The Best FIFA Men’s Player 2019: Ranking the top ten contenders for the award

#2 Lionel Messi (Barcelona and Argentina)

FC Barcelona v Arsenal - Pre-Season Friendly

Lionel Messi is an obvious favourite for the 2019 Best FIFA Men’s Player award, if it was based on individual statistics and consistency.

The Argentine was initially believed to be a shoo-in for all individual awards as Barcelona looked set to win the grand trifecta of La Liga, the Champions League and the Copa del Rey.

The 32-year-old topped all the attacking statistics in the Spanish top-flight and registered 36 league goals to easily win the Pichichi and the European Golden Shoe. He further tallied an insane total of 51 goals and 22 assists in 50 games for the Catalan giants.

Furthermore, Messi continued to be the game-changer in Barcelona's Champions League journey, netting 12 goals to finish his campaign as the top-scorer of the competition.

If the conditions for winning the award were based on numbers alone, Messi would win it without any true rival. However, the growing importance of trophies as a requirement for the award is the stumbling block for him this time around.

The Argentine maestro was unable to stop Barcelona's grand collapse in the Champions League semi-final at Anfield and what followed in the Copa del Rey final. What was pegged to be a dream first season as captain of the squad turned into a disappointing one as Barcelona ended up with only one of the three trophies - La Liga.

Internationally, Messi was unable to inspire Argentina beyond the semi-finals of the Copa America and was embroiled in controversy as he accused the CONMEBOL of rigging the tournament.

The question now is this, will Messi's individual exploits be enough for him to be named the Best FIFA Men's Player or will he fall short on trophies?