ZURICH: Luka Modric could become the first player since Kaka in 2007 to break the Ronaldo/Messi command of the FIFA prize for the world’s top male footballer writes KEIR RADNEDGE.

Croatia’s captain, whose leadership of the World Cup runners-up and achievements with Real Madrid earned him the UEFA European federation prize last week, is one of the trio of nominees for this year’s FIFA award. For once Barcelona and Argentina’s Messi is not in the three-man shortlist.

The winners of all the annual FIFA prizes will be announced at London’s Royal Festival Hall on September 24.

The shortlisted candidates are:

Best FIFA Men’s Player:

  • Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal/Juventus FC, formerly Real Madrid CF)
  • Luka Modrić (Croatia/Real Madrid CF)
  • Mohamed Salah (Egypt/Liverpool FC)

Best FIFA Women’s Player:

  • Ada Hegerberg (Norway/Olympique Lyonnais)
  • Dzsenifer Marozsán (Germany/Olympique Lyonnais)
  • Marta (Brazil/Orlando Pride)

Best FIFA Men’s Coach: 

  • Zlatko Dalić (Croatia/Croatia national team)
  • Didier Deschamps (France/France national team)
  • Zinédine Zidane (France/formerly Real Madrid CF)

Best FIFA Women’s Coach: 

  • Reynald Pedros (France/Olympique Lyonnais)
  • Asako Takakura (Japan/Japan national team)
  • Sarina Wiegman (Netherlands/Netherlands national team)

Best FIFA Goalkeeper: 

  • Thibaut Courtois (Belgium/Real Madrid CF, formerly Chelsea FC)
  • Hugo Lloris (France/Tottenham Hotspur FC)
  • Kasper Schmeichel (Denmark/Leicester City FC)

FIFA Puskás Award: 

  • Gareth Bale (Real Madrid CF) – v. Liverpool FC
  • Denis Cheryshev (Russia) – v. Croatia
  • Lazaros Christodoulopoulos (AEK FC) – v. Olympiacos FC
  • Giorgian De Arrascaeta (Cruzeiro) – v. América MG
  • Riley McGree (Newcastle Jets FC) – v. Melbourne City FC
  • Lionel Messi (Argentina) – v. Nigeria
  • Benjamin Pavard (France) – v. Argentina
  • Ricardo Quaresma (Portugal) – v. IR Iran
  • Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid CF) – v. Juventus FC
  • Mohamed Salah (Liverpool FC) – v. Everton FC

FIFA Fan Award: 

  • Sebastián Carrera (Deportes Puerto Montt, Chile)
  • Peru fans
  • Japan and Senegal fans

The winner of The Best FIFA Goalkeeper Award will be chosen by a specialist panel, while the winners of The Best FIFA Men’s Player, Women’s Player, Men’s Coach and Women’s Coach awards will be determined by the following votes:

• 25% from national team coaches
• 25% from national team captains
• 25% from select media representatives
• 25% online vote

The voting for the FIFA Puskás Award and the FIFA Fan Award is done entirely by the general public, and is now open at www.FIFA.com.

The voting procedure for each of the awards will be supervised and monitored by an independent observer, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Switzerland.

The FIFA FIFPro World11 shortlist of 55 players will be announced on September 10.

################