The FIFA Best Player Award nominees list is out and hopefully Neymar snubbed off the list will mark a new era in football. An era where flopping is only done in a breakdance battle, not on the pitch.
The 10 nominees were selected for their achievements throughout July 3, 2017, to July 15, 2018. You can also cast your vote on your favorite nominee here.
The FIFA Best Player Award nominees are:
- Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal and Real Madrid)
- Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium and Manchester City)
- Antoine Griezmann (France and Atletico Madrid)
- Eden Hazard (Belgium and Chelsea)
- Harry Kane (England and Tottenham Spurs)
- Kylian Mbappé (France and Paris Saint-Germain)
- Lionel Messi (Argentina and Barcelona)
- Luka Modric (Croatia and Real Madrid)
- Mohammed Salah (Egypt and Liverpool)
- Raphael Varane (France and Real Madrid)
France and Real Madrid both have three players on the list. This may indicate the future turning blue with all the French talent all the while reminding us that the future will probably remain dominated by Real Madrid.
If Juventus defector Ronaldo wins the award, it would be a historic hat trick for the two-time FIFA Best Player, which has been awarded as such for the last two years. As for France, the World Cup winning team rightfully earned the most national placements for its outstanding performance. Mbappé winning would probably revive Mad Cow disease but instead of all the nasty symptoms, people run around the streets maniacally screaming Viva La Mbappé or croissants or pain du chocolat, … anything French works, really.
Forza Juve! #FinoAllaFine pic.twitter.com/bBZ5VWdEWX
— Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) July 16, 2018
Harry Kane, who already won the World Cup Golden Boot with six goals in the international tournament, captained England to a first World Cup semifinal in 28 years. Kane also scored 30 Premier League goals for Spurs last season, which finished third. For Chelsea fans, third place is two positions up, please and thank you.
The Premier League Golden Boot winner, Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, will surely give the FIFA Best Player Award nominees a run for their money as well. He scored 44 goals with 14 assists during his debut season with the Reds as well as going all the way to the Champions League final against Real Madrid. We all know what happened during that match; no need to open closed wounds. Damn you, Sergio Ramos. Salah also entered the World Cup with Egypt after a 28 year hiatus from the Pharaohs.
Salah presented with the Golden Boot, and a few other personal accolades #LFC pic.twitter.com/9oUe7dgmcb
— Richard Buxton (@RichardBuxton_) May 13, 2018
De Bruyne on the other hand won the Premier League with Pep Guardiola’s unstoppable Manchester City along with a 3-0 Carabao Cup final win over Arsenal. Man City was the first team to reach the 100-point barrier in EPL history, not to mention breaking a total of 11 records in the 2017-18 EPL season.
Hazard has a decent standing as well given Chelsea’s FA Cup win over Manchester United, the last episode of Conte vs. Mourinho yet. The Blues finished fifth in the EPL, so it’s doubtful Hazard will win anything — maybe if the Real Madrid transfer finally happens though.
As for Messi, the Argentinian finished his campaign as top scorer in Europe’s top five leagues with 34 goals. Not even going to mention Argentina in the World Cup, which was horrible for all of us.
Griezmann, Varane and Mbappé are all excellent choices given France’s World Cup victory. Griezmann won the Europa League with Atletico Madrid, Varane won the Champions League with Real Madrid, and Mbappé gained more popularity than all the Disney princesses combined with his feats so far.
Samuel Umtiti may have taken the championship role a bit too far:
Une douche s’imposait avec la plus belle pic.twitter.com/obKGuXQZzT
— Samuel Umtiti (@samumtiti) July 19, 2018
Finally with Modric, the Croatian not only won the Champions League, alongside Real Madrid teammates Ronaldo and Varane, but played a decisive factor in taking Croatia to its first ever World Cup final as well.
Dishonorable mention: Neymar. The most expensive flopper did win the French league with PSG with Mbappé whilst also scoring 28 goals despite missing much of the season with an injury.
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