Croatia national team coach Zlatko Dalic on Saturday said that Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are the best players in the world, but 2018 is Real Madrid maestro Luka Modric‘s year.
Modric won the FIFA best player in the year award last week, beating Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo and Liverpool’s Muhammad Salah to the award.
His win was the first time in almost 10 years that neither Messi nor Ronaldo won the award. Moreover, it was a huge break through for midfielders across the world as it opened doors for others but forwards to win the award.
Speaking on Modric’s recent win, Dalic said that the Madrid star deserved to win the award. “He was the best player in Club World Cup in Abu Dhabi, was instrumental in Madrid’s Champions League victory and most of all, took Croatia to a World Cup final, where he was also named the best player,” the coach said during an interview with FIFA.
“Although Messi and Ronaldo are the best players in the world, 2018 is Luka’s year. He was our best player and deserves all the recognition,” Dalic added.
