Luka Modric did what many thought was impossible before Monday – end Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi’s decade-long domination of football’s individual awards. The Croatia captain was crowned Fifa’s best player of the year, an award voted for by international team captains and coaches.

The midfielder starred for both club and country as Real Madrid won a third straight Champions League and Croatia reached the World Cup final for the first time.

At 33, Croatia’s run to the final was the culmination of a brilliant career for Modric that had often been overshadowed by Ronaldo’s goalscoring in their time together at Madrid.

At the World Cup, Modric scored twice and also netted in penalty shootout wins over Denmark and Russia, but it was his playmaking ability that caught the eye in winning the Golden Ball for the best player at the World Cup.

Congratulations poured in

Deserving player to end Messi-Ronaldo duopoly

But Messi Ronaldo always dominate the spotlight!

Finally..