year dominance of the most prestigious award in world football.
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Modric smiled brightly as he went on stage to receive the Golden Ball. Photo:Reuters. |
Awards GalaThe Ballon d'Or takes place atGrand Palais - a glass conference center, newly built in Paris, France on the night of December 3. This is considered the most prestigious award of the year in world football by the magazineFrance Football organized. As expected, midfielder Luka Modric won the Golden Ball with 753 points, far surpassing runner-up C. Ronaldo (476 points). The next positions respectively belonged toAntoine Griezmann (414 points),Kylian Mbappe (374 points) and Messi (280 points).
Thus, Modric is the one who ended the 10-year domination of C. Ronaldo and Messi (2008-2017) in the Ballon d'Or award. Before that, the last player other than CR7 and M10 to win the Golden Ball was Kaka in 2007.
"My feelings right now are hard to describe. When I was a boy, my dream was to play for big clubs and win titles. The Ballon d'Or is more than a dream for me. I really can't believe it. Throughout my career, I have worked hard and persevered. In difficult times, you need to show your will and I always say that the best things don't come easy. Winning these titles is not easy. However, sooner or later, when the opportunity comes, you have to be ready to seize it. I did it and became part of history. It's a very special feeling," Modric shared on the podium.
2018 was a very successful year for Modric. He won his third consecutive Champions League title with Real Madrid in May and then played a major role in helping Croatia reach the World Cup final. Thanks to his impressive performances, the 33-year-old midfielder was voted the best player of the 2018 World Cup and won the FIFA The Best award.
Top 10 of The Ballon d'Or 2018 voting
1. Luka Modric (753 points)
2. Cristiano Ronaldo (476)
3. Antoine Griezmann (414)
4. Kylian Mbappe (347)
5. Lionel Messi (280)
6. Mohamed Salah (188)
7. Raphael Varane (121)
8. Eden Hazard (119)
9. Kevin De Bruyne (29)
10. Harry Kane (25)