Real Madrid and Croatia midfielder Luka Modric on Monday won the FIFA Men’s Best Player Award.

For the first time in 12 years Messi is not even nominated among the three finalists for the award after early exits for Argentina at the World Cup and Barcelona in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

Both Messi and Ronaldo have won FIFA’s award in different guises five times each, and the Portuguese can move out on his own after winning a third straight Champions League title with Real Madrid before heading for pastures new with Juventus in July.