Cristiano Ronaldo makes it to the FIFA Best player of the year, this excludes his strong competitor, Messi. However, Mohamed Salah and Luka Modric have been named on the shortlist.
This is the first time in 12 years that Lionel Messi has failed to make the cut. This will be the first time, Luka Modric will make the shortlist for the FIFA Best award. However, his name listed isn’t surprising to many considering the fact that the Croatia hitman helped Real Madrid to a third-straight Champions League title in May and was able to carry his team strong at the World Cup.
Modric won the FIFA World Cup Golden Ball as the best player of the tournament and was named the UEFA Men’s Player of the Year a few week’s later.
Mohamed Salah also made his debut on the shortlist for the first time. Salah got there based on the 32 goals he scored in the Premier League for Liverpool last season (44 in all competitions). Although Liverpool reached the final against Madrid, he was was forced off early after injuring his shoulder following a challenge from Sergio Ramos.
Cristiano Ronaldo (above, middle), who has won the award five times since 2008, was the top scorer in the Champions League, leading Real Madrid to a third-straight European title, their fourth in five years – before leaving for Juventus in the summer.
