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(CNN) – Luca Modric won the 2018 gold ball, becoming the first non-Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to win this award since 2007.
The 33-year-old midfielder, who helped Croatia reach the Men's World Cup final in Russia this summer, is the first Croatian player to win this prestigious award, which has been voted on by journalists.
During a historic evening in Paris, the ceremony honored a woman for the first time since the launch of the prize in 1956, with Australian star Ada Heijerberg crowned with the Golden Ball.
"It's unbelievable," said Modric, who helped Real Madrid win the Champions League for the third time in a row in May, before leading Croatia to the World Cup in July, his best-ever performance. his history. Added: "It's a great pleasure to be here among all these players."
Since 2007, Messi and Ronaldo have won the Golden Ball five times – and no one has won the award more than three times.
Earlier this year Modric won the FIFA FIFA Player of the Year award. He was the fourth player to win two singles prizes in the same year, after Bobby Charlton (1966), Johan Cruyff (1974) and Paulo Rossi (1982).
In the current version of the prize, the list of candidates will be prepared by the weekly France Football. Journalists from around the world will vote for the final winner.
The list was as follows:
1. Luka Modric (Real Madrid, Croatia)
Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus, Portugal)
Antoine Grizmann (Atletico Madrid, France)
4. Kailian Mbabe (Paris Saint-Germain, France)
5. Lionel Messi (Barcelona, Argentina)
6. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool and Egypt)
7. Rafael Farran (Real Madrid, France)
8. Eddin Hazard (Chelsea, Belgium)
9. Kevin De Bruin (Manchester City, Belgium)
10. Harry Keane (Tottenham Hotspur)
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