Luka Modric finally ended the reign of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi when it comes to winning the Ballon d'Or. The Croation led his team to the World Cup Final and won the Champions League with Real Madrid. Those achievements coupled with his individual brilliance were enough for him to win the Ballon d'Or.
It is far too early and difficult to predict who is going to win the Ballon d'Or but it is easy to remove some players from contention. In this article, I talk about 5 world class players who will definitely not win the Ballon d'Or in 2019.
1.Eden Hazard
Eden Hazard is going to have one of his best seasons with Chelsea. He is going to break his highest goal tally and assist tally under Maurizio Sarri, as long as he carries on his form. Arguably, he is the best player in the Premier League.
Unfortunately, he has no chance of winning the Ballon d'Or because he is not in the Champions League. Chelsea may compete for the Premier League title but that too is going to be very hard to win. With that in mind removing Eden Hazard from contention would be a safe call.
2.Luka Modric
The Croatian maestro does not have a chance of winning the award again. Real Madrid have been woeful this season, and there is no major country competition that he can shine in. Added to that Modric's individual performances are not as good as last season's. It would be very shocking if Modric is in contention again to win the award.
3.Harry Kane
Kane is one of the best strikers in the world but he too does not have much hope of winning the prestigious award. It would be a stretch to pick Tottenham to win the Premier League or the Champions League.
Without trophies winning the award would be very difficult and so I do not believe that Kane stands a chance. The only way I see Kane winning it is if Tottenham reaches the champions league final, or win the competition altogether.
4. Raphael Varane
Varane was ranked very high in the Ballon d'Or rankings in 2018. He beat players like Neymar, Hazard, and Kane. Unfortunately, I do not see him attaining those rankings again. With Real Madrid having a very poor season, removing Varane from winning the award would be another safe bet.
5. Luis Suarez
Barcelona may win the league and the Champions League. but Suarez will not win the Ballon d'Dor. His performances are declining as he ages. Added to that he plays with a team that has Lionel Messi in it. If Barcelona has a successful season, Messi stands a chance, but not Suarez.