Cesc Fabregas changed his mind on who should win the Ballon d'Or this season after the Champions League final, suggesting Thibaut Courtois would be handed the crown - but his prediction was wide of the mark.
The Belgian shot-stopper finished seventh in the individual rankings behind the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Mohamed Salah, Kylian Mbappe and winner Karim Benzema – his Real Madrid teammate, who claimed his maiden crown.
Courtois, a former Chelsea teammate of Fabregas, was left fuming after the event, hinting that a goalkeeper could not win the accolade. The shot-stopper was the man of the match in the Champions League final, as he kept a clean sheet in the win over Liverpool – making a string of world-class saves.
