Barcelona icon Xavi is happy for Luka Modric after his Ballon d'Or triumph.

Not since Kaka in 2007 has another individual lifted the Ballon d'Or aside from Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

"Maybe there were other players who could have won it in recent years and didn't like Xavi, [Andres] Iniesta or [Wesley] Sneijder but it wasn't to be for them," Modric said.

"Now people wanted something different and it is a victory for football so I'm very happy but this award is also for those players who probably deserved to win but didn't."

"It was very nice for me to hear that and the truth is that it is much appreciated," Xavi told reporters in Qatar at the presentation of the Losail Stadium.

"I'm happy that the award went to him, although I thought Messi would win it.

"I would give it Messi every year obviously but it can't be that way. I miss playing with him and everyone else at Barcelona."