Luka Modric makes Ballon d'Or claim, mentions teammate who deserves to be on shortlist.

"I'm glad to be in the [Ballon d'Or] top 30, and I'm also happy for [Josko] Gvardiol who deserves it with his performances," Luka Modric has told the media.

"I'm also happy for Livakovic who is nominated for the best goalkeeper. All of this is great for Croatian football," the 38-year-old added.

It's interesting that Luka hasn't mentioned Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior or Karim Benzema who have also made the 30-man shortlist. Maybe that's because he talked about it shortly after playing for the national team.

Leo Messi is considered the major favourite for the 2023 Ballon d'Or. Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe are expected to be the frontrunners.

The ceremony will take place in October.