Modric beats Ronaldo, Griezmann, Mbappe & Messi to 2018 Ballon d'Or prize

The 33-year-old turned into the principal Croatian to guarantee the honor following a year in which he has won the Champions League and achieved the World Cup final

Luka Modric has beaten off rivalry from any semblance of Cristiano Ronaldo, Antoine Griezmann and Lionel Messi to be named the champ of 2018's Ballon d'Or.

The Real Madrid midfielder played a pivotal role for his club as they stormed to a third consecutive Champions League title, and also captaining Croatia to second place at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

With France having won the World Cup, Griezmann, Kylian Mbappe, and even Modric's kindred Madrid partner Raphael Varane had been among the top choices close by the evergreen couple of Ronaldo and Messi.

Be that as it may, the Croatian's adventures over the year - which included being granted the Golden Ball at the World Cup - have appeared him rise in front of whatever is left of the pack and turn into the first from his nation to lift the honor.

Surely, Modric has turned into the main player to break Messi and Ronaldo's duopoly of the honor since 2007, with Brazil symbol Kaka being the last to lift the trophy before the Argentine and Portuguese stars gathered five each over the next years.