Best Fifa Football Awards 2018: Luka Modric named men's player of the year as Ronaldo and Messi fail to show up

Luka Modric was named Best Fifa Footballer of the Year in a London ceremony noted as much for the the players in absentia as the awards. 

The Croatian beat Mohamed Salah and Cristiano Ronaldo to become the first player other than Ronaldo and Lionel Messi to win since Kaka in 2007. 

Though Modric was keen to avoid any debate over former teammate Ronaldo, he did say both his and Messi's absence from the ceremony was noted. "I don't want to enter into the debate of whether it is deserved or not, I just want to thank all the people that voted for me for their support.

"Everyone has their own reasons. Obviously I would have liked them to be here but they aren't."

Real Madrid teammate Sergio Ramos also made mention of the two superstars skipping the event. “He (Modric) is a good player, colleague and friend, but it would have been good for Cris and Leo to be here,” he said. 

“I am as happy as if I had won it. (Modric) deserves it, he is an excellent player and has marked an important era in the history of Real Madrid.”