The biggest night of football in Milan saw the biggest stars descend under one roof. While Lionel Messi bagged the coveted FIFA Best Footballer award, Netherland’s Virgil van Dijk stood second best. 

While the two attended the ceremony, fans were left disappointed as Juventus striker Cristiano Ronaldo gave the event a miss. 

Ronaldo got a total of 36 points in the voting to finish third. He was also named in the FIFPro World XI squad. 

However, what has got everyone curious is that just after the event came to an end, Ronaldo took to Instagram and posted a cryptic message along with a picture of him reading a book in his home.

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

 

 

 

 

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Paciência e persistência sao duas caracteristicas que diferenciam o profissional do amador. Tudo o que hoje é grande um dia começou pequeno. Você não pode fazer tudo, mas faça tudo o que puder para transformar seus sonhos em realidade. E procure manter em mente que depois da noite sempre vem o amanhecer. LR

A post shared by Cristiano Ronaldo (@cristiano) on Sep 23, 2019 at 1:20pm PDT

This is not the first time Ronaldo is missing a major awards night. Last season, he along with Lionel Messi gave Ballon d’Or ceremony a miss.

Meanwhile, the Men’s coach of the year award was bagged by Liverpool's Jurgen Klopp. 

Klopp helped Liverpool clinch the Champions League crown last season, as well as a record-breaking second-place finish in the Premier League. The Reds are currently at the top spot in this season’s table too.