Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane had no problem with his placing in the Ballon d'Or vote.

Varane finished seventh in this year's running.

He said, "It's (Luka) Modric, a friend, who won. So I can only be very happy for him.

"There are only great players in the race. If I had been told a few years ago that I would be disappointed if I did not have the Ballon d'Or, I'd have signed for that right away (laughs).

"No, frankly, I cannot be disappointed because my year for 2018 was fantastic. And for me, the most beautiful reward, it is the comments of some people in the world of football which were expressed."