PARIS:  Luka Modric has followed up his individual awards successes at the World Cup in Russia and then with international federation FIFA by collecting the annual Ballon d’Or prize from Paris weekly France Football.

The 33-year-old Croatia and Real Madrid playmaker finished ahead of Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo and French striker Antoine Griezmann with Argentina and Barcelona’s Lionel Messi, who was fifth, outside the top three for the first time since 2006. Kylian Mbappe finished fourth.

First winner of the magazine’s award, in its original form as the European Footballer of the Year, was England’s Stanley Matthews. The veteran outside right had also been first winner of the English Footballer of the Year award in 1948.

No player other than Ronaldo and Messi had claimed the award since 2008, with both players winning five apiece over the past decade.

In September, Modric claimed FIFA’s The Best award given to the world’s top player, a prize which Messi and Ronaldo had not lost since 2008.

France forward Kylian Mbappe, who finished fourth, was awarded the first-ever Kopa Award to a top under-21 player.

The 19-year-old PSG forward became the second-youngest to ever score in a World Cup final as he helped France to their second title this summer.

Lyon’s Ada Hegerberg became the first recipient of the women’s Ballon d’Or award.

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