Modric wins FIFA men's footballer of the year player, with Marta, Salah and Deschamps winning other awards

Luka Modric has won FIFA's men's footballer of the year award after helping Real Madrid to win the Champions League and Croatia to reach the World Cup final.

The Croatian has ended the duoploy of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi who have shared the top player award over the past decade.

He is the first player other than Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi to win the Fifa award since Kaká in 2007.

“It’s a great honour and a beautiful feeling to stand here with this amazing trophy,” Modric said.

The stars come out for the Fifa football awards 2018 in London – in pictures

“This trophy is not just mine, it’s for all my Real Madrid team-mates, for all my team-mates from the Croatia national team, for all the coaches that I have played for,” he added. “Without them this would not be possible and thank you a lot to them. This trophy is also for my family, without whom I would not be the player and person that I am.”

Modric beat Ronaldo and Salah in the voting for the best player over the past season, who has been the creativity in midfield for club and country.

While he has not been among the top scorers, it has been his overall contribution that has seen him take home the prize and the way that he has been able to finish above Ronaldo and Messi is a special feat.

Marta was named the Fifa women’s player of the year for the sixth time but the first time since 2010. The 32-year-old currently plays for the US side Orlando Pride and beat Olympique Lyonnais pair Ada Hegerberg and Dzsenifer Marozsán.

“This means so much but it is not only about me. It is about my team-mates and women’s football,” Marta said at the ceremony. “Most importantly, it is good to see women’s soccer grow each year. If I keep doing well and that can help off the field too, then I am happy.”

Salah won the Puskás award for the year’s best goal, for his strike against Everton in December, while France’s Didier Deschamps was named coach of the year at the Royal Festival Hall.

“We all know that being a coach, alone we can’t do anything,” Deschamps said. “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.”

~ Marca/Guardian