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The Best FIFA Football Awards are back and the competition remains as keen as ever. FIFA, on Wednesday, announced a 10-man shortlist for this year’s award.
The likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappe and Eden Hazard have all made the cut, while Lionel Messi, Virgil Van Dijk, Sadio Mane and Frenkie de Jong are also in the hunt after enjoying fruitful campaigns last season.
However, there are a couple of names that surprisingly failed to make the cut. Alisson Becker, Raheem Sterling and Bernardo Silva will feel hard done by, especially considering their outstanding performances in the last 12 months.
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As we draw ever so closer to the date of the announcement, we take a look at the top three contenders for the 2019 Best Men’s Player:
#3 Virgil Van Dijk
Van Dijk’s role in Liverpool’s Champions League triumph cannot be overstated. Not only did the Dutchman win Europe’s most prestigious club trophy, he totally bossed the competition.
Some may argue that Lionel Messi was the best player in the Champions League since he finished as the competition’s top scorer. However, the fact is that whatever the Argentine achieved in attack, van Dijk did twice as much in defence.
The Liverpool center-back was the only player not to have been dribbled past over the course of the 2018/19 season (in club competitions) and he helped the Reds keep many clean sheets on the way. Goals might give other attackers an advantage, but clean sheets increase van Dijk’s chances of winning the Best FIFA Men’s Player.
He led Liverpool to Europe’s flagship trophy and also captained the Netherlands to the final of the UEFA Nations League. The Liverpool defender has done enough more than enough to merit his spot on this list.
#2 Cristiano Ronaldo
The race for the Best FIFA Men’s Player has gotten keener this year, but Cristiano Ronaldo is still firmly in the hunt for another individual award. Having won the award in 2016 and 2017, the Portuguese has set his sights on another triumph this year.
Ronaldo was expected to find life difficult when he joined Juventus from Real Madrid in the summer of 2018. However, the 34-year-old enjoyed an impressive season, managing 28 goals and 10 assists in all competitions.
By these numbers alone, Ronaldo would not be a contender for the Best Men’s Player, but he has put himself in the reckoning after leading Portugal to the UEFA Nations League title. The Juve star netted a sensational hat-trick against Switzerland in the semi-final of the tournament.
He also won two trophies with Juventus, including the Serie A. There’s still a long way to go till the winner is announced, but Ronaldo is currently a strong contender based on his exploits last season.
#1 Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi is undoubtedly the favourite for the 2019 Best FIFA Men’s Player. From an individual perspective, the Barcelona star enjoyed the most successful season among all the other contenders. Messi played 50 games in all competitions, scoring 51 goals and registering 22 assists.
The Argentina international also finished as the top scorer in the UEFA Champions League, having netted 12 times. The only downside to Messi’s season was his failure against Liverpool at Anfield in the Champions League and his inability to lead Argentina to the Copa America title.
Based on numbers and consistency alone, Messi would have no direct rival for the FIFA Best Men’s Player. However, Luka Modric’s triumph last year has changed the narrative. Trophies – international trophies – are now a significant requirement for winning the prestigious individual award.
Messi, though, won LaLiga and his impeccable numbers last season should be enough to see him as the top contender for the prestigious award.
