Qatar 2022 World Cup winner Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Ballon D’Or holder Karim Benzema and Robert Lewandowski are among a 14-man shortlists for the 2022 The Best FIFA Men’s Player award.
The nominees were unveiled on FIFA’s official website on Thursday.
Africa is also represented on the shortlist as Achraf Hakimi of Morocco, Sadio Mane of Senegal and Egypt’s Mohamed Salah made the cut.
Other players who were included are Julian Alvarez, Jude Bellingham, Kevin de Bruyne, Luka Modric, Neymar, Erling Haaland and Vinicius Junior.
Recall Barcelona and Poland striker Lewandowski won the last two editions of the award.
Meanwhile, Portugal skipper and Al Nassr’s new signing Cristiano Ronaldo did not make the shortlist.
Aside the award for the Men’s Player of the Year, there is the categories for The FIFA Women’s Player, The Best FIFA Men’s Coach, The Best FIFA Women’s Coach, The Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper, The Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper, FIFA Puskás Award, and The Best FIFA Fan award.
For the men’s coach award, Atlas Lions of Morocco handler Walid Regragui will battle with Carlo Ancelotti, Didier Deschamps, Pep Guardiola and Lionel Scaloni.
And men’s goalkeeper category will see Álisson