Asked whether he favoured his club or international team-mates, the midfielder had plenty of praise for both the stars
Lionel Messi is arguably the greatest player of all-time but 2018 is the year of Luka Modric, according to Croatia and Barcelona star Ivan Rakitic.
Modric claimed UEFA's Player of the Year award and he is on the three-man shortlist for FIFA's The Best honour after helping Real Madrid to a third successive Champions League title before reaching the World Cup final with Croatia.
Barcelona superstar and five-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi, however, was controversially overlooked by FIFA – former Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo and Liverpool's Mohamed Salah also in the running.
Rakitic is team-mates with Messi and is under no illusions about the 31-year-old's standings in the game but the Barca midfielder insists Modric – who won the World Cup Golden Ball – is deserving of this year's honours.
"There are seasons that you can be better or not," Rakitic told reporters ahead of Croatia's Nations League clash against Spain on Tuesday.
"For me in general the best player of the world and maybe the greatest of all time is Leo Messi. It's easy, you take a boy, and nine of 10 boys are gonna say the same.
"But I think it was the year of Luka, sincerely, I think it's something that Leo and all the people know, he [Modric] deserves all the awards.
"Sincerely if he received the award of the best European player... I don't know what he has to do to be the best player of the world, with all he did.
"I don't need to help him as a good friend of him as I'm, he made everything on himself, nobody gave him anything. For me it's clear that he has to be Luka [for The Best award]."
Divyansh26
126
Raikitic be like 😂😂😁
abhayji10
101
99 out of 100 football player, managers, legends same answer..... Messi greatest of all time
smith09
90
the guy had 2 goals and 7 assists last season. in wc he had 2 goals and 1 assists two other Croatian players had 3 goals and 1 assist each. modric isn't even in Madrid top 5 players in key passes chances created clearances assists interceptions aerial duels won or anything not in laliga or the ucl. He hasn't bested Cristiano in anything not in assists not in key passes not in clearances not in chances created NOT IN ANYTHING. So what do you mean he deserves the award? the best season the guy ever had is 2 goals and 9 assists for Madrid and 5 goals and 8 assists for spurs and you're calling him the best 😩😩
BAPPSPAULO
79
Messi really deserves it
Perecozy
71
One good performance at the World Cup is now the best player in the world .people keep talking without modric CR7 would not have score so many goals in Madrid then what about Messi in Barca with xavi and Ineista where they told not to pass the ball to CR7 or Messi to goal in their respective club ? In as much as the midfield is concerned at the moment modric is the best in that position not the UEFA best player or FIFA best player vote or no vote all this is rubbery against CR7 and Messi imagine Messi not even on the list even if he had a poor performance at the World Cup how about club level and those no of goals he score winning Laliga and cupa dey . We need to know the criteria or the analysis use to judge this players
Henryrukis
33
I still don't know the criteria of voting that will make him the best player. I think This year, FIFA and UEFA all are not fit and they don't even know what they are doing. how can you say he is the best? what has he done compared to to m.s(liverpool) what has he done compare to A. G(thlerico) what has he done compare to Christiano? and what has he even done comapare to mbape? how much more the king the ogbu 1 of the world? highest goals he is not there. highest dribbles, not among .passes not among. chances created, not among. interception, not among. assist, not among. please someone should tell me why he is the best in 2018
ORUVAL2
31
Everybody is pulling the blanket to his side and giving very tangible reasons for why his choice is the best... but I pity all of you because FIFA has already got it's choice...whether it pleases you or not...some are lamenting the absence of their choice...but what's gonna be gonna be... but whether your Messi is the best, this year only the Best are selected, it's between Madrid and Juventus... whatever the choice made it will either be Madrid or former Madrid.... but what I know is Only Madrid is concerned and not Barça..