Luka Modric reveals what Ronaldo told him after winning the UEFA Player of the Year award

A classy move from Ronny

Much was made of this year’s UEFA men’s Player of the Year gong, with Real Madrid and Croatia midfielder Luka Modric eventually picking up the coveted award after an incredible season for club and country.

First, there was a bit of a public outcry following UEFA’s decision to leave Lionel Messi off the three-man shortlist, as he lost out to Liverpool’s Mo Salah despite winning La Liga and finishing as the top goalscorer in Spain. In actual fact, he wasn’t even close to making the top three, placing fifth in voting behind Atletico Madrid’s Antoine Griezmann.

Then there was more of a personal grievance from superagent Jorge Mendes, the man who brokered Cristiano Ronaldo’s record-breaking move to Italian giants Juventus in the summer, who called it “shameful” that his client didn’t take home the award.

Ronaldo, meanwhile, reportedly ‘snubbed’ the ceremony itself, despite actually winning the prize for Best Attacker in the Champions League at the event in Monaco.

Along with Messi, he’s had to attend practically every football award ceremony for the last decade. I mean, come on. Give him a break.

Whilst it was easy to interpret Ronaldo’s no-show as an act of defiance at the outcome of the voting, it appears that – shock – Cristiano might not actually be the monster he is made out to be, and actually sent his former teammate of six years a rather lovely text message to congratulate him on the well-deserved recognition.

Modric spoke Portuguese TV channel RTP3 after Croatia’s friendly with Portugal ended in a draw on Thursday and said:

“I am happy to be in another big award final [FIFA’s The Best], we’ll see what will happen.

“I have a good relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo and we’ll have a good relationship in the future too. Individual awards are important but I’m not obsessed with them.

“‘Cristiano sent me a message, congratulated me and told me he is happy for me and I deserved it. He also said he can’t wait to meet me again.”

Modric, Ronaldo and Salah will go up against each other again at the end of the month, with FIFA’s The Best awards show taking place in London on September 24.

It would be no surprise, nor an injustice, to see Luka Modric take home that title too.