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Ronaldo, Modric, Salah nominated for FIFA best player award; Messi ignored

Cristiano Ronaldo will battle former Real Madrid teammate Luka Modric and Liverpool's Mohamed Salah for FIFA men's world player of the year award.

By Aravind
(From left) Luka Modric, Cristiano Ronaldo and Mohamed Salah (Image: Twitter)

Zurich, September 3: Cristiano Ronaldo will again battle former Real Madrid teammate Luka Modric and Liverpool's Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah to secure a sixth FIFA men's world player of the year award.

While Ronaldo was honoured with the title last year, rival Lionel Messi, who has dominated the award along with Ronaldo over the past decade, has been omitted from the shortlist after featuring in the top three for 11 straight years.

Ronaldo, who like Messi is a five-time winner of the award, lifted his third straight Champions League title with Real before moving to Serie A champions Juventus in the summer transfer window.

Modric, on the other hand, was instrumental in Real Madrid's UCL campaign. That apart, the dimunitive midfielder led his country Croatia to the final of the FIFA World Cup 2018 in Russia, before losing to France 4-2.

Salah, meanwhile, joined Liverpool from AS Roma last season and scored goal after goal for the Reds. He helped his team reach the final of the Champions League. But in the final in Kiev, he suffered an injury in the first half after a rough tackle by Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos and saw his team lose 1-3.

FIFA also announced nominations for other awards. The managers of the two World Cup finallists - France's Didier Deschamps and Croatia's Zlatko Dalic - lead the shortlist. The third name in the list is that of Zinedine Zidane, who quit as Real Madrid coach after leading them to their third straight Champions League victory.

Deschamps is only the third man to win the World Cup both as a player and coach. Dalic's Croatia defied the odds and favourites to make it to the final in Moscow.

It's certain that there will be a different FIFA women's player of the year. Lyon duo Ada Hegerberg and Dzsenifer Maroszan, who both won the UEFA Women's Champions League, have both been nominated alongside Brazil's triumphant Copa America captain Marta.

All the awards be handed out on September 24 in front of football's biggest names amongst the impressive surroundings of London's Royal Festival Hall. FIFA will also name a World XI on the same day.


The nominations:

Men's Player: Cristiano Ronaldo (POR/Juventus, formerly Real Madrid), Luka Modric (CRO/Real Madrid), Mohamed Salah (EGY/Liverpool)

Women's Player: Ada Hegerberg (NOR/Olympique Lyon), Dzsenifer Marozsan (GER/Olympique Lyon), Marta (BRA/Orlando Pride)

Men's Coach: Zlatko Dalic (CRO), Didier Deschamps (FRA), Zinedine Zidane (formerly Real Madrid)

Women's Coach: Reynald Pedros (Olympique Lyon), Asako Takakura (JPN), Sarina Wiegman (NED)

Goalkeeper: Thibaut Courtois (BEL/Real Madrid, formerly Chelsea), Hugo Lloris (FRA/Tottenham Hotspur), Kasper Schmeichel (DEN/Leicester City)

Puskas Award: Gareth Bale (Real Madrid), Denis Cheryshev (Russia), Lazaros Christodoulopoulos (AEK Athens), Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Giorgian de Arrascaeta (Cruzeiro), Riley McGree (Newcastle Jets), Lionel Messi (Argentina), Benjamin Pavard (France), Ricardo Quaresma (Portugal), Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)

Fan Award: Sebastián Carrera (CD Puerto Montt), Japan and Senegal supporters, Peru supporters


(With agency inputs)

Story first published: Monday, September 3, 2018, 19:31 [IST]
Other articles published on Sep 3, 2018