Modric tipped to pip French stars to Ballon d'Or and end Ronaldo and Messi era

The winner of the 2018 Ballon d'Or will be revealed at a glittering ceremony in Paris on Monday evening, with Croatia's Luka Modric and a host of French World Cup winners all hoping to finally end the 10-year duopoly of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

Ronaldo and Messi have dominated the award for the last decade, claiming it five times each, but the expectation is that a new name will be read out as this year's winner at just after 10pm (2100 GMT) at the Grand Palais, just off the Champs-Elysees.

While Ronaldo won another Champions League with Real Madrid in a typically prolific year, and Messi continues to mesmerise for Barcelona, both are now in their 30s and neither really stamped their authority on the World Cup in Russia.

That could be crucial. As FIFA president Gianni Infantino said recently: "You could give the Ballon d'Or to half the France team for what they did at the World Cup."
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