12/06/2018
Luka Modric : People Finally see: football is not only about Goals, Goals , Goals ,
Luka Modric recognizes the fact that he was awarded the Ballon d'Or not because of his goalscoring qualities
However, he also believes that the prize was a deserved one
The Croatian midfielder reckons that attackers are not the only ones who deserve recognition
Luka Modric believes that his Ballon d'Or award is all the more important because it was a recognition of his midfield excellence and certainly not because of his qualities as a goalscorer.
"The journey has been very long and tough, but because of that I am even happier about all that is happening now," Modric said in an interview with GQ Magazine.
"All of the recognition, such as the FIFA World Player award or the Ballon d'Or, tastes better when you're aware that nobody gifted you anything. Nobody has gifted anything to me. All that I have achieved has come through work.
"It makes me happy that people have finally recognised all that I've achieved in my sporting career. It is true that I have had to win a lot for this to happen, such as three Champions League title in a row and reaching the World Cup with a nation as small as Croatia, something that was unimaginable.
"Only then have others realised that football isn't just goals, goals and goals."
Back in November Modric was named the Sportsman of the Year by GQ Magazine.
Modric, premio deportista del año 2018
Luka Modric has won the Ballon d'Or 2018 becoming the player to break the duopoly of Ronaldo and Messi who have been claiming the award for the last ten years. Since Kaka's victory, there have only been two winners with both forwards having five prizes to their name.
This year, Cristiano Ronaldo finished second while Lionel Messi is fifth. The Argentinian forward hasn't been outside the trio of the finalists since 2006 when he was 20th. After finishing third in 2006 behind Ronaldo and Kaka, Messi has never been lower than second place until now.
READ ALSO: Modric dedicates his award to players who deserved to win the Ballon d'Or but didn't
Modric is the first Croatian player to receive this honour and the 11th player in Real Madrid's history to win the award.