Croatia and Real Madrid midfield maestro, Luka Modric broke the Lionel Messi-Cristiano Ronaldo ten-year supremacy once again as he clinched the 2018 Ballon d’Or on Monday.
Messi and Ronaldo were the two who had won football’s top individual prize for the last decade but Modric changed it all this year.
The diminutive midfielder helped Croatia get to their first ever World Cup final in Russia during the summer while also playing a major role in Madrid’s hat-trick of UEFA Champions League wins.
The 33-year old is the first Croatian to win the prestigious award.
Ronaldo came second followed by Antoine Griezmann and Mbappe as the fourth.
Messi finished outside the top two for the first time since 2006!
Egypt’s Mohamed Salah finished sixth – with Raphaël Varane the highest-ranked defender overall in seventh.
Kylian Mbappe won the first ever Kopa Trophy, an award for the best player under the age of 21 which was voted for by the previous 33 winners of the main award.
Mbappé beat the likes of Gianluigi Donnarumma of AC Milan and Italy, Justin Kluivert of AS Roma and Netherlands, and Trent Alexander-Arnold of Liverpool and England to the award.
The PSG and France youngster is the fourth youngest player to have scored in a World Cup, aged 19.
Lyon and Germany striker, Ada Hegerberg has won the inaugural women’s Ballon d’Or.
She scored an incredible 42 goals in 25 games for her club last term.
The ceremony of the Ballon d’Or was hosted by former Tottenham and Newcastle star David Ginola at the Grand Palais in Paris on Monday.
Winner of the Kopa Trophy
Kylian Mbappe of PSG and France
Winner of Women’s Ballon d’Or
Ada Hegerberg of Lyon and Germany
Winner of Men’s Ballon d’Or
Luka Modric of Real Madrid and Crotia
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