Modric Wins The 2018 Ballon D'Or To Break Messi, Ronaldo Chokehold

PARIS, France- Luka Modric saw off competition from France's World Cup stars as the Real Madrid and Croatia midfielder won the Ballon d'Or on Monday night to end a 10-year stranglehold on the award by Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

Modric, 33, was announced as the winner of the prestigious prize in a glitzy ceremony held in Paris at the Grand Palais, just off the Champs Elysees.

Ronaldo was a distant second, with France and Atletico Madrid striker Antoine Griezmann completing the podium.

Paris Saint-Germain's teenage forward Kylian Mbappe -- who won the Kopa Trophy for the best young player -- came fourth, leaving Messi to settle for fifth position.

Another Frenchman, Modric's Madrid teammate Raphael Varane, was seventh, just behind Liverpool's Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah.

"As a kid we all have dreams. My dream was to play for a big club and win important trophies," Modric said.

"The Ballon d'Or was more than just a dream for me and it is really an honour and a privilege to hold this trophy." 

Modric -- the oldest winner since Fabio Cannavaro, also 33, in 2006 -- was crowned after an outstanding year in which he starred in the Real side that retained the Champions League before heroically helping drag his country to the final of the World Cup for the first time in their history.

Croatia lost 4-2 to France in Moscow in the final in July.

Mbappe crowned

Paris Saint-Germain's French forward Kylian Mbappe reacts after receiving the Koppa Trophy during the 2018 FIFA Ballon d'Or award ceremony at the Grand Palais in Paris on December 3, 2018. PHOTO/AFP

Earlier, Mbappe was named winner of the Kopa Trophy for young player of the year at the Ballon d'Or ceremony.

The Paris Saint-Germain forward, who does not turn 20 until later this month, starred as France won the World Cup and also won the best young player award in Russia.

The new award -- named after French former Ballon d'Or winner Raymond Kopa -- was voted for by 33 living former winners of the main Ballon d'Or prize. Mbappe was also among the 30 nominees to win that award.

Mbappe -- who was accompanied at the ceremony by his father and his younger brother Ethan -- scored four goals at the World Cup, including one in the final as France beat Croatia 4-2 in Moscow.

In doing so he became just the second teenager to score in a World Cup final after Brazilian great Pele, who achieved the feat in 1958.

A French champion last season with PSG following a 180 million-euro ($204m) move from Monaco, Mbappe is the top scorer in Ligue 1 this season with 12 goals in 10 appearances.

He has scored 32 goals in 56 games for club and country in the calendar year. 

Winners of the Ballon D’Or

1956: Stanley Matthews (ENG)

1957: Alfredo Di Stefano (ESP)

1958: Raymond Kopa (FRA)

1959: Alfredo Di Stefano (ESP)

1960: Luis Suarez (ESP)

1961: Omar Sivori (ITA)

1962: Josef Masopust (CZE)

1963: Lev Yashin (USSR)

1964: Denis Law (SCO)

1965: Eusebio (POR)

1966: Bobby Charlton (ENG)

1967: Florian Albert (HUN)

1968: George Best (NIR)

1969: Gianni Rivera (ITA)

1970: Gerd Müller (GER)

1971: Johan Cruyff (NED)

1972: Franz Beckenbauer (GER)

1973: Johan Cruyff (NED)

1974: Johan Cruyff (NED)

1975: Oleg Blokhin (USSR)

1976: Franz Beckenbauer (GER)

1977: Allan Simonsen (DEN)

1978: Kevin Keegan (ENG)

1979: Kevin Keegan (ENG)

1980: Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (GER)

1981: Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (GER)

1982: Paolo Rossi (ITA)

1983: Michel Platini (FRA)

1984: Michel Platini (FRA)

1985: Michel Platini (FRA)

1986: Igor Belanov (USSR)

1987: Ruud Gullit (NED)

1988: Marco van Basten (NED)

1989: Marco van Basten (NED)

1990: Lothar Matthäus (GER)

1991: Jean-Pierre Papin (FRA)

1992: Marco van Basten (NED)

(From Left) 2018 FIFA Ballon d'Or awarded for best player of the year, Men's Ballon d'Or Real Madrid's Croatian midfielder Luka Modric, Women's Ballon d'Or Olympique Lyonnais' Norwegian forward Ada Hegerberg and Under-21 Ballon d'Or (Koppa trophy) Paris Saint-Germain's French forward Kylian Mbappe pose at the end of the 2018 FIFA Ballon d'Or award ceremony at the Grand Palais in Paris on December 3, 2018. PHOTO/AFP

1993: Roberto Baggio (ITA)

1994: Hristo Stoïchkov (BUL)

1995: George Weah (LBR)

1996: Matthias Sammer (GER)

1997: Ronaldo (BRA)

1998: Zinedine Zidane (FRA)

1999: Rivaldo (BRA)

2000: Luis Figo (POR)

2001: Michael Owen (ENG)

2002: Ronaldo (BRA)

2003: Pavel Nedved (CZE)

2004: Andrei Shevchenko (UKR)

2005: Ronaldinho (BRA)

2006: Fabio Cannavaro (ITA)

2007: Kaka (BRA)

2008: Cristiano Ronaldo (POR)

2009: Lionel Messi (ARG)

2010: Lionel Messi (ARG)

2011: Lionel Messi (ARG)

2012: Lionel Messi (ARG)

2013: Cristiano Ronaldo (POR)

2014: Cristiano Ronaldo (POR)

2015: Lionel Messi (ARG)

2016: Cristiano Ronaldo (POR)

2017: Cristiano Ronaldo (POR)

2018: Luka Modric (CRO)