Modric, Marta crowned The Best in London

Luka Modric thanked his idol Zvonimir Boban on winning the Best FIFA Men’s Footballer of the Year for 2017/2018 after a great season with Real Madrid and a historic World Cup campaign with Croatia.

Liverpool supporters were stunned as Mohamed Salah came away with the Puskas prize at the Best FIFA Football Awards 2018.

In other awards, Thibaut Courtois from Belgium won goalkeeper of the year, Reynald Pedros best women’s coach and Marta women’s player of the year.

Marta won her sixth Federation Internationale de Football Association player of the year award, and her first since 2010, after leading Brazil to Copa America Femenina glory.

Marta scored 13 goals and set up six more as Orlando Pride reached the NWSL play-off semi-finals in the United States – earning herself a place in the league’s team of the year.

Yet it’s easy to wonder whether Ronaldo had learned of Modric’s success before the announcement and decided against attending, which was reportedly the case for last month’s UEFA’s award ceremony.

Salah’s teammate James Milner spoke for several fans with his take on the award.

The award for best women’s player went to Brazilian Marta, a runner-up in 2016 and five-time victor of the the award’s previous incarnation, the FIFA World Player of the Year.

But people were left bemused and furious by the verdict which saw Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo’s stunning overhead kicks in the Champions League for Real Madrid get overlooked.

Meanwhile, Didier Deschamps won Men’s Coach of the Year ahead of Croatia’s Zlatko Dalić and Zinedine Zidane.

“We are nothing without our players and I want to thank my whole team who worked to get me here and get me this trophy tonight”.

“I am as happy as if I had won it”, the defender said.