For Modric, the year of 2018 is "a really very special year".

"Winning the Champions League for the third straight time. To play the World Cup final for Croatia as a captain. Some amazing individual awards, and to finish with this (the Ballon d'Or).

"It's difficult to choose one. All these moments are really important. I don't want to choose tonight. I just want to enjoy," he added.

French teenage sensation Mbappe improved his ranking from seventh a year earlier to fourth for his role in France's triumphant World Cup journey and glittering performance in Paris Saint-Germain. His club teammate Neymar, currently the world's most expensive player, finished 12th.

Mbappe, who will turn 20 later this month, unsurprisingly bagged the newly-established Kopa Trophy representing the best U-21 player.

Women's Ballon d'Or, also inaugurated this year, went to Norwegian Ada Hegerberg who is playing in the French club Olympique Lyonnais.

Founded in 1956 by France Football magazine, Ballon d'Or honors the player with the best performance over the year based on voting by football journalists. It was merged with FIFA World Player of the Year into FIFA Ballon d'Or in 2010, before the two awards were separated in 2016.

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