It seems like it was only yesterday when the Brazilian playmaker, Kaka, bagged his first and only Ballon d'Or, in 2007. This incredible feat made him just the fourth Brazilian to win this prestigious trophy. Little did the world know, however, that the two youngsters who made the second and the third position would eventually start a rivalry that would cause one of the most significant debate in sporting history as to who was the better player. These two extraordinary talents were none other than the Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo and the Argentinian Lionel Messi.
After Kaka's win, both players have each bagged a record 5 Ballon d'Or with no player ever coming close to taking their place. Their decade-old rivalry has been filled with breaking records and has seen them both cement their place in the list of the Greatest Footballers of All Time.
However, this duopoly came to an end, when the Croatian midfielder, Luka Modric, after a record third Champions League in a row (which he shared with his former teammate, Cristiano Ronaldo) and an impressive 2018 World Cup campaign, bagged two of the three most significant individual awards, with the Ballon d'Or being the only one remaining.
This brings us to a question which many have been asking all over the world: who will win the Ballon d'Or for 2018. Already, 15 of the 30 nominees for this prestigious award has been announced.
Here's a list of the 15 nominees.
Sergio Aguero.
Gareth Bale.
Alison Becker.
Karim Benzema.
Edison Cavani.
Thibaut Courtois.
Christian Ronaldo.
Kevin de Bruyne.
Roberto Firmino.
Diego Gordin.
Antoine Griezmann.
Harry Kane.
Eden Hazard.
N'Golo Kante.
Isco
There has been a lot of speculations as to which player will win the Ballon d'Or which will take place later this year December. However, few players stand out as being possible winners of this award. Let us take a look a few of them.
Luka Modric
He is the clear favorite to win this award after winning the UEFA Men's Player of the Year 2018 award and the Best FIFA Men's Player of the Year 2018 award. Besides, he won the World Cup Golden Ball as the best player in the just concluded FIFA World Cup 2018. He also played a crucial role in Real Madrid third Champions League trophy in a row. These impressive feats make him the likely winner of the Ballon d'Or.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Even though Portugal took an early departure in the World Cup, the Juventus man was perhaps the most crucial player for Real Madrid Champions League win. Scoring an impressive 15 goals in the campaign, Ronaldo showed the world why many consider him to be the best player ahead of his Barcelona rival, Messi.
Lionel Messi
Although the Argentinian didn't have much success in the World Cup and the Champions League, he did see his club to two domestic titles. He once again is a strong contender for the Ballon d'Or.
Other notable mentions are Mbappe, a bundle of talent who shocked the world with his impressive speed, Griezmann, Salah, Neymar, Hazard, Harry Kane, and KDB.
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