As the nominees and attendees arrived at London’s Royal Festival Hall for FIFA’s The Best awards ceremony, many took the time to acknowledge the throngs of young local fans who’d made the trip to see their heroes in the flesh.
There was Kylian Mbappe, the World Cup’s hottest young talent, posing for selfies. And there was Sergio Ramos autographing a Real Madrid fan’s shirt. Five-time FIFA World Player of the Year winner Marta posed with the Best Women's player award alongside the grinning Men's winner, Luka Modric.
It doesn’t take much but it means a lot.