FIFA Best Awards LIVE: Follow the FIFA Best Awards live (Image: GETTY)
FIFA are hosting their annual ‘Best Awards’ tonight in London as Ronaldo, Salah and Modric face off for the main award.
A total of nine awards will be handed out through the evening at the Royal Festival Hall on the Southbank.
Real Madrid midfielder Modric is the favourite for the top gong after winning the Champions League and reaching the World Cup final.
The Croatia star, 33, impressed in Russia and through the whole of last season as Madrid won the Champions League for third year in a row.
Peru fans win for World Cup adventure
Peru fans have been voted the best for their showing at the World Cup.
The South Americans trekked to Russia to see their team give their all and come away with loads of credit.
They lost to Denmark and France, both 1-0, before beating Australia 2-0 in their final game.
Lennart Thy picks up the award for FIFA Fair Play.
‘Don’t look back in anger’…
Noel Gallagher is on stage doing ‘his thing’ as the awards take a break.
We needed that. They were coming fast and furious.
So far Salah looks to have stolen his award but Courtois looks good value for his.
Fans on Twitter weren’t sure about the Salah decision…
(Image: Twitter)
Courtois up next
Thibaut Courtois takes goalkeeper of the year.
The Real Madrid man, who joined from Chelsea this summer, accepted his award after beating Hugo Lloris and Kasper Schmeichel.
The Best Women’s coach award goes to Lyon boss Reynald Pedros.
Lyon won the Champions League again this season.
FIFA Best Awards: Thibaut Courtois won the goalkeeper of the year award (Image: REUTERS)
Deschamps named top boss
Didier Deschamps beats fellow Frenchman Zinedine Zidane to the Coach of the Year.
The World Cup winner collected the gong from Arsene Wenger
He thanks his boss, the president of the French Federation…
First award goes to… Mohamed Salah
Liverpool star Mohamed Salah wins the Puskas Award for the best goal of the year.
He beats the likes of Gareth Bale and Benjamin Pavard to the gong to the surprise of many.
It was Salah’s goal against Everton that took the award.
Salah gave a small acceptance speech but said little of interest.
FIFA Best Awards: Mohamed Salah collects the first award of the night (Image: EPA)
Here we go…
Idris Elba is leading proceedings as we get underway in London for the FIFA Best Awards.
The nine awards will be handed out through the night with Luka Modric expected to take the big one.
The Croatian got to the World Cup final and won the Champions League.
Cristiano Ronaldo has stayed away suggesting he has not won. Mohamed Salah is there though…
Fifa Best Awards: Idris Elba is hosting tonight’s show on Sky Sports (Image: GETTY)
FIFA Best Awards LIVE updates – Follow the latest
No small talk for Salah
Mohamed Salah snubbed Sky presenter Kelly Cates on his way into the awards.
Cates asked for a moment of Salah’s time on his way in on the green carpet.
But he shook Gary Neville’s hand and walked straight by.
Must be eager to check out the free food on offer tonight…
FIFA Best Awards: Gary Neville and Kelly Cates present the show on Sky (Image: Sky Sports)
FIFA Best Awards: Mohamed Salah shakes hand with Gary Neville (Image: Sky Sports)
FIFA Best Awards: Mohamed Salah moves straight passed Neville and Cates on the green carpet (Image: Sky Sports)
(Image: The Best Twitter)
Hazard a guess…
Eden Hazard has his say on the voting for tonight.
“I vote for Modric, but for me, Mo Salah is my friend, so I want him to win,” he said on arrival.
The Chelsea has started the season like a house on fire after an excellent World Cup.
Maybe he’s thinking about being in the running next year.
FIFA Best Awards: Eden Hazard rocking a maroon jacket (Image: AFP)
Some big names have walked along the *GREEN* carpet tonight for the FIFA award show.
Dani Alves, Arsene Wenger, Fabio Capello, Gianni Infantino, Roberto Martinez, Nwankwo Kanu, Clint Dempsey. The A-LIST.
It should prove to be an interesting night. Modric won the World Cup’s best player award despite being beaten in the final and is the hot favourite tonight.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Mohamed Salah are the other options but all signs point towards Modric for the time being.
FIFA Best Awards: Dani Alves arrives in London for the award show (Image: REUTERS)
FIFA Best Awards: Alex Scott is in the house tonight to support the show (Image: GETTY)
FIFA Best Awards: Nwankou Kanu arrived at the Royal Festival Hall for the Awards (Image: REUTERS)
Categories
Who could win the awards?
