2018 Ballon d'Or

Imagine a super shiny trophy shaped like a soccer ball, called the Ballon d'Or! It's given every year to the very best soccer player on the planet. In 2018, this special award celebrated its 63rd birthday. It's like the biggest prize in soccer, showing who played the most amazing game that year. Think of it as getting a gold star for being the ultimate soccer superstar!

For a whole decade, two amazing players, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, were like the kings of soccer, winning the Ballon d'Or every single time. But in 2018, something new happened! A fantastic player named Luka Modrić won the award. This was super exciting because it showed that other incredible players could also be the best. It was like a new chapter in soccer history!

Guess what? 2018 was extra special because they gave out two brand new trophies! One was for the best girl soccer player, called the Ballon d'Or Féminin. The other was for the best boy player who was still young, under 21 years old, called the Kopa Trophy. This meant even more talented players got to be recognized for their awesome skills on the field.

Luka Modrić was the player who took home the big Ballon d'Or trophy in 2018. He was amazing for his team, Real Madrid, helping them win a big championship called the Champions League. He also led his country, Croatia, all the way to the final game of the World Cup, which is like the biggest soccer tournament in the world! He truly deserved to be called the best.