The Best FIFA Awards 2018 has arrived in London with a glittering ceremony and numerous awards to celebrate the very best in the game.
After Real Madrid’s Champions League glory over Liverpool in the final, there was the World Cup, with France edging out Croatia in the final in Russia.
Luka Modric beat Cristiano Ronaldo and Mohamed Salah to the top prize.
“It is a great honour and a beautiful feeling to stand here with this amazing trophy. First of all, I would like to congratulate Mohamed and Cristiano.
“I am sure in the future you will have another opportunity to fight for this trophy.
“This award is not just mine. It is my teammates from Real Madrid and Croatia. Without my coaches, I would not have won this. Without my family, I would not be the player I am today.
“Thanks to my fans for all the great support and love they are showing me. It means a lot. Thanks to those who voted for me.
“I would just like to mention my footballing idol and former 1998 Croatia captain. He was my big inspiration and that team gave us believe we could create something in Russia.
“This award shows that we can all become the best with hard work and dedication. All your dreams can come true.”
There was some consolation for Salah, who had earlier picked up the Puskas Award for the season’s best goal, his stunning strike in the Merseyside derby at Anfield when Gareth Bale’s superb Champions League final volley had been widely tipped to win it.
The ceremony in London (Image: FIFA/Getty Images)
France’s World Cup-winning boss Didier Deschamps claimed the coach of the year title ahead of Croatia’s Zlatko Dalic and Zinedine Zidane, formerly of Real.
Deschamps said: “We all know that being a coach, alone we can’t do anything, 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.”
Brazil’s Marta collected her sixth women’s player of the year award, but her first since 2010 after finishing as runner-up on three occasions during the intervening years, while former Chelsea keeper Thibaut Courtois was named goalkeeper of the year.
Here are the winners of all the awards from London:
Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) vs Everton
Nominees: Gareth Bale (Real Madrid), Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Lionel Messi (Argentina)
Didier Deschamps (France)
Nominees: Didier Deschamps (France), Zinedine Zidane (Real Madrid) and Zlatko Dalic (Croatia)
Thibaut Courtois (Chelsea/Real Madrid/Belgium)
Nominees: Thibaut Courtois (Chelsea/Real Madrid/Belgium), Kasper Schmeichel (Leicester City/Denmark) and Hugo Lloris (Tottenham/France)
Reynald Pedros (Lyon)
Nominees: Sarina Wiegman (Netherlands), Asako Takakura (Japan), Reynald Pedros (Lyon)
Peru fans
Nominees: Sebastian Carrera, Japan and Senegal fans, Peru fans
Lennart Thy
David de Gea (Manchester United)
Dani Alves (Paris Saint-Germain)
Raphael Varane (Real Madrid)
Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid)
Marcelo (Real Madrid)
Luka Modric (Real Madrid)
N’Golo Kante (Chelsea)
Eden Hazard (Chelsea)
Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain)
Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus)
Marta (Orlando Pride/Brazil)
Nominees: Ada Hegerberg, Dzsenifer Marozsan and Marta
Luka Modric (Real Madrid/Croatia)
Nominees: Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid/Juventus/Portugal), Mohamed Salah (Liverpool/Egypt) and Luka Modric (Real Madrid/Croatia)
A recent survey by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has highlighted the severe…
US car giant Ford on Wednesday announced 4,000 more job cuts in Europe, mostly in…
President Bola Tinubu has approved the dissolution of the Governing Council of Nnamdi Azikiwe…
The Ekiti State Government has reached an agreement with labour leaders in the state,…
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has initiated the seventh…
Iraq is holding its first nationwide census in nearly four decades this week, a long-awaited…