Ballon d'Or Betting Odds: Luka Modric red-hot favourite to win coveted prize

Luka Modric looks set to break the recent Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi duolopy on the Ballon d'Or this evening.

Kaka's victory in 2007 was the last time that one of the two best players in the world failed to be crowned as such.

However, with a stellar year which included a World Cup runners up medal and another Champions League triumph, Luka Modric is just 1/20 (1.05) to win the 2018 Award.

Goal/Real Madrid TV

The 33-year-old - who was recently announced as the winner of the Goal 50 - played a starring role in Croatia's run to the final in Russia and combined with a third consecutive European crown, Modric boasts success on both the domestic and international stages.

The closest competition to Modric looks to be Antoine Griezmann at 6/1 (7.0). The World Cup winner finished joint-second in the Golden Boot standings as Les Blues were crowned champions for the second time.

Griezmann finished third in the Ballon d’Or 2016 when France were runners up in the European Championships on home soil and the prices suggest the 27-year-old is set to rank well again but ultimately come up short despite going one better in an international tournament.

Goal

Cristiano Ronaldo has won the award five times in his illustrious career, including each of the previous two editions but is a distant 20/1 (21.0) in the betting this time around. That despite another Champions League win with Real Madrid where he finished as the competition’s leading scorer.

In a World Cup year, that quote is perhaps the perfect example of why success on either the domestic or international scene is unlikely to be enough to clinch the prize.

World Cup winners Kylian Mbappe (30/1) and Raphael Varane (35/1) are next in the market with Lionel Messi a 50/1 (51.0) shot despite another impressive domestic campaign with Barcelona last term.

Neymar's move to Paris Saint-Germain was expected to see the Brazil international firmly in the frame for the Ballon d'Or but at 70/1 (71.0) it's unlikely that he will be one of the frontrunners in this year's voting process.

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