Luis Figo: Sergio Ramos deserves to win the Ballon d'Or Real Madrid Portuguese icon takes stock of current situation in Madrid

Luka Modric took home the Ballon d'Or for 2018 after helping Croatia to the World Cup final, but Luis Figo believes that Sergio Ramos also deserves to win the top individual prize.

The defender captained Real Madrid to their third successive Champions League in Kiev, although he was also present for Spain's disappointing World Cup campaign in Russia.

The former Los Blancos star believes that the defender is worthy of winning the award but that defenders have to do more in order to be considered serious candidates.

"It's clear that Sergio Ramos deserves to win the Ballon d'Or," Figo explained in an exclusive interview with MARCA.

"Being a defender is almost like being a goalkeeper, it's a lot more difficult to win the award, but Cannavaro managed it.

"It depends on the moment, on the year, but for quality alone it's obvious that Ramos should win it."

Figo's own career saw him represent a number of exceptional clubs and work with fantastic coaches, including Johan Cruyff, Jose Mourinho and Vicente del Bosque, however he values the influence the Dutchman had on him.

"I have had the sheer good fortune to work with Cruyff," he admitted.

"He was a master in terms of philosophy and great for me to learn from.

"Queiroz was my coach with the national team, but with other teams I worked with Del Bosque and Mourinho, it's difficult to choose between them as they were all important to me."

However, despite the Portuguese winger's incredible career, he will be forever tied to one of the more controversial incidents in Spanish football's history.

He abandoned Barcelona to join Real Madrid at the turn of the millennium and was then forced to endure an awfully heated atmosphere upon his return to the Camp Nou, something which he regrets.

"When you make a chance you always think it will be for the best," he intimated.

"I was looking for recognition and trying to improve in every facet, economically, prestige wise and with titles.

"When I signed for Inter it was simply about looking for football happiness."