Best XI aged 30 and over of 2018

Midfielders - Sergio Busquets, Luka Modric and David Silva

All three midfielders won multiple trophies with their respective clubs in 2018

At the base of the midfield is Barcelona’s Sergio Busquets who turned 30 earlier this year. He has been a constant in the Barcelona and Spain midfield for so long that it is difficult to fathom that he just turned 30 this year.

Busquets won the La Liga, Copa del Rey and Supercopa de Espana with Barcelona in what has proven to be another successful year for the Spaniard.

Luka Modric was an automatic choice in this XI after the best year of his professional career. Not only did he win the Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup with Real Madrid, but he also led the underdogs, Croatia, to the final of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Modric ended the Ronald-Messi duopoly for the Ballon d’Or after ten long years. He also won the FIFA Best Player of the Year award and the UEFA Men’s Player of the Year award among numerous other individual awards.

The final player in the midfield, David Silva, was a surprise exclusion from the final 23 for the Ballon d’Or after playing a crucial role in Manchester City’s record-breaking title-winning season.

Silva also won the Football League Cup in 2018 and was named in the PFA Team of the Year for the second time in his career.

Honourable mentions - Ivan Rakitic, Marek Hamsik, Fernandinho, Blaise Matuidi and Dimitri Payet