After becoming the first player other than Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to win the Ballon d'Or award since Kaka in 2007, Real Madrid superstar Luka Modric had some words of praise for the Portuguese and the Argentine.
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The Croatian won the accolade after enjoying a superb 2018 so far, during which he won the UEFA Champions League and inspired his country to the FIFA World Cup final in Russia.
Although delighted he was recognised for his efforts over the course of the year, Modric feels no player in the world compares to Messi and Ronaldo.
"History will show that a Croatian player, a representative of a small country, won the Ballon d'Or after Cristiano and Messi, who are players at another level," the Los Blancos midfielder told France Football.
"No one has the right to compare themselves with them. They're the best in the history of the sport.
"To come after them is incredible, but I don't think, for a second, that this is over for them."
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Messi became the first player to win the Ballon d'Or four and then five times, but this was matched by Ronaldo last year.
Do you think Modric deserved to win this year's Ballon d'Or? Let us know in the comments section below.
