Ballon d'Or 2018: 3 reasons why Luka Modric deserves the award more than Cristiano Ronaldo

The wait is finally over as world football's most iconic individual prize - the Ballon d'Or - will be awarded today at the French capital.

According to various surveys and reports, Luka Modric is the hot favourite to win the award this time. Both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi along with a plethora of World Cup winning French stars might get pipped by the speculated winner, Luka Modric. Modric already has won FIFA's Best Player Award a few months ago.

Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo dominated the awards for a decade as they share five Ballon d'Or awards apiece. Their innumerable feats and illustrious glories in the last ten years saw them mark an era with their historic rivalry, but Luka Modric may finally break their duopoly. This seemed impossible a year ago.

Luka Modric had a perfect year from an individual point of view, as his club and country scaled unprecedented heights. Lets evaluate three reasons why he deserves the award more than Cristiano Ronaldo as well as the other contenders for the award.

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#1 The heart of Real Madrid and Croatia

Modric pulled the strings with his dynamism and through sheer hard work

There is no doubt Croatia enjoyed one of the greatest years in their history as they punched way above their weight in the FIFA World Cup and reached the finals. At club level, Real Madrid enjoyed a rare feat by retaining the UEFA Champions League once again, winning the title 3 years in a row.

Both teams had one weapon in common - Luka Modric. Although Kovacic featured for both teams at times, he is nowhere as crucial as Modric for his club and country. Modric ran the show for both teams, and had an impact which cannot be measured by mere statistics.

Even barring his exceptional calibre with the ball, Modric pulled the strings with his dynamism and through sheer hard work. His work rate was special for a 33 year old as he gave his all for his teams, covering every inch of grass on the pitch. His exploits saw Croatia reaching the World Cup finals, with him being one of the key reasons for that feat.

On the other hand, Cristiano had a great year as well. He was the main talisman behind Real Madrid and Portugal, but Luka's exceptional displays captured the hearts of every critic in the world.

#2 Biggest big game player

Luka Modric - Maestro!

It is obvious that a player of Luka Modric's level is a game changer. Anything can happen with him on the ball, and his teams dominate more with the ball at his feet. Considering the current year, it is quite clear that Modric dominated more big games than any other player in the world.

Luka Modric is surely a genius, and he weaved his magic against most of the toughest opponents he faced throughout the year. With the ball at his feet, the maestro was a key playmaker for both Real Madrid and Croatia.

What separates him from other contenders is his sheer versatility against big rivals. He created chances with his exquisite passing and vision, and carried the ball forward tirelessly. But despite his prowess with the ball, he tracked back, snatched the ball away from the feet of his opponents, and played out of his natural position numerous times to help his team.

His impact on the pitch is evident as Real Madrid and Croatia marched on fearlessly against big opponents, and with effortless ease at times. It would be wrong to credit a single man for a feat achieved by a team in a team sport, but Modric was certainly the pivotal reason for their successes.

#3 A win for football

Luka Modric - He had an exceptional year

Being a midfielder, Luka Modric may not possess the extraordinary statistics of both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, but he was as vital to his club and country as forwards like Cristiano and Messi, maybe more at times.

Luka Modric helped Croatia dominate opponents at the World Cup, although Croatia were underdogs in most of these matches. No one expected Croatia to reach the finals of the World Cup, but they did just that due to Modric's excellent and consistent displays throughout the tournament.

Modric was also the brains behind Real Madrid's superb performances which resulted in them retaining the UEFA Champions League again. It spelled danger for rivals whenever Modric was on the ball, and his unquestionable impact cannot be measured by mere numbers.

While a great forward like Cristiano enjoyed putting the ball into the net numerous times, Modric played a quiet but crucial role behind the creation of the chances.

At times, football can be a cruel sport. Generally, the individual awards rarely look beyond the statistics and numbers to recognise a midfielder, defender, or a goalkeeper who may be a vital cog for their teams.

Although it may break the hearts of numerous fans, it's time a priceless genius like Luka Modric gets the recognition he deserves for his thankless service for club and country.