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It's been a year like no other with a global pandemic raging and wreaking havoc on everything including the beautiful game. That has meant the Ballon'd'Or was not announced this year, leaving us all waiting with bated breath for FIFA The Best award.
"Players, coaches, fans and media all have a say. An award voted directly by those who are the heart and soul of the football world. “This event should be all about the game. Nothing else,” summed up FIFA President Gianni Infantino."- Says the FIFA website.
Online voting will go on till midnight of 9th December and the three finalists announced on the 11th.
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And with 17th December looming on the horizon, the date FIFA will announce the winners, it is a good time to focus more closely on the prospective contenders for FIFA The Best Men's Award. We will look at which elite players from among the list have the best chance of picking up the fifth FIFA The Best men's prize for the best player in the world based on the performances in the last season.
In this article, we will rank the quintet from among the 11 we think have the best chance of winning the award in ascending order.
Ranking the 5 favorites for FIFA The Best Men's Player award
#5 Sergio Ramos - Real Madrid
The 34-year-old Real Madrid captain seems to be aging like fine wine and was arguably the club's best player last season as they reclaimed the La Liga title. Real Madrid put up a consummate defensive performance throughout the 38 games with the Spain skipper proving to be a rock.
Sergio Ramos was also their highest scorer in the league, and despite his perennial temperamental issues, Ramos remains one of the best center-backs in the game who is great on the ball and also has an uncanny knack of scoring important goals. The penalty specialist is reportedly seeking a move out of Madrid after a legendary spell at the club. He is one of only two defenders out of the 11 nominees for FIFA The Best award this season.
#4 Mohamed Salah - Liverpool
Not quite at the level of his debut season at Anfield, but Mohamed Salah's performance in 2019-20 was still pivotal for the Reds as they finally clinched a long-coveted first Premier League title.
The right-sided forward remains one of the best in the business both as a scorer and provider and notched up 19 goals and 10 assists for them last season and is fourth on our list of contenders for FIFA The Best award this season.
Also read: FIFA The Best Player Awards Power Rankings: November 2020
#3 Lionel Messi - Barcelona
Yes Barcelona imploded in one of their worst seasons in recent memory, but the little magician continued to set benchmarks with everything falling apart around him. Lionel Messi scored 31 goals goals and made 27 assists on his way to picking up his 7th Pichichi Trophy and breaking Xavi's assist record.
Lionel Messi is a genius who held his own, despite not matching his previous tallies amidst controversies and a faltering team.
#2 Cristiano Ronaldo - Juventus
Another serial winner of best player trophies like his eternal rival, Cristiano Ronaldo also had an underwhelming season compared to his past glories. By that we refer to the fact that he could not inspire his club Juventus to success in Europe in spite of his individual brilliance.
They did scrape home to the Serie A title to maintain their streak and Ronaldo was again one of the best players in the world, racking up 37 goals and 7 assists. Cristiano Ronaldo was undoubtedly the primary reason for Juventus' Scudetto success.
#1 Robert Lewandowski - Bayern Munich
The Polish ace has been one of the best strikers in the game for a while now but Robert Lewandowski seemed to reach superhuman levels last season, scoring an astounding 55 goals in 47 games for Bayern Munich as the club won a deserved continental treble. The 32-year-old also managed 10 assists for Hansi Flick's super team and banged in goals for fun.
For many experts, including Lothar Matthaus, there is only one contender for the award this season.
"For me it can only be Robert Lewandowski. It’s clearer than it’s been in recent years. He won every title, scored lots of decisive goals and was top of the scoring charts. He’s got everything you need to give a player this award. Nobody comes close to him, neither in Germany nor in Europe." (Told to fifa.com)
