They may well have enjoyed great times together at Real Madrid, but Sergio Ramos backed a current teammate over Cristiano Ronaldo with his FIFA award vote.
As per the Metro, the Spanish defender appeared to aim a subtle dig at Ronaldo prior to the ceremony on Monday night by suggesting that being more marketable could give him and the likes of Mohamed Salah the edge.
However, it didn’t work out that way as Luka Modric took home the prize after a memorable year for the midfield maestro in which he won another Champions League trophy and guided Croatia to their first ever World Cup final.
Those achievements saw him beat the likes of Ronaldo, Mohamed Salah and others to the top prize, and deservedly so as the 33-year-old has been instrumental for club and country.
As noted by Sky Sports, he got the backing of his captain, with Ramos putting him in first place with Cristiano Ronaldo second and Lionel Messi in third.
Surprisingly, he opted not to include his own teammate Raphael Varane in that mix, especially after the Frenchman was pivotal next to him in the heart of the Real Madrid defence last season and was a major part of the France squad that won the World Cup in Russia this past summer.
Nevertheless, Modric will undoubtedly appreciate the support, while it remains to be seen as to whether or not his latest snub for Ronaldo affects his relationship with the Juventus star as they’ve seemingly swapped indirect swipes at each other through the media.
The Croatian international was a popular pick across the board though, as he also got a first-place vote from Messi, as noted by Sky Sports.