Real class of Modric the maestro
Ronaldo
Messi
Messi
Messi
Messi
Ronaldo
Ronaldo
Messi
Ronaldo
Ronaldo
Modric
So read the run of Ballon d’Or winners from 2008 to 2018. That was the era that Luka Modric performed in, the era of Messi-Ronaldo, and made his triumph in football’s most coveted individual honour in 2018 so notable. Modric walked with giants and, for one golden year, marched ahead of them.
I cast the English vote for Modric that year and it was not a difficult decision. Modric won the Champions League with Real Madrid and captained Croatia (population 4m) to the World Cup final in Russia where he won the Golden Ball as player of the tournament. He met all the criteria of major trophies with excellence of individual performances.
There was the usual response from the many disciples of Messi and Ronaldo. Why not Messi? Why not Ronaldo? I attempted to explain (calmly as it’s pointless to go any other way on Twitter/X) that due allowance has to be made for an individual, even not one of the greats of the game like Messi and Ronaldo, simply having the year of their lives. Which is rather the point of such awards.