Croatia captain Luka Modrić has been nominated for the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year, known as the Oscar of Sports.
Another massive recognition came this week for Real Madrid midfielder and Croatia captain Luka Modrić. After winning all the prestigious individual awards for his performance in 2018, Luka Modrić was nominated for the famed Laureus award, which will be presented in one month in Monaco, reports Gol.hr on January 18, 2019.
Modrić found himself in the company of nominees including LeBron James, Novak Djokovic, Lewis Hamilton, Kylian Mbappe and Eliud Kipchoge.
The Laureus World Sportsman of the Year award is presented annually for the individual achievements of athletes, and is said to be the equivalent of the Academy Awards.
The award was established in 2000 and has been won by legendary athletes such as Tiger Woods, Michael Schumacher, Roger Federer, Usain Bolt, Novak Djokovic, and Rafa Nadal.
Luka Modrić would thus become the first footballer in the history of the Laureus to win the prize for his achievements, which, compared to other athletes, is absolutely competitive.
To refresh your memory, Modrić won the Champions League with Real Madrid and then led Croatia to the silver medal at the World Cup in Russia, after which he won the Golden Ball for the best player of the tournament.
Afterwards, he was named the best player of the year by UEFA and FIFA, in which he defeated Leo Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Antoine Griezmann.
Modrić’s competitors, however, are also the most prominent names of sports today, and they too had a year to remember.
Lewis Hamilton, for example, confirmed his absolute world dominance in Formula 1, and in 2018, he celebrated in 11 races, which led to the fifth World Champion title.
LeBron James broke the record of Michael Jordan in 2018, who scored at least 10 points in 866 consecutive games. This LeBron series has run since January 2007.
Novak Đoković is a big favorite to win the award after he returned to world number one in less than half a year. He won the Wimbledon and the US Open, and by winning the Masters in Cincinnati, he became the first tennis player to win all nine Masters 1000 tournaments.
Kenyan athlete Eliud Kipchoge broke the world record in marathons by a minute and 20 seconds, and won the London Marathon for the third time in his career. In 2018, he performed at 12 marathons and celebrated in 11.
Footballer Kylian Mbappe also had a memorable year in which he became the World Champion with France. At just 19 years old, Mbappe became the first teenager to score in the World Cup final since Pele in 1958. He was also chosen as the best young player at the World Cup in Russia.
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