The Best Fifa Men’s Player
Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus & Portugal)
Luka Modric (Real Madrid & Croatia)
Mohamed Salah (Liverpool & Egypt)
The Best Fifa Women’s Player
Ada Hegerberg (Lyon & Norway)
Dzsenifer Marozsan (Lyon & Germany)
Marta (Orlando Pride & Brazil)
Fifa Best Awards: Luka Modric is the big favourite for the main award (Image: GETTY)
The Best Fifa Men’s Coach
Zlatko Dalic (Croatia)
Didier Deschamps (France)
Zinedine Zidane (Real Madrid)
The Best Fifa Women’s Coach
Reynald Pedros (Lyon)
Asako Takakura (Japan)
Sarina Wiegman (Netherlands)
The Fifa Puskas Award
Gareth Bale (Real Madrid vs Liverpool)
Denis Cheryshev (Russia vs Croatia)
Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid vs Juventus)
Lazaros Christodoulopoulos (AEK vs Olympiakos)
Giorgian De Arrascaeta (Cruzeiro vs America MG)
Riley McGree (Newcastle Jets vs Melbourne City)
Lionel Messi (Argentina vs Nigeria, World Cup)
Benjamin Pavard (France vs Argentina, World Cup)
Ricardo Quaresma (Portugal vs Iran, World Cup)
Mohamed Salah (Liverpool vs Everton)
Fifa Best Awards: Gareth Bale could win the Puskas award for his Champions League final strike (Image: GETTY)
The Fifa Goalkeeper Award
Thibaut Courtois (Belgium & Real Madrid)
Kasper Schmeichel (Denmark & Leicester)
Hugo Lloris (France & Tottenham)
The Fifa Fan Award
Sebastian Carrera, Coquimbo Unido – Chilean Primea B
Japan and Senegal supporters – World Cup
Peru supporters – World Cup
Fifa Fifpro World11
Goalkeepers (5): Gianluigi Buffon (Italy/Paris Saint-Germain/Juventus FC), Thibaut Courtois (Belgium/Real Madrid CF/Chelsea FC), David De Gea (Spain/Manchester United FC), Keylor Navas (Costa Rica/Real Madrid CF), Marc-André ter Stegen (Germany/FC Barcelona).
Defenders (20): Jordi Alba (Spain/FC Barcelona), Daniel Carvajal (Spain/Real Madrid CF), Giorgio Chiellini (Italy/Juventus), Dani Alves (Brazil/Paris Saint-Germain), Diego Godin (Uruguay/Atletico Madrid), Mats Hummels (Germany/FC Bayern Munich), Joshua Kimmich (Germany/FC Bayern Munich) Dejan Lovren (Croatia/Liverpool), Marcelo (Brazil/Real Madrid CF), Yerry Mina (Colombia/Everton/FC Barcelona), Benjamin Pavard (France/VfB Stuttgart), Gerard Pique (Spain/FC Barcelona), Sergio Ramos (Spain/Real Madrid CF), Thiago Silva (Brazil/Paris Saint-Germain), Kieran Trippier (England/Tottenham Hotspur), Samuel Umtiti (France/FC Barcelona), Virgil van Dijk (Netherlands/Liverpool), Raphael Varane (France/Real Madrid CF), Sime Vrsaljko (Croatia/Internazionale/Atletico Madrid), Kyle Walker (England/Manchester City).
Midfielders (15): Sergio Busquets (Spain/FC Barcelona), Casemiro (Brazil/Real Madrid CF), Philippe Coutinho (Brazil/FC Barcelona), Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium/Manchester City), Eden Hazard (Belgium, Chelsea), Andres Iniesta (Spain/Vissel Kobe/FC Barcelona), Isco (Spain/Real Madrid CF), N’Golo Kante (France/Chelsea), Toni Kroos (Germany/Real Madrid CF), Nemanja Matic (Serbia/Manchester United FC), Luka Modric (Croatia/Real Madrid CF), Paul Pogba (France/Manchester United), Ivan Rakitic (Croatia/FC Barcelona), David Silva (Spain/Manchester City), Arturo Vidal (Chile/FC Barcelona/FC Bayern Munich).
Forwards (15): Karim Benzema (France/Real Madrid CF), Edinson Cavani (Uruguay/Paris Saint-Germain), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal/Juventus/Real Madrid CF), Paulo Dybala (Argentina/Juventus), Antoine Griezmann (France/Atletico Madrid), Harry Kane (England/Tottenham Hotspur), Robert Lewandowski (Poland/FC Bayern Munich), Romelu Lukaku (Belgium/Manchester United), Mario Mandzukic (Croatia/Juventus), Sadio Mane (Senegal/Liverpool), Kylian Mbappe (France/Paris Saint-Germain), Lionel Messi (Argentina/FC Barcelona), Neymar (Brazil/Paris Saint-Germain), Mohamed Salah (Egypt/Liverpool), Luis Suarez (Uruguay/FC Barcelona).
Fifa Best Awards: Thibaut Courtois is up for the top goalkeeper award (Image: GETTY)
How are the awards decided?
The FIFA Best Awards is FIFA’s version of the Ballon d’Or, but it relies on votes to pick the winners.
The vote is broken down into: 25% public, 25% to members of the world’s media, 25% to national team coaches, and 25% national team captains.
FIFA Best Awards: FIFA President Gianni Infantino before the start of the awards (Image: REUTERS)
FIFA Best Awards: Gareth Southgate arrives at the award show (Image: REUTERS)
Categories
The FIFA Best Awards covers nine different categories with the awards all to be handed out tonight – these are as follows.
The Best Fifa Men’s Player
The Best Fifa Women’s Player
The Best Fifa Men’s Coach
The Best Fifa Women’s Coach
The Best Fifa Goalkeeper
The Fifa Fair Play Award
The Fifa Puskás Award
The Fifa Fan Award
Fifa Fifpro World11
Welcome
Hello and welcome to the FIFA Best Awards.
Live TV coverage of the event begins at 7.30pm on Sky Sports but we’ll run you through the goings on before that gets underway.
Luka Modric remains favourite for the main award tonight as he heads the shortlist with Mohamed Salah and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Other awards on offer include the Puskas award for the best goal and the Coach of the year.