I refer to my article (September 18) on how sports can bring out the best of human nature in its participants: solidarity, respect, teamwork and fair play.

Luka Modric was declared FIFA player of the year 2018, an honour which for the last 10 years was the complete domination of two particular world class players, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi – each have won it five times – Messi in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015 and Ronaldo in 2008, 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017.

In last Monday’s glittering ceremony, watched all over the world and held at London’s Royal Festival Hall, notable absentees were Messi and Ronaldo who this time had missed out.

They should have collected secondary trophies, having been chosen to form part of the Team of the Year; all this to the hurt pride.

Ronaldo could bring the excuse that he had a game for Juventus on the following day. (Mind you he has a private aircraft.) Yet, when Modric was asked if Ronaldo has been in contact with him, he said ‘Not this time’.

This brings me to the point of putting forward a proposal to FIFA whether they should consider adding on another away. Call it by the appropriate name ‘The Unsportmanship Act’ of the year. I am sure the award would undoubtly have gone Ronaldo’s and Messi’s way. So much for sportmanship – the Brown Brothers – and inflated mega egos.