Ballon d'or 2018: The best XI to miss out

Right midfielder: Kevin Trippier (England/Tottenham Hotspur)

Trippier carried his rich vein of form at the World Cup too

This might seem a bit far-fetched, but Trippier really was in the form of his life. The Spurs fullback's marauding runs added an extra edge to their attack and a prolific campaign saw him earn a starting spot in England's World Cup games too. Originally a right-back, Southgate instead played him on the right-hand side of the midfield and he thrived in that role too.

And who can forget that beautiful freekick he struck against Croatia in the semi-finals? That encapsulated everything he is: technically brilliant, great vision and superb execution.

Central midfielder: Toni Kroos (Germany/Real Madrid)

Kroos shone for both Real Madrid and Germany

There were few positives about that calamitous Germany side, and Toni Kroos has to be one of them. The chief creator, Kroos kept his side's hopes alive by scoring the winner against Sweden and also maintained an impressive 93% passing accuracy. He was in a sublime form for Real Madrid too, scoring 5 times and assisting on another 9 occasions.

He finished 17th last year, but in a year that was better than that, he doesn't even qualify in the top 30.

Left midfielder: David Silva (Spain/Manchester City)

Silva kept the creative juices flowing for Manchester City

A vital cog in the Manchester City juggernaut that romped to Premier League title last season, Silva's exclusion from the list is real bonkers, especially when you consider that someone like Karim Benzema made it instead. The Spaniard was the creative chieftain for side along with Kevin De Bruyne, and despite the off-field issues, never put a wrong foot forward or lost his way.

He created 61 chances for his side, including 11 assists, and also struck 9 times in the league. His average passing accuracy too, stood at an impressive 89%. How in the world were these statistics not enough to warrant him a place in the list is something beyond my comprehension.