Ballon d’Or 2018: Ranking the 5 favourites

#1 Luka Modric

France v Croatia - 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Final

Ballon d'Or 2017 – 5th

The Best FIFA Men’s Player 2018 – Winner

Perhaps the greatest advantage that the Croatian has over his rivals and competitors is that he has already won the Best FIFA Men’s Player award this year, which gives him a huge lead and makes him the favourite to lift the Ballon d'Or this year. However, none of that is because of sheer luck; Luka Modric had a fabulous year and has earned the right to be called one of the greatest of the game right now.

Modric ended last season with the Champions League win over Liverpool with Real Madrid. He ended the season with 2 goals and 8 assists from 43 games, however, those numbers do not do justice to his contributions to his team. He was the heart of the Real Madrid midfield, the clock that kept them ticking and ensured that they lifted the Champions League trophy.

The Croatian then captained his country at the 2018 FIFA World Cup at Russia and struck 2 goals as Croatia reached the Final. He endured a heartbreaking defeat at the hands of France, but Modric had already won over football fans all around the world and he was correctly awarded the FIFA World Cup Golden Ball.

This season, Modric has had a shaky start as Real Madrid adjust to life after Cristiano Ronaldo, but the Croatian is still the most favourite player to win the Ballon d’Or right now.