5 players who deserved to be in the Ballon d'Or 2019 shortlist 

#4 Luka Modric

Luka Modric is the first player in history to not be shortlisted after lifting the Ballon d'Or the previous year.

Having made the headlines for all the right reasons last term, Luka Modric has been snubbed for the same award that broke the Messi-Ronaldo duopoly one year ago.

That unfortunately, makes him the first player in history to not be in the shortlist after having lifted the Ballon d'Or the previous year. He won the UEFA Champions League, and was easily the best player of the match in the final against Liverpool.

Luka Modrić is the first Croatian player in World Cup history to win the Golden Ball for best player at the tournament. 👏 pic.twitter.com/odQKzFZtlZ

— Squawka Football (@Squawka) July 15, 2018

The Croat even wrote his own fairytale by guiding his national side to the finals of the FIFA World Cup, where they eventually fell to Didier Deschamps' France. Modric finished the tournament with the Golden Ball.

Real Madrid's defensive frailties and age caught up with him last season. However, Modric still amassed a healthy 34 league appearances, scoring three goals and assisting further six throughout the campaign.

While these numbers don't stack up to his or Los Blancos' lofty expectations, the current holder should have received a mention if not more.