The 2018 edition of the prestigious Ballon d’Or was probably one of the most interesting awards for plenty of football followers to guess.
There were plenty of players who showed off through 2018, building their case to win the coveted trophy. It was fair to say that every single one of the players who stood out in the year where France convincingly won the World Cup final over perennial underdogs Croatia had a shot at winning the trophy.
While some still found it unbelievable, only a few people let their qualms known when Luka Modric won the Ballon d’Or 2018 trophy. The lynchpin for the midfield of Real Madrid and Croatia was nothing short of impressive this year, and many thought that he deserved the honour of breaking a long-standing tradition in world football.
However, it wasn’t only Modric who enjoyed the spotlight at the Grand Palais. Plenty of people who are touted as the world’s best shared the spotlight with him. Join us here at SBOBET as we look back on the happenings of this momentous occasion.
An interesting Winners’ Circle
Luka Modric was the undeniable star of the night, but there was something France Football cooked up that made this year’s awards ceremony a tad bit special.
Two new awards were introduced in this year’s ceremonies. The Kopa Trophy is the award for the most outstanding football under the age of 21. And in a move that is welcomed by the rest of the footballing world, a female Ballon d’Or was introduced in this year’s festivities.
Paris Saint-Germain wonderkid Kylian Mbappe became the first winner of the trophy named after the iconic Raymond Kopa. He beat impressive players such as Trend Alexander-Arnold, Patrick Cutrone and Gianluigi Donnarumma to acquire the inaugural plaudit.
Meanwhile, the first ever women’s Ballon d’Or winner was Ada Hegerberg. The forward was simply outstanding for Olympique Lyonnais, scoring 31 goals last season in Feminine Division 1. She has also scored 10 goals in 10 appearances this season. She defeated players such as Lieke Mertens, Amandine Henry, Fran Kirby and Lindsey Horan for the historic trophy.
Modric took down a lot of impressive players for his first Ballon d’Or. He beat players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Neymar, Karim Benzema and Mohamed Salah for the title. The fact that he won over these impressive names is a victory all of its own.
Moreover, he broke what seemed to have become a Ballon d’Or tradition. For the past ten years, the award was going only to Messi and Ronaldo, two of the best players to ever grace the football pitch. The fact that Modric broke the duopoly the two have built over the years was nothing short of delightful for the neutral fan.
Intriguing stats and facts
The final results of the Ballon d’Or brought about some interesting talking points that we can’t help but talk about.
Neymar, who lit up the Emirates last month, finished 12th in the final standings. This was the first time since 2012 that the PSG star man finished outside the top ten in the standings. The Brazilian will surely double his efforts next year in order to improve his chances of winning the coveted trophy.
Plenty of people are questioning Lionel Messi’s final position in the standings. This year was the first time since 2006 that the Barcelona and Argentina ace didn’t finish in the top three. What makes the placement more baffling for some fans was that Messi dominated La Liga last season with his play for the Blaugrana, but the voters of the award didn’t see him as the best player.
Many English fans will be happy to learn that 11 of the top 30 players in the Ballon d’Or come from Premier League clubs. Liverpool fans will be especially happy that their Big Three of Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah made it to the list alongside Alisson Becker. However, no Premier League player made the top five.
Raphael Varane was the highest-ranked defender in the Ballon d’Or at seventh. Sergio Ramos, Varane’s centre-back partner in Real Madrid, is tied at 19th with Firmino and Ivan Rakitic. Thibaut Courtois is the highest-ranking goalkeeper at 14th.
●●●
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FOOTBALL STORIES & ODDS
Stay updated with everything sports and betting.
Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
