The 2018 Ballon d’Or award for the world’s best male footballer will be presented tonight and for the first time in more than ten years, the winner could be someone other than Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi.
Since 2008 only Ronaldo or Messi have won the coveted award, but this year Real Madrid and Croatia star Luka Modric is the big favourite for the title.
Modric, who captained Croatia to the 2018 World Cup final, heads up a 30-man shortlist for the 2018 Ballon d’Or. Five-time winners Ronaldo and Messi are also on the list along with French World Cup winners Antoine Griezmann, Raphael Varane, and Kylian Mbappe.
A total of 11 Premier League players feature including Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, Tottenham’s Harry Kane and Chelsea’s Eden Hazard.
As well as the men’s award, the BBC reports that the inaugural female winner will also be named tonight. On the 15-player shortlist are England’s Lucy Bronze and Fran Kirby.
When is the Ballon d’Or?
The 63rd edition Ballon d’Or will be held in the French capital on Monday, December 3.
You can follow tonight’s ceremony LIVE on all Brila media pages tonight.
Luka Modric the favourite?
Who is on the 30-player shortlist?
- Sergio Aguero (Argentina, Manchester City)
- Alisson (Brazil, Liverpool)
- Gareth Bale (Wales, Real Madrid)
- Karim Benzema (France, Real Madrid)
- Kevin de Bruyne (Belgium, Manchester City)
- Edinson Cavani (Uruguay, Paris St-Germain)
- Thibaut Courtois (Belgium, Real Madrid)
- Roberto Firmino (Brazil, Liverpool)
- Diego Godin (Uruguay, Atletico Madrid)
- Antoine Griezmann (France, Atletico Madrid)
- Eden Hazard (Belgium, Chelsea)
- Isco (Spain, Real Madrid)
- Harry Kane (England, Tottenham)
- N’Golo Kante (France, Chelsea)
- Hugo Lloris (France, Tottenham)
- Mario Mandzukic (Croatia, Juventus)
- Sadio Mane (Senegal, Liverpool)
- Marcelo (Brazil, Real Madrid)
- Kylian Mbappe (France, Paris St-Germain)
- Lionel Messi (Argentina, Barcelona)
- Luka Modric (Croatia, Real Madrid)
- Neymar (Brazil, Paris St-Germain)
- Jan Oblak (Slovenia, Atletico Madrid)
- Paul Pogba (France, Manchester United)
- Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal, Juventus)
- Ivan Rakitic (Croatia, Barcelona)
- Sergio Ramos (Spain, Real Madrid)
- Mohamed Salah (Egypt, Liverpool)
- Luis Suarez (Uruguay, Barcelona)
- Raphael Varane (France, Real Madrid)
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