Portugal striker Cristiano Ronaldo, Croatia midfielder Luka Modric and Egypt star striker Mohamed Salah have made it into the final shortlist for the 2018 FIFA's Best Men's Player of the year award, previously known as the Ballon d'Or, world football's governing body announced on Monday.
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 03rd September, 2018) Portugal striker Cristiano Ronaldo, Croatia midfielder Luka Modric and Egypt star striker Mohamed Salah have made it into the final shortlist for the 2018 FIFA's Best Men's Player of the year award, previously known as the Ballon d'Or, world football's governing body announced on Monday.
All three players participated in this summer's FIFA World Cup in Russia, with Modric helping Croatia to go all the way to the final, where his team lost 4-2 to France, and winning the Golden Ball award as the tournament's best player.
Ronaldo, who had been playing for Real Madrid since 2009 before his sensational transfer to Italy's Juventus in July, bagged a hat-trick in Portugal's 3-3 draw against Spain at the World Cup and lifted his fourth Champions League trophy with Real last season. He has already won a total of five player of the year awards.
Argentine national team captain Lionel Messi, who also won the Ballon d'Or five times, has been left out from the final shortlist for the first time since 2006. Messi scored just one goal for Argentina at the World Cup but had helped Barcelona win both the Spanish La Liga and Copa del Rey.
Egypt's Salah delivered an impressive performance last season, scoring 44 goals for Liverpool in all competitions, but failed to advance to the World Cup knockout stage with his team.
The three finalists were chosen as a result of a vote held on FIFA's website among football fans, national team coaches, the team's captains and a group of journalists. The awards ceremony is set to take place in London on September 24.
