The 2018 Ballon d'Or nominees have been revealed
- Each year, France Football awards its most prestigious trophy - the Ballon d'Or - to the world's best men's soccer player.
- Throughout the day on Monday, France Football released the list of 30 players in consideration for the 2018 Ballon d'Or, including Barcelona's Lionel Messi, Juventus' Cristiano Ronaldo, and Paris St. Germain's Neymar.
- France Football also unveiled the 15-person shortlist for its first-ever women's Ballon d'Or Monday afternoon.
Each year, France Football awards its most prestigious trophy - the Ballon d'Or - to the world's best men's soccer player. The organization revealed the 30 players in contention for the 2018 Ballon d'Or throughout the day Monday, and many of the biggest names in soccer have made the list.
Five-time Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo has taken the trophy home in each of the last two years, but Portugal's early departure from the World Cup combined with his rocky start with new club Juventus and the recent rape allegations levied against him could doom his chances at a three-peat.
Lionel Messi - who also has five Ballons d'Or - could reclaim the honor for the first time since 2015, but his inability to lead Argentina to success at the World Cup has undoubtedly dampened his chances.
Likewise, Brazil and Paris Saint-Germain superstar Neymar is an unlikely pick to break through to win his first Ballon d'Or this year due to his international performances. Brazil failed to live up to expectations for the 2018 World Cup, falling to Belgium in a major quarterfinal upset.
The favorite to win the 2018 Ballon d'Or, however, is midfielder Luka Modric. The Real Madrid veteran captained Croatia to its first ever World Cup final, after which he earned the Golden Ball as the best player in the tournament. Modric has already earned FIFA World Player of the Year honors and is widely expected to add the Ballon d'Or to his collection of awards after posting an absolutely stellar year. Messi and Ronaldo have had a monopoly on the Ballon d'Or for the past decade, but Modric may be the man to end their collective reign.
France Football also released the shortlist of players nominated to receive the first-ever women's Ballon d'Or, which includes five-time FIFA World Player of the Year winner Marta, Australian blackflipper and all-time NWSL leading scorer Sam Kerr, and U.S. Women's National Team captain Megan Rapinoe. Lyon dominated with seven of fifteen nominees playing for the club.
Check out the complete list of men's and women's Ballon d'Or nominees: