The Ballon d'Or is arguably the most famous individual footballing award on the planet, and it has been traded by two players in the last 10 years.

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have dominated the ceremony since 2008, both having notched five Ballon d'Or awards each since that year.

The award is presented by sports publication France Football, and is voted for by media representatives from around the globe.

In recent times when the award is presented in a World Cup year, the trophy is sometimes expected to go to the best player from the nation that lifted international football's greatest achievement.

Zinedine Zidane took home the honours after leading France to glory in 1998, similarly Ronaldo in 2002 and Fabio Cannavaro in 2006 also won the 'European Footballer of the Year' award after guiding their nations to World Cup success.

But in 2010 and 2014 when Spain and Germany were most successful, Messi and Ronaldo were the ones voted as the greatest players of those years.

Of course, neither have made it to the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup, but the likes of Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappe, Luka Modric and Eden Hazard could all be in contention at the end of the year should they lift the renowned gold trophy.

Chelsea forward Hazard sees things entirely differently though, and he's suggested he already knows who will be taking home the Ballon d'Or when the ceremony comes around in December.

"It will be for Messi or Cristiano, it is written like that," said Hazard.

"I remember a year in which [Franck] Ribery won everything and didn't get it."

Interesting theory from the Belgian that no-one will be able to break the grasp of the two footballing super-powers just yet.

It's unknown whether or not the Belgian thinks there is a conspiracy when it comes to the award, but the added comment about Bayern winger Ribery certainly adds fuel to the fire.

In what seems a very open year for the award, let us know in the comments below who you think should take home the honours.