Real Madrid’s Croatia midfielder Luka Modric was named winner of the 2018 Ballon d’Or on Monday, breaking Cristiano Ronaldo’s and Lionel Messi’s decade-long hold on the prestigious award.
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Modric, 33,
helped Real Madrid win a third successive Champions League title in May and
also captained Croatia to their first World Cup final, being named player of
the tournament despite his side losing 4-2 to France.
"It’s a
unique feeling. I’m happy proud and honored, I have a lot of emotions right
now, it’s hard to describe in words,” said Modric, wearing a tuxedo as he
collected the award from presenter and former France forward David Ginola
after a glamorous ceremony at the Grand Palais in Paris.
The award,
voted for by journalists and organized by French magazine France Football,
has been dominated by Barcelona’s Messi and Ronaldo, first when he was at
Manchester United and subsequently with Real Madrid, since 2008.
The last
player to lift the award apart from the Argentine and Portuguese, who have
won it a joint-record five times each, was Kaka in 2007 when the Brazilian
played for AC Milan.
Juventus
forward and 2017 winner Ronaldo came second, while Atletico Madrid and France
striker Antoine Griezmann came third.
Paris St
Germain’s France forward Kylian Mbappe, who also collected the Kopa award for
the best under-21 player, came fourth, with Barca forward Messi finishing
fifth.
Olympique
Lyonnais’ Norway forward Ada Hegerberg won the inaugural Ballon d’Or for
women’s football, having led her side to the Women’s Champions League title,
scoring in extra time in the 4-1 win over Vfl Wolfsburg in the final.
The Ballon
d’Or was first awarded in 1956 and was partnered with soccer’s world
governing body FIFA under the title ‘The Best’ from 2010 to 2015, until
becoming its own entity again.
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Source: NDO
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