World football governing body, FIFA, has released the list of nominees for The Best FIFA Men’s Player award and it has Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi among favourites.
Mbappe was nominated for winning the Golden Boot at Qatar 2022 amongst others while Messi made the list for winning the World Cup in Qatar.
Other star players in the list include Karim Benzema, Luka Modric, Sadio Mane, Mo Salah, Erling Haaland, Julian Alvarez, Jude Bellingham, Neymar, Vinicius Junior, Robert Lewandowski and Kevin De Bruyne.
Voting has now been opened on FIFA’s official website.
Below are the parameters used by FIFA in naming nominees for the category.
Mbappe
Key achievements: Won the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Golden Boot ● FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 runner-up ● Won the 2021-22 French Ligue 1 and was the League top-scorer and top assist provider ● Named in the 2021-22 UEFA Champions League Team of the Season
Messi
Key achievements: Won the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and the Golden Ball ● Became Argentina’s all-time top scorer in World Cup history ● Won the 2021-22 French Ligue 1 ● Won the 2022 Trophée des Champions
Modric
Key achievements: ● Won the 2021-22 Spanish Primera División ● Won the 2021-22 Supercopa de España ● Won the 2021-22 UEFA Champions League and the 2022 UEFA Super Cup ● Finished third at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 with Croatia
Neymar
Key achievements: Won the 2021-22 French Ligue 1 ● Won the 2022 Trophée des Champions, scoring two goals in PSG’s 4-0 win v Nantes
Salah
Key achievements: Won the 2021-22 English FA Cup and English League Cup ● Won the 2022 FA Community Shield ● Won the 2021-22 English Premier League Golden Boot (joint)
Vinicius Junior
Key achievements: Won the 2021-22 Spanish Primera División and the 2021-22 Supercopa de España ● Won the 2021-22 UEFA Champions League ● Won the 2022 UEFA Super Cup ● Named in the 2021-22 Primera División and UEFA Champions League Team of the Season
Lewandowski
Key achievements: Won the 2021-22 German Bundesliga and was the League top-scorer ● Named in the 2021-22 Bundesliga Team of the Season ● Won the 2021-22 European Golden Shoe and 2022 Gerd Müller Trophy
Mane
Key achievements: ● Won the 2021-22 English FA Cup and English League Cup ● Won the 2022 German DFL-Supercup ● Won the 2021 CAF Africa Cup of Nations ● Named 2021 Africa Cup of Nations Man of the Tournament
Haaland
Key achievements: ● Named in the 2021-22 German Bundesliga Team of the Season ● 2021-22 Bundesliga runner-up ● Quickest player to score three hat-tricks in the English Premier League, having done so in just eight league games
Hakimi
Key achievements: Named in the 2021 CAF Africa Cup of Nations Best XI ● Finished fourth at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 ● Won the 2021-22 French Ligue 1 ● Won the 2022 Trophée des Champions
Benzema
Key achievements: Won the 2021-22 Spanish Primera División and was the League top-scorer ● Won the 2021-22 Supercopa de España ● Won the 2021-22 UEFA Champions League and 2022 UEFA Super Cup ● 2021-22 UEFA Champions League top scorer
De Bruyne
Key achievements: ● Won the 2021-22 English Premier League ● Named 2021-22 Premier League Player of the Season ● Named in the 2021-22 UEFA Champions League Team of the Season
Alvarez
Key achievements: Won the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 ● Scored four goals at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 ● Became the youngest player to score twice in a FIFA World Cup semi-final since Pelé in 1958
Bellingham
Key achievements: ● Key achievements: Performed outstandingly at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 ● 2021-22 Bundesliga runner-up ● Named in the 2021-22 Bundesliga Team of the Season