Ballon d’ Or 2018: Xavi reveals player to win award
Barcelona legend, Xavi Hernández, has tipped Real Madrid midfielder, Luka Modric to win this year’s Ballon d’ Or.
The 38-year-old believes that the Croatia international deserves to win the Europe topflight individual prize because he won three consecutive Champions League trophies in the last 3 years and also took his country to a second place finish at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
Recall that Modric was shortlisted for the 2018 Ballon d’Or award last month.
Speaking on which player deserves to win the Ballon d’ Or, Xavi told Spanish radio network Cadena SER, per Marca: “Why not Modric?”
“He has won three Champions Leagues in the last three years and was a World Cup finalist. It’d also be fair.”
“The fairest decision would be to give it to a French player because the World Cup means a lot,” Xavi added.
“We all complained in 2010 because a Spaniard didn’t get it. We need to be fair now. The World Cup is the most important thing.
“If you look at their team then Antoine Griezmann was the star. People talk about Raphael Varane, but if you look at France then you see Griezmann or Kylian Mbappe.”
“To me, Neymar is a top footballer. If he gets going and matures and works hard then he’ll be close to Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi,” he said.
“He is a leader on the pitch and is capable of being decisive and relevant, but it depends on him. He has all the talent, but if he doesn’t have the mentality…”
The 2018 Ballon d’ Or award ceremony will take place on December 3, 2018, in Paris.
