🔴 Luka Modrić scoops Ballon d'Or: Follow the ceremony as it happened | OneFootball

23:00 – Luka Modrić, Ballon d’Or winner 2018.

Here is the moment the victor was revealed…

Thanks for joining us for tonight’s special ceremony.

That’s all we have time for but be sure to check out Onefootball for all the reaction to Modrić’s triumph.

22:55 – Proud club

22:50 – This evening’s winners

22:48 – The Croat beat second-placed Ronaldo by 277 points…

The Ballon d’Or is won on a points format based on votes received. Modric came way out on top!

Here’s the top 10

22:45 – Modric reflects on his triumph

Here’s what he had to say…

“It’s a unique feeling, I’m happy, proud and it’s an honour. [There are] extraordinary emotions at the moment.

“I just want to thank all those who helped me to be here tonight, I thank my team-mates, my coaches, the staff and Real Madrid, all those who work there, the coaches and team-mates in the national team, the ones who voted for me and my family, which allows me to blossom as a person.

“Always have dreams, I wanted to play in a big club, win titles, the Ballon d’Or is all I could dream [about] as a child, it’s an honour to win it tonight.

“It’s a great pleasure to be here around these players. I keep thinking, I’m trying to get used to being part of this group of exceptional players who have won the Ballon d’Or in history. It’s a great pleasure to be part of this group.

“Throughout my career I understood that work, persistence, believing in yourself, is the basis for expressing your talent. I like a saying – the best is never easy. For me, it was not easy. It was necessary to seize the opportunities.”

22:17 – LUKA MODRIC WINS THE BALLON D’OR

We seem to have skipped fourth place to second but we have our winner!

Real Madrid and Croatia star Luka Modrić has scooped the prize ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappé and Antoine Griezmann.

It’s well deserved as he helped Real Madrid to another Champions League trophy before leading Croatia to the World Cup final.

Ronaldo came second, Griezmann was third and Kylian Mbappé, still so young, was fourth.

21:52 – Here is Mbappé with his award

21:47 – History has been made: Take a bow, Ada Hegerberg

21:42 – Lionel Messi, the great Lionel Messi, is fifth.

He didn’t have a stellar year but it’s still crazy to see him that far down the list.

It is the first time he has not made the top three since 2006.

21:38 – They both reached the Champions League final in May.

Raphaël Varane is seventh and Mo Salah is sixth. A strong effort by the duo but Salah could maybe have sneaked in the top five following a sensational goalscoring season with Liverpool.

21:32 – Kevin De Bruyne is ninth with Eden Hazard eighth in a strong showing for the Premier League

21:30 – As predicted, it’s Harry Kane next who makes it into the top ten

21:15 – Mbappé scoops the first-ever Kopa Trophy!

The PSG starlet has been named the best player under the age of 21 as voted by all previous Ballon d’Or winners. That is some accolade.

20:27 – This guy will be at this event quite a bit we reckon over the next two decades.

20:08 – Antoine Griezmann meets a young fan at the event

19:55 – Top of the shot stops 👏

19:32 – We have a feeling Harry Kane will be next on the list. Call it a hunch.

19:26 – Next up is Chelsea’s one-man midfield engine room…

19:00 – And in at number 12 it’s…

He’s got to be disappointed with that.

19:00 – We’re edging closer to the top ten…

Thibaut Courtois, who joined Real Madrid in the summer from Chelsea, scoops 14th place while rival Luis Suárez of Barcelona pips him in 13th.

18:40 – Paul Pogba’s club form may not be stellar this season but he did win the World Cup with France and has been voted in at number 15.

18:33 – One of the Premier League’s top strikers misses out on the top 15 … he is criminally under-rated.

18:27 – Sadly, the current countdown hasn’t exactly been a surprise as this leak so far has every position spot on!

18:24 – It’s a Bernabéu double at 17

Champions League final goal heroes in May but Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema have to settle for a shared 17th-placed finish.

18:14 – Three more names released…

And at number 19 it’s a dead heat between Liverpool’s Roberto Firmino, Barcelona’s Ivan Rakitic and Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos.

17:57 – There’s no splitting them…

It’s another tie as Liverpool’s Sadio Mané, Marcelo of Real Madrid and PSG forward Edinson Cavani are announced in joint 22nd.

17:15 – We have numbers 30 to 25…

The votes and positions are being announced in reverse order (the suspense!) and our first six names have been released.

Isco and Hugo Lloris are tied in 29th place, Diego Godin comes in at 28 while goalkeepers Alisson and Jan Oblak share 25th place with Mario Mandžukić.

17:07 – Debate: Does Luka Modric deserve the Ballon d’Or?

CLICK HERE to read why the Real Madrid star should (or shouldn’t) win the award.

17:02 – The shortlist in full…

Here are the 30 nominees for the Ballon d’Or as put together by the editorial office at France Football before an expert jury places their votes

Sergio Aguero (Man City) Gareth Bale (Real Madrid) Alisson Becker (Liverpool) Karim Benzema (Real Madrid) Edinson Cavani (PSG) Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid) Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus) Kevin De Bruyne (Man City) Roberto Firmino (Liverpool) Diego Godin (Atletico Madrid) Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid) Eden Hazard (Chelsea) Isco (Real Madrid) Harry Kane (Tottenham) N’Golo Kante (Chelsea) Hugo Lloris (Tottenham) Mario Mandzukic (Juventus) Sadio Mane (Liverpool) Marcelo (Real Madrid) Kylian Mbappe (PSG) Lionel Messi (Barcelona) Luka Modric (Real Madrid) Neymar (PSG) Jan Oblak (Atletico Madrid) Paul Pogba (Manchester United) Ivan Rakitic (Barcelona) Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid) Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) Luis Suarez (Barcelona) Raphael Varane (Real Madrid)

17:00 – Hello and welcome to this evening’s live coverage of the Ballon d’Or.

Every football fan across the globe has their opinion on the world’s best player but who will take the crown this evening?

Luka Modrić is the favourite but, of course, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, who have won the award five times each in the last decade, cannot be underestimated.

Stay tuned!