Ballor d'Or 2018: Predicting the top 3 nominees

The interlude to December 3rd, 2018 is gradually getting over, a day that caps off the spectacle year of 2018 that had some of the greatest footballing moments in history, when France Football officially crowns the best player in the world.

A 19-year-old Mbappe won the World Cup with France, the majestic Ronaldo won the Champions League for the third time in a row with Real Madrid, and the little magician Messi, doing what he does best, helped Barcelona to maintain an unassailable stature in Spanish football with a domestic double.

But who is actually going to get his hands on the coveted Golden Ball? Will it be a sixth for either of the omnipresent legends, or will it go to someone else?

For the past decade we've lived in a world imagined by Messi and Ronaldo, but 2018 could be the year when many suspect the curtain will finally draw on their golden streak. Luka Modric has already been named the FIFA Best Player of the Year. However, if the past has taught us anything, it is that the award is for the one player who's helped his team achieve the most success in the past year, and the Ballon d'Or rankings could be like this:

#3 Luka Modric

The FIFA Best Men's player established himself as the most supreme midfielder in the world, guiding a clearly not favourites Croatian side to the 2018 FIFA World Cup final, and helped Real Madrid defend their European crown for the second time in a row. The 33-year-old also won the UEFA Player of the Year award earlier this season

A recent dip in performances with Real has them stuttering at 4th in the LaLiga table this season, but they have time to pick themselves up. Fair to say, he'll be a tough contender for a prize that's based pretty much on trophies won.

#2 Lionel Messi

The first to ever win the Ballon d'Or 5 times, Messi last won it in 2015. The little Argentinian has been as mesmerizing as ever, and there is plainly no one in the world better than in him in terms of skill.

Winning the LaLiga with an ever dominant Barcelona, along with the Copa del Rey, his direct free kicks are a joy to watch. But poor showings in the Champions League and the World Cup have significantly reduced his chances to win, though he has started the new season better than ever with goals, assists, hattricks, dribbles, passes - you name it.

"La Pulga Atomica" Messi is certainly determined to show why he's considered by so many to be the best player of all time.

#1 Cristiano Ronaldo

He made us lose our breath with his outstanding free-kick and his hattrick goal in the last minutes of the game against Spain in the World Cup. He made opposition fans rise up to applaud him on hostile grounds in the Champions League. His unbelievable goalscoring form saw him stand second for the Pichichi award when no one imagined he could even come close with a dismal start to the season.

There's very little that Cristiano Ronaldo hasn't achieved individually last season, winning the Champions League for the fourth time in five years with Real Madrid and being the top scorer in the competition. He also won the FIFA Club World Cup with Los Blancos, before moving to Turin after a record transfer, where his team Juventus are league leaders with a perfect start to the season.

Him not winning the FIFA Best Player of the Year Award award was surprising, perhaps because of his winning streak, but he could be the Ballon d'Or winner again this year.

There are other strong contenders for the award such as Liverpool's "Egyptian King" Mohamed Salah who had an amazing run with the Reds last season. The 19-year-old wonder kid Kylian Mbappe and the Atletico Madrid superstar Antoine Griezmann were both brilliant in the World Cup. Eden Hazard, who is enjoying an amazing start to the new season also helped Belgium to a third-place finish in the World Cup.

But the number of accolades and trophies collected by the three players mentioned beforehand put them a cut above the rest.

Edited by Raunak J