…Ada Hegerberg wins first-ever Women’s Ballon d’Or
Luka Modric, the Real Madrid and Croatia midfielder has added the Ballon D’Or to the trophies won this year, after winning the UEFA and FIFA best player of 2018.
The talented playmaker saw off competition from France’s World Cup stars to end a 10-year stranglehold on the award by Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
Modric, 33, was announced as the winner of the prestigious prize in Paris ahead of Ronaldo and French World Cup winner Antoine Griezmann.
Also, French teenager, Kylian Mbappe was named winner of the Kopa Trophy for young player of the year at the Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris on Monday.
The Paris Saint-Germain forward, who does not turn 20 until later this month, starred as France won the World Cup and also won the best young player award in Russia.
The new award — named after French former Ballon d’Or winner Raymond Kopa — was voted for by 33 living former winners of the main Ballon d’Or prize. Mbappe was also among the 30 nominees to win that award.
Mbappe — who was accompanied at the ceremony by his father and his younger brother Ethan — scored four goals at the World Cup, including one in the final as France beat Croatia 4-2 in Moscow.
In doing so he became just the second teenager to score in a World Cup final after Brazilian great Pele, who achieved the feat in 1958.
A French champion last season with PSG following a 180 million-euro ($204m) move from Monaco, Mbappe is the top scorer in Ligue 1 this season with 12 goals in 10 appearances.
He has scored 32 goals in 56 games for club and country in the calendar year
Norway’s Ada Hegerberg Wins First Ever Women’s Ballon d’Or
Meanwhile, Norwegian striker Ada Hegerberg was rewarded for her prolific form with Champions League winners Lyon as she took the first ever women’s Ballon d’Or prize at a ceremony in Paris on Monday.
The 23-year-old saw off competition from the likes of Danish star Pernille Harder, of German club VfL Wolfsburg, and Brazil’s Marta — winner of FIFA’s best player prize — to take the prize organised by France Football magazine following a vote by journalists from around the world.
Hegerberg was one of seven players from the all-conquering Lyon side to feature among the 15 nominees, but she won out thanks to her prolific form in front of goal.
She was the top scorer with 15 goals as the French side won the Champions League for the third year running. One of her goals came in the final in Kiev in May, as Lyon came from behind to beat Wolfsburg 4-1 after extra time and retain the trophy. Harder had put the Germans in front in that game.
“I want to say thanks to my teammates because this would not have been possible without them, my coach or our president Jean-Michel Aulas,” Hegerberg said at the ceremony at the Grand Palais, just off the Champs Elysees.
“I also want to thank France Football. This is a huge step for women’s football.”
Lyon also won the French title for the 12th season in succession, with Hegerberg top-scoring with 31 goals, and she continues to bang in the goals for her team who are top of the table again this season.
Hegerberg, whose elder sister Andrine plays for Lyon’s biggest rivals in France, Paris Saint-Germain, is a Norwegian international but has not played for her country since their disappointing showing at Euro 2017 in the Netherlands.
