Luka Modric was named the world’s best male player at the Best Fifa Football Awards in London.
The Real Madrid midfielder, 33, beat former team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo, now with Juventus, and Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah to the award.
Modric won his third Champions League title in a row in May and guided Croatia to their first World Cup final in July.
Highlights of tonight’s ceremony will be on BBC One at 22:45 BST.
Brazil and Orlando Pride forward Marta won the best female player award, while France’s Didier Deschamps – whose side beat Modric’s Croatia 4-2 in the World Cup final – was named best men’s coach.
Salah received the Puskas award for the best goal, for his effort against Everton in the Premier League at Anfield last December.
What’s the difference between the Ballon d’Or and Best Fifa?
This is the third edition of the Best Fifa Football Awards, set up after Fifa ended its association with the Ballon d’Or award.
A version of the Ballon d’Or has been awarded by France Football magazine since 1956, but was merged with Fifa’s World Footballer of the Year award from 2010 to 2015.
Football’s world governing body then introduced the Best Fifa Football Awards, with Portugal international Ronaldo the first recipient of its main prize in January 2017.
Voting for the player and coach categories was conducted by national team captains and managers, selected journalists and, for the first time, an online poll of fans. Each accounted for 25% of the total.
Best Fifa men’s player – Luka Modric
Luka Modric ended Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi’s dominance of the best individual accolades in world football, which had stretched back to 2007, when Kaka won the Ballon d’Or.
Modric made 56 appearances for club and country as he won the Champions League and reached the World Cup final, in what he admitted was his “best ever” before the ceremony.
Best Fifa women’s player – Marta
Brazil and Orlando Pride forward Marta won the award for the best female player for the sixth time.
She led Brazil to the Copa America in April, as they won all seven matches – although she only scored one of their 31 goals.
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.
Fifpro World XI
Fifa made five changes to the side selected in 2017.
Kylian Mbappe, 19, was rewarded with a place in the side after winning the award for the best young player at this summer’s World Cup for his impressive performances for France.
There was also room for Chelsea and Belgium forward Eden Hazard, and his club mate N’Golo Kante, while Manchester United’s David de Gea was named in goal and Real Madrid’s Raphael Varane took his place in the heart of the defence.
Best men’s coach – Didier Deschamps
France’s Didier Deschamps won the award for the best men’s coach in 2018.
The former Marseille, Juventus and Chelsea midfielder captained his country as they won the World Cup in 1998, before guiding them to victory again in Russia in July.
Deschamps won the trophy ahead of former club and international team-mate Zinedine Zidane – who won his third successive Champions League title before resigning as Real Madrid manager – and Croatia manager Zlatko Dalic, whose side lost to France in a thrilling final in Moscow.
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Enock Mugabi aka iWitness is a Journalist, Seasoned Writer and Music Analyst with a passion for sports.
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