Ballon d´Or: Buffon fourth as Mbappe storms into top 10

Gianluigi Buffon finished fourth in the 2017 Ballon d’Or vote as 18-year-old Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe breached the top 10.

Juventus star Buffon was rewarded for his role in his side’s run to the Champions League final, although Real Madrid – inspired by Luka Modric and captain Sergio Ramos, in at 5 and 6 – prevented the goalkeeping great from finally lifting Europe’s top prize.

Italy’s failure to qualify for next year’s World Cup did not impact the voting, the veteran just missing out on the top three.

At the other end of the age scale, teenager Mbappe’s rise to superstardom continues as he took seventh place.

France forward Mbappe had scored just seven club career goals prior to this calendar year, but his outstanding form in 2017 inspired Monaco to the Ligue 1 title and the Champions League semi-finals before making his big move to PSG, where a partnership with world-record signing Neymar has blossomed.

Mbappe’s performances justified a spot above international colleague N’Golo Kante, who won a second consecutive Premier League title, while prolific goalscorers Robert Lewandowski and Harry Kane completed the top 10.

My bro @neymarjr pic.twitter.com/x6vtR6vPgq

— Kylian Mbappé (@KMbappe) November 18, 2017

Here is a complete rundown of places 4-10 in the Ballon d’Or voting:

4. Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus); 5. Luka Modric (Real Madrid); 6. Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid) ; 7. Kylian Mbappe (PSG); 8. N’Golo Kante (Chelsea); 9. Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich); 10. Harry Kane (Tottenham).