After watching Luka Modric be named men’s player of the year at the FIFA The Best awards in London on Monday night, Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos has backed the playmaker to scoop the Ballon d’Or for the first time later this year, too.

It has been a vintage 2018 for Modric, in which the playmaker helped the Whites to a third successive Champions League triumph and Croatia to the World Cup final in Russia.

And Ramos feels Modric warrants further recognition, ahead of the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo.

“Looking at the level of the players you could give the Ballon d’Or to Messi, Cris or Luka, all of them would be just winners,” Ramos said.

“When it was given to Messi it could also have been given to Andres Iniesta or Xavi and so I would give it to Modric.”

The Spain skipper also revealed his disappointment that neither Ronaldo or Lionel Messi were present at the annual awards bash.

“I consider Cris and Messi to be the best and this awards ceremony deserves to have the best footballers. I would have liked to have seen Leo and Cris.”