Croatian and Real Madrid midfielder, Luka Modric has won the 2018 Ballon d’Or, becoming the first player other than Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo to win the award in over a decade.
Modric, 33, guided Real Madrid to three consecutive Champions League trophies and also helped Croatia to a World Cup final where they lost to France.
Juventus forward Ronaldo came second, while Messi came fifth in the final rankings.
Real Madrid and Croatia midfielder Luka Modric won the 2018 Ballon d’Or, becoming the first player other than Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo to claim the award in more than a decade.
Modric, 33, won his third successive Champions League in May before helping Croatia to a first World Cup final.
Former AC Milan forward Kaka, was the last player other than Messi or Ronaldo to win it when he won it in 2007.
Barcelona forward Messi finished fifth, with Atletico Madrid frontman Antoine Griezmann and PSG attacker Kylian Mbappe – both of whom won the World Cup with France – third and fourth respectively.
Speaking after the award, Modric dedicated it to other players who missed out on the award during the period Messi and Ronaldo dominated.
“Maybe in the past there are some players who could have won the Ballon d’Or like Xavi, Andres Iniesta or [Wesley] Sneijder but people finally now are looking at someone else,” he said.
“This award is for all the players who probably deserved to win it and didn’t. It was a really special year for me.
“It is difficult to express my emotion and how I feel in words. It is something unique for me. It was very special.”
Lyon and Norway striker Ada Hegerberg, 23, won the inaugural Women’s Ballon d’Or while
Mbappe, 19, became the first winner of the Kopa Trophy – awarded to the best under-21 player and selected by former Ballon d’Or winners. and Lyon and Norway striker Ada Hegerberg won the inaugural Women’s Ballon d’Or
The top 10
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Luka Modric (Real Madrid and Croatia)
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Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus and Portugal)
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Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid and France)
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Kylian Mbappe (Paris St-Germain and France)
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Lionel Messi (Barcelona and Argentina)
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Mohamed Salah (Liverpool and Egypt)
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Raphael Varane (Real Madrid and France)
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Eden Hazard (Chelsea and Belgium)
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Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City and Belgium)
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Harry Kane (Tottenham and England)