Ballon d'Or: Real Madrid's Luka Modrić ends Messi's and Ronaldo's monopoly

FC BARCELONA'S Leo Messi and former Real Madrid striker Cristiano Ronaldo have hogged the Ballon d'Or for a decade – but their monopoly over the prestigious football award is apparently over.

Croatian prodigy Luka Modrić (pictured), who plays for Ronaldo's old team Real Madrid, has scooped up the famous 'Golden Ball' after the last two won it five times each.

Modrić's award rounds off an excellent year for the midfielder from Zadar, in which he and his national team finished as reserve champions in the FIFA World Cup – losing to France in the final in Russia – following a performance that won him Best Player for the tournament.

The 33-year-old also enjoyed victory with Real Madrid when they became European champions.

Born at a time when Croatia was still part of Yugoslavia and nicknamed the 'Cruyff of the Balkans', Modrić has been on his national team since he was 21, playing in three World Cups and three UEFA Euros.

He is a fully paid-up member of the so-called 'FIFA Century Club', a group of footballers who have played more than 100 matches with their national teams – 113 in Modrić's case, the third-highest for any Croatian player, putting him at number 171 on the list.

He was named FIFA World's Best Player in September this year, ahead of Ronaldo and Egypt's Mohammed Salah, who plays for Liverpool FC.

At last night's (Sunday's) Ballon d'Or awards, Ronaldo came second and Antoine Griezmann third, although fans have described it as 'shocking' how Argentinian 'golden boy' Leo Messi did not make it to the podium.

“I'm happy and proud, I have many emotions now that are difficult to express in words,” Modrić said after the presentation.

“I'd like to thank all those who've helped me, my team-mates and trainers at Real Madrid, and all those who work in the club, as well as all the technicians and my team-mates from Croatia, also those who voted for me, and my wife and children who help me in every way to achieve my goals.

“Since I was little my dream was to play in a major team and win major trophies.

“The Ballon d'Or is more than a dream – it's also an honour and a privilege.”

France's Kylian Mbappé – Paris-Saint Germain's promising future star - won the first ever Kopa Prize for best under-21 player, which he dedicated to his PSG and French national team-mates, and was also among the 30 Ballon d'Or finalists.

Norway's Ada Hederberg won the first-ever women's Ballon d'Or for best player, having won the last three ladies' Champions' League titles with her team, Olympique de Lyon.