Where are they now? The 5 players Cristiano Ronaldo named as his Ballon d’Or rivals in 2018
Cristiano Ronaldo fancied himself as the favourite for the Ballon d’Or in 2018, but what happened to the five players who he named as his main rivals that year?
Of course, CR7 came second in the 2018 Ballon d’Or to Luka Modric in what proved to be one of the most contested awards in recent history.
Prior to the award ceremony, these were the five players that Ronaldo considered his biggest rivals for the award.
Luka Modric
Ronaldo played alongside Modric in 2017-18 and won the Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup and Supercopa de Espana alongside the Croatian star.
While Ronaldo spearheaded Real Madrid in most of those competitions, it was Modric’s performances in the 2018 World Cup that ultimately won him the Ballon d’Or.
“On the pitch, I’ve done everything to win the Ballon d’Or, numbers do not lie,” Ronaldo told the Italian press after missing out on the award to Modric.
“Congratulations to Modric, who has earned the award, but next year we will meet again and I will do everything to win the prize again.”
Considering Modric is only a few months younger than Ronaldo, it’s hugely impressive that he’s still going strong at the top level for Real Madrid today.
While the 39-year-old is no longer a guaranteed starter for Carlo Ancelotti’s side, he has racked up 29 appearances across all competitions during 2024-25 so far.
Antoine Griezmann
Griezmann’s performances at the 2018 World Cup also put him in contention for the Ballon d’Or and Ronaldo was quick to recognise that.
Along with an excellent international tournament, the Frenchman also had a fine season at club level as he scored 29 goals and won the Europa League with Atletico Madrid.
While he didn’t collect the award, he did manage a podium finish and only finished 62 points behind Ronaldo in the overall rankings that year.
Fast forward to 2025 and the 33-year-old is still going strong for Atletico today who currently sit top of La Liga.
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Kylian Mbappe
Mbappe had the world at his feet in 2018. Following an electric 2018 World Cup and a fine debut season with PSG, the Frenchman looked set to dominate the sport for the foreseeable future.
While he has developed into one of the best players in the world over the last seven years, the Ballon d’Or has always managed to elude him.
He came closest to winning the award in 2023 when he finished third, but even in that year, he finished 192 points behind Lionel Messi.
Now looking to follow in the footsteps of Ronaldo at Real Madrid, the 26-year-old seems to be making it his personal mission to win the Ballon d’Or at all costs.
Mohamed Salah
After enjoying a sublime debut season at Liverpool where he scored 44 goals and dragged the club to the Champions League final, it’s no wonder that Ronaldo named Salah as one of his main rivals.
An underwhelming World Cup campaign damaged his chances of winning the Ballon d’Or, but he still collected 188 points that year and finished sixth in the overall ranking.
“We’re completely different,” Ronaldo told reporters in 2018 when discussing Salah. “He plays with the left [foot], I play with the right. I’m tall, he’s a little bit short.
“But I have to say he did fantastic in the Champions League, he did fantastic in the league, but let’s see what’s going to happen.”
While Salah didn’t quite do enough to win the Ballon d’Or in 2018, he’s currently the favourite to win it in 2025. Watch this space.
READ: 2025 Ballon d’Or power rankings: Who can challenge Mohamed Salah this year?
Raphael Varane
If the Ballon d’Or was decided solely on trophies, Varane would’ve had a stronger claim than anyone else on this list in 2018.
Having won the World Cup, Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup and Supercopa de Espana all in the same season, it was a campaign to remember for the Frenchman.
While Ronaldo did name Varane as one of his main rivals for the Ballon d’Or in 2018, the defender ultimately came seventh with 121 points.
Fast forward to 2025 and the 31-year-old is now retired and works as a board member for Serie A side Como 1907.