FIFA The Best Men's Player: Ronaldo, Modric, Salah nominated; Messi misses out

For the first time since 2006, Lionel Messi will not feature in the top three nominations for FIFA's best men's player of the year award. The fans of the Argentine and Barcelona forward were in for a shock when the global football governing body announced the finalists of The Best FIFA Men's Player Award—Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric and Mohamed Salah.

Football fans took to Twitter to express their reactions to the 31-year-old's exclusion from the top three. While many were shocked by Messi failing to make the cut, several others reasoned that Ronaldo, Modric and Salah had indeed performed better than Messi over the past one year.

Messi was runner-up for the prestigious prize in 2007 and 2008 before winning it for the first of five successive years in 2009. His absence from the shortlist paves the way for Ronaldo, also a five-time winner of the award, to improve upon their head-to-head record.

Portugal forward Ronaldo lifted a fourth Champions League title with Real Madrid in five years in May before joining Italian champions Juventus in July.

The 33-year-old won the player of the year crown in 2008, 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017.

Modric, who too was part of Real Madrid's Champions League triumph, finished runner-up with Croatia at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. The 32-year-old won the Golden Ball for the best player at the tournament ahead of the likes of the World Cup-winning French trio of Antoine Griezmann, Paul Pogba and Kylian Mbappe.

Liverpool and Egypt forward Salah enjoyed a stellar first season with Liverpool as his 44 goals propelled Jurgen Klopp's side to the Champions League final.

France's World Cup-winning manager Didier Deschamps, Zlatko Dalic and Zinedine Zidane were nominated as the finalists for FIFA's coach of the year award.

Deschamps became just the third man to win the World Cup as a player and coach, while Zidane led Real Madrid to a third consecutive Champions League win in May before abruptly stepping down.

The best goalkeeper prize is to be contested by Tottenham and France's Hugo Lloris, Denmark and Leicester's Kasper Schmeichel and Belgium and Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.

The 10 nominees for the Puskas Award for best goal include Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale's stunning overhead kick in the Champions League final against Liverpool and Ronaldo's superb bicycle kick against Juventus, scored while he was still with Real Madrid.

Norway and Lyon's Ada Hegerberg, Dzsenifer Marozsan of Germany and Lyon, and five-time winner Marta, of Brazil and Orlando Pride, have been shortlisted for the women's prize.

(With PTI inputs)