Best Fifa Football Awards 2019: Things you might have missed

The Best Fifa Football Awards were full of sophistication, elegance and swankiness in Milan's Teatro alla Scala.

Barcelona's Lionel Messi and Liverpool's Jurgen Klopp came up trumps in the best men's player and best men's coach categories.

United States forward Megan Rapinoe won the best women's player, with her international boss Jill Ellis claiming the women's coach award.

But there was plenty going on away from the actual handing out of the prizes, from the tactics of voting beforehand to a high-profile no-show and one or two remarkable outfits.

Ronaldo and Messi's voting habits

Lionel Messi has now been voted the world's best player six times after wins in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2015

With more than 400 managers, players and media representatives voting for the best men's player (each selecting a first, second and third choice), Cristiano Ronaldo remarkably found common ground with Mauritania captain Abdoul Ba and his Eswatini counterpart Dlamini Banele.

How, you may ask? Well, they were the only three people to select Netherlands defender Matthijs de Ligt as their first pick for player of the year.

Was it a case of tactical voting from Ronaldo, who managed to exclude winner Lionel Messi from his top three? Or just a show of solidarity for his current Juventus team-mate?

In the 2018 voting Ronaldo also omitted his old rival Messi, instead favouring former Real Madrid colleague Raphael Varane.

Messi did include Ronaldo as his second pick behind Sadio Mane. The other main candidate for the men's player award, Virgil van Dijk, went with Messi ahead of his Liverpool team-mates Mohamed Salah and Mane.

Where was Ronaldo?

Fifa did not name Portugal captain Ronaldo in their team of the year when it was read out

Speaking of Ronaldo...

There was a strange moment when the Fifa Fifpro Men's Team of the Year was announced.

Ten names were read out, in formation. Ten players - all present on the stage - lined up. And then the hosts moved on to the next prize.

The absentee? Ronaldo, whose name was not called out but whose inclusion was confirmed by Fifa's official website.

So why was the Portugal captain not there? Juventus travel to Brescia on Tuesday, just 24 hours after the glitzy ceremony and manager Maurzio Sarri has suggested Ronaldo might not featurebecause of muscle fatigue.

Juve team-mate De Ligt did make the 60-mile journey to Milan, which is a neat stopping-off point given its location between Turin and Brescia.

Milan sits in the middle of Turin and Brescia, where Juventus play in Serie A on Tuesday (20:00 BST)

Messi is also due to be in action on Tuesday, a home game for Barcelona against Villarreal. His 90-minute flight home to Spain would have taken longer then Ronaldo's drive back to Turin.

Whatever the reason for his absence, Ronaldo was happy enough on Tuesday evening, posting this Instagram message just as the ceremony was reaching its conclusion.

"Patience and persistence are two characteristics that differentiate the professional from the amateur," he wrote.

"Everything that is big today has started small. You can't do everything, but do everything you can to make your dreams come true. And keep in mind that after night always comes dawn."

© REMXIE WORLD Plc

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