Live Best Fifa Football Awards 2018: Luka Modric beats Cristiano Ronaldo and Mo Salah to be named men's player of the year
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2018/09/24/best-fifa-football-awards-2018-live-updates-including-luka-modric/
Luka Modric was named Best Fifa Men's Footballer of the Year at a ceremony in London, beating Mohamed Salah and an absentee Cristiano Ronaldo to the top prize.
Ronaldo had won the award for the last two years, but Modric's exceptional 2017/18 season was deemed to have surpassed the Portuguese's dominance.
The 33-year-old Croatian won his third Champions League trophy with Real Madrid in May and led his national side to their first World Cup final in Russia, where he was awarded the Golden Ball for his outstanding individual performance.
Afterwards Modric dedicated the award to his Croatian and Madrid teammates.
"It's a great honour and beautiful feeling to stand here with this trophy," he said.
"This trophy is not just mine. It is for my Real Madrid team-mates, the Croatia national team and all my coaches. This is also for my family, without who I would not be the player I am."
Voted for by national team coaches and captains, select members of the media and an online vote, the win shows a shift from Lionel Messi and Ronaldo sharing the spoils for the past decade of Fifa individual awards.
Messi's omission from the category altogether garnered particular attention ahead of this, the third edition of The Best awards, which were created after Fifa's six-year partnership with the Ballon d'Or ended in 2015.
Barcelona's talisman was however included in Fifa's team of the year, the Fifpro World XI, as were David de Gea, Dani Alves, Raphael Varane, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo, Modric, N'Golo Kante, Eden Hazard, Kylian Mbappe, and Ronaldo. Meanwhile, Salah was handed a consolation prize for his record-breaking season with Liverpool, taking home the Fifa Puskas award for his goal in the Merseyside derby.
Other winners included Thibaut Courtois for Best Goalkeeper, Brazilian and Orlando Pride player Marta was named Best Women's Player.
Best Men's Coach went to French national team coach Didier Deschamps, and Reynald Pedros won the Best Women's Coach award for his work leading Lyon to their fifth Champions League title. The Fifa Fan Award went to Peru's supporters after the country appeared at a World Cup for the first time in 36 years with Germany's Lennart Thy winning the Fifa Fair Play Award.
Fifa Fifpro World11 (minus two)
As I said earlier, there was a bit of an awkward group photo moment with Idris Elba and the players earlier. Here is the result of it. No doubt there will be some who think Mohamed Salah should be on stage there too.
Congratulations Modric
Modric reacts
It's a great honour and beautiful feeling to stand here with this trophy.
I would like to give congratulations to Mohamed and Cristiano for the great season that they had. I am sure in the future you will have another opportunity to fight for this.
This trophy is not just mine. It is for my Real Madrid team-mates, the Croatia national team and all my coaches. This is also for my family, without who I would not be the player I am.
The Best Fifa Men's Player - Luka Modric
Luka Modric wins the men's player of the year award
The Best Fifa Men's Player...
Almost time for the biggest award of the night. Ronaldo will not be picking up the award in person if he wins, but Modric or Salah are there tonight at the Royal Festival Hall. Can either of them break up the Ronaldo-Messi strangehold? The Best Fifa Women's Player - Marta
Ada Hegerberg (Lyon & Norway)
Dzsenifer Marozsan (Lyon & Germany)
Marta (Orlando Pride & Brazil)
Last year it was Barcelona's Dutch midfielder who took home the award. In 2018, it is Marta who is crowned the best Fifa Women's Player.
Her cause was helped by 13 goals and six assists in helping Orlando Pride to NWSL play-offs. She also captained Brazil to Copa America Femenina title, winning all seven games at the finals.
It's an emotional speech from the Brazilian.
Two more awards to go
It's the best men's and best women's player awards left now, starting with the latter.
No place for Salah
Liverpool's Mohammed Salah does not make the cut for the dream team. No British players either. At least they were spared that awkward selfie on stage with Idris Elba I guess.
Luka Modrić wins…….
https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/fifa-best-awards-2018-live-luka-modric-wins-best-player-ahead-of-mo-salah-and-cristiano-ronaldo-a3943791.html
FIFA Best Awards 2018: Luka Modric wins Men's Player of the Year to bring Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi's decade of dominance to an end
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-6203061/Best-Fifa-Football-Awards-2018-Didier-Deschamps-wins-Coach-Year.html
REVEALED: Didier Deschamps voted for three French World Cup winners while Lionel Messi gave rival Cristiano Ronaldo a surprise nomination in FIFA Best Men's Player of the Year award
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-6203437/FIFA-Best-awards-vote-Mens-Player-Year-revealed.html