In Review

Ballon d’Or 2018: the 30-player shortlist, betting odds, start time

Can Luka Modric end the Cristiano Ronaldo-Lionel Messi domination?

3 Dec 2018

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Luka Modric with his former Real Madrid teammate Cristiano Ronaldo

Karim Sahib/AFP/Getty Images

The 2018 Ballon d’Or award for the world’s best male footballer will be presented tonight and for the first time in more than ten years the winner could be someone other than Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi.

Fifa awards: Luka Modric wins best player, Mohamed Salah left out of world XI

Since 2008 only Ronaldo or Messi have won the coveted award, but this year Real Madrid and Croatia star Luka Modric is the big favourite for the title.

Modric, who captained Croatia to the 2018 World Cup final, heads up a 30-man shortlist for the 2018 Ballon d’Or. Five-time winners Ronaldo and Messi are also on the list along with French World Cup winners Antoine Griezmann, Raphael Varane and Kylian Mbappe.

A total of 11 Premier League players feature on the list, including Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, Tottenham’s Harry Kane and Chelsea’s Eden Hazard.

As well as the men’s award, the BBC reports that the inaugural female winner will also be named tonight. On the 15-player shortlist are England’s Lucy Bronze and Fran Kirby.

When and where do the awards take place?

The 63rd Ballon d’Or awards will be held tonight in Paris. The Sun says that the ceremony is expected to start at around 8pm.

Will it be shown on TV in the UK?

According to The Sun and the London Evening Standard, no UK television broadcaster has currently been confirmed.

What is the criteria?

The Ballon d’Or award for the world’s best male player in a calendar year has been presented by France Football magazine since 1956. The winner will be selected by a panel of international journalists, with one representative from each country. Sky Sports explains: “The panel judge nominees on: their performances during the calendar year, their talent and fair play, and their achievements throughout their career.” The player who gets the most points in the vote is awarded the Ballon d’Or.