The 2018 FIFA World Cup has just concluded in Russia and the month-long event has been a pretty eventful one. So much so that we could finally get a new Ballon d’Or winner apart from Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi.
5. Lionel Messi:
Barcelona winning the La Liga this past season was definitely a boost for Lionel Messi’s chances but a very poor show at the World Cup with Argentina has seriously dented the playmaker’s hopes of winning the Ballon d’Or this time around.
The little magician will have to perform exceptionally well during the first few months of the 2018-19 season if he wants to have a realistic chance of winning the trophy.
A bit of a long shot really.
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4. Mo Salah:
Liverpool’s knight in shining armour last season. The Egyptian broke every possible record in the Premier League last season and came agonisingly close to winning the Champions League against Real Madrid.
Did not win any major silverware with the Reds though neither had any miracles with Egypt at the World Cup.
3. Cristiano Ronaldo:
Completed the hattrick of Champions League trophies last season after beating Liverpool and then single-handedly carried the Portugal side in the World Cup.
A stellar individual performance like every other season but we have a feeling this might not be Ronaldo’s year.
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2. Kylian Mbappe:
Had a fairytale season – first securing a monumental move to PSG and then going on to lift the World Cup with France.
Has been touted as the next Pele and aged just 19 we are not ready to bet against it.
1. Luka Modric:
Honestly, the first and second positions are pretty interchangeable but we chose to put Modric as number one simply because he won the Champions League with Real Madrid and unlike Mbappe was mostly the sole driving force that took Croatia to the finals of the World Cup.
The 33-year-old is without a doubt one of the best midfielders in the world right now and it wouldn’t be a shock if he lifts the Ballon d’Or in a couple of months time.
