Temas: Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric, Lionel Messi, Antoine Griezmann, Mohamed Salah, Kylian Mbappe, Raphael Varane, Real Madrid, Juventus, Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Liverpool, PSG, Ballon d'Or
Cristiano Ronaldo aims to defend his title and lift the award for a record-breaking sixth time, but faces stiff competition from the likes of Luka Modric.

The 2018 Ballon d'Or is upon us! After months and months of speculation and debates, the latest winner of this coveted award will be announced later on Monday. 

In the 63rd edition of this prize, Cristiano Ronaldo will aim to defend his crown and register a record-breaking sixth win. However, he will face stiff competition from Luka Modric, while a host of another names have been tipped to lift this accolade. Here's everything you need to know about Monday's ceremony.

When and where is the ceremony taking place?

The event will take place in Paris and will begin at 15:00 ET/20:00 GMT on Monday, December 3, 2018. David Ginola will be the host for this gala.

Will the 2018 Ballon d'Or ceremony be on Facebook live?

Yes, it will be. France Football will stream the show via Facebook Live for their followers as they present the award.

Which TV channels will broadcast the 2018 Ballon d'Or ceremony?

A number of channels will broadcast the ceremony for fans dying to hear who will win the 2018 edition. In the USA, beIN Sports USA will air the gala while beIN Sports Canada will broadcast the ceremony in Canada. L'Equipe is the go-to place in France, with SuperSport 3 televising the ceremony across Africa, namely Ivory Coast, Cameroon, and Nigeria.

Can I watch the 2018 Ballon d'Or announcement live on Youtube?

There are no official YouTube streams for Monday's event but fans in the USA and Canada have streaming options in the form of beIN Sports CONNECT. Furthermore, you can follow Live Soccer TV's Facebook and Twitter pages for live updates.

Who are the nominees for the 2018 Ballon d'Or?

Unlike in previous editions, there will not be a three-man shortlist for the award. While only three to four players stand a chance of winning this accolade, as many as 30 players have been nominated. They are:

  1. Sergio Aguero (Argentina and Man City)

  2. Gareth Bale (Wales and Real Madrid)

  3. Alisson Becker (Brazil and Liverpool)

  4. Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)

  5. Edinson Cavani (Uruguay and PSG)

  6. Thibaut Courtois (Belgium and Real Madrid)

  7. Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal and Juventus)

  8. Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium and Man City)

  9. Roberto Firmino (Brazil and Liverpool)

  10. Diego Godin (Uruguay and Atletico Madrid)

  11. Antoine Griezmann (France and Atletico Madrid)

  12. Eden Hazard (Belgium and Chelsea)

  13. Isco (Spain and Real Madrid)

  14. Harry Kane (England and Tottenham)

  15. N'Golo Kante (France and Chelsea)

  16. Hugo Lloris (France and Tottenham)

  17. Mario Mandzukic (Croatia and Juventus)

  18. Sadio Mane (Senegal and Liverpool)

  19. Marcelo (Brazil and Real Madrid)

  20. Kylian Mbappe (France and PSG)

  21. Lionel Messi (Argentina and Barcelona)

  22. Luka Modric (Croatia and Real Madrid)

  23. Neymar (Brazil and PSG)

  24. Jan Oblak (Slovenia and Atletico Madrid)

  25. Paul Pogba (France and Manchester United)

  26. Ivan Rakitic (Croatia and Barcelona)

  27. Sergio Ramos (Spain and Real Madrid)

  28. Mohamed Salah (Egypt and Liverpool)

  29. Luis Suarez (Uruguay and Barcelona)

  30. Raphael Varane (France and Real Madrid)

Who are the favorites to win?

Luka Modric is the odds-on favorite to end the Cristiano-Messi duopoly, having won the World Cup Golden Ball, UEFA Player of the Year, and The Best FIFA Men's Player of the Year prizes. Many argue that Ronaldo is the most deserving, but it has been reported that the Portuguese ace will finish in second.

Antoine Griezmann, Raphael Varane, and Kylian Mbappe are other top candidates after leading their nation to the World Cup. Lionel Messi, on the other hand, looks to miss out on the top three.

Let's not forget about the Women's Ballon d'Or and the Kopa Trophy...

Two new awards will be handed out on Monday, them being the Women's Ballon d'Or for the best female player and the Kopa Trophy for the best under-21 player. Mbappe is the favorite to win the latter, with Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold hoping to upset the odds and beat the Frenchman.

Women's Ballon d'Or nominees

  1. Lucy Bronze (England and Lyon)

  2. Pernille Harder (Denmark and Wolfsburg)

  3. Ada Hegerberg (Norway and Lyon)

  4. Amandine Henry (France and Lyon)

  5. Lindsey Horan (USA and Portland Thorns FC)

  6. Sam Kerr (Australia and Chicago Red Stars)

  7. Fran Kirby (England and Chelsea)

  8. Saki Kumagai (Japan and Lyon)

  9. Dzsenifer Marozsan (Germany and Lyon)

  10. Amel Majri (France and Lyon)

  11. Marta (Brazil and Orlando Pride)

  12. Lieke Martens (Netherlands and Brazil)

  13. Megan Rapinoe (USA and Seattle Reign FC)

  14. Wendie Renard (France and Lyon)

  15. Christine Sinclair (Canada and Portland Thorns FC)

Kopa Trophy nominees

  1. Houssem Aouar (France and Lyon)

  2. Trent Alexander-Arnold (England and Liverpool)

  3. Patrick Cutrone (Italy and AC Milan)

  4. Ritsu Doan (Japan and Groningen)

  5. Gianluigi Donnarumma (Italy and AC Milan)

  6. Amadou Haidara (Mali and Red Bull Salzburg)

  7. Justin Kluivert (Netherlands and Roma)

  8. Kylian Mbappe (France and PSG)

  9. Christian Pulisic (USA and BVB)

  10. Rodrygo (Brazil and Santos)