Lionel Messi (35, Argentina) has been nominated for the International Football Federation (FIFA) Player of the Year award. Although he is in his twilight years as a soccer player, he is still the number one candidate for the award.
‘Lifetime opponent’ Cristiano Ronaldo (38, Portugal) lowered his head. He wasn’t even nominated.
On the 13th (hereinafter Korean time), FIFA confirmed and announced the nominees for each category of the ‘2022 The Best FIFA Football Awards’.
There are 8 award categories. The best player, manager, and goalkeeper awards for men and women nominated by a panel of experts, as well as the Pushka Award given to the player who scored the best goal and the best fan award will be covered at the awards ceremony.
14 players were nominated for the best male and female players, the flower of the awards.
In the men’s division, Messi’s name stands out. At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Messi scored 7 goals and 3 assists to help Argentina win the championship after 36 years.
With the Golden Ball, the best player award, both individuals and teams spent a dazzling December. Messi seeks to recapture the FIFA World Player of the Year award for the first time in three years since 2019.
Kylian Mbafe (23, France), who won the top scorer with 8 goals at the Qatar World Cup, is also a strong candidate. Although France’s dream of winning the World Cup for the second time in a row was shattered, Mbappe performance was outstanding.
Showing off explosive speed, dribbling, and sophisticated decision-making, he achieved an amazing achievement by winning the Golden Boot at the age of 22.
Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema (35, France), who was the top scorer in both the Spanish Primera Liga and the UEFA Champions League last season, was also nominated.
In addition, Robert Lewandowski (33, Poland), who won the FIFA Player of the Year for the last two consecutive years, Elling Hollan (22, Norway), who is active as the best scoring machine in the English Premier League (EPL) this season, and Ashraf Hakimi, who led the Moroccan semifinal blast. (24, Morocco) Muhammad Salah (30, Egypt), who tied for the EPL top scorer with Son Heung-min last season, was included. 바카라사이트
Ronaldo was not on the 14-man list. Ronaldo, who signed a contract with a non-European club for the first time after his professional debut after a feud with his former team Manchester United, did not show much performance in the league and Qatar World Cup last year.
It is the first time since 2016, when the FIFA World Player of the Year award began to be awarded separately from the Ballon d’Or, that Ronaldo was not even nominated by a panel of experts.
Ronaldo won consecutive FIFA World Player of the Year awards in 2016 and 2017. He drew attention last year for the first time when he was not among the three finalists. This year, he is in sharp contrast with his rival Messi at the end of his career as he is also dropped from the expert selection list, which is the first gateway.
The FIFA Football Awards will be held until the 3rd of next month for each country’s national team coaches, captains, media and fans to vote for each category. The awards ceremony will be held on the 27th of next month.