The Best Award: Segio Ramos throws shade at Cristiano Ronaldo

Sergio Ramos believes Luka Modric deserves the FIFA Player of the Year award than players with more marketing appeal like 'Ronaldo'

Sergio Ramos says Luka Modric deserves to be named the best player in the world for the 2017-18 season.

Ronaldo, Modric and Salah have been nominated for the 2017-18 FIFA best player dubbed 'The Best'.

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The winner will be announced in ending of September, but Sergio Ramos who played with Cristiano Ronaldo before he left for Juventus believes his teammate Luca Modric is the right person for the award against players with 'most marketing'.

His statement appears to take a swipe at Cristiano Ronaldo who is the player with highest commercial value in the world.

"There are few players that I am as proud of having in my team as [Modric],' said Ramos , according to ESPN. 'He is a great friend and a great player. He is one of the few players who [if he wins] would make me as happy as if they had given it to me.'"

However, Ramos didn't leave it at just praising who he thinks is the better player.

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"Maybe there are players with more marketing, with a bigger name but Modric deserves that award," he said.

The Real Madrid defender was reportedly asked whether these comments were made about anyone in particular. Although he said that they were not, there can be little doubt about who he was referring to.

The Best FIFA awards, and previously the Ballon d'Or, have been dominated by Ronaldo and Lionel Messi over the past decade, but it seems Modric has the best chance of taking the prize.

He won the Golden Ball at the 2018 World Cup where he captained Croatia to second place, and was also recently named UEFA Men's Player of the Year. Ronaldo's agent Jorge Mendes called the result 'ridiculous,' saying the award should've gone to his client instead. 

'I will not answer Mendes,' Ramos reportedly said when asked about the comments. 'Everyone has his opinion. It is respectable. Flattery and criticism are always in our profession. Everyone can say what they want but in my opinion the prize to Modric is very well deserved.'

Of course, Ronaldo had an excellent year of his own, winning the Champions League with Real Madrid alongside Modric, scoring 44 goals in all competitions for his club, and four goals for Portugal at the World Cup. However, he hasn't had quite as prolific a start to this season for his new club Juventus.

Their other opponent is Salah, who helped Liverpool to the Champions League final, while setting a new scoring record in the Premier League with 32 goals.

The Best FIFA Football Awards ceremony will take place in London on September 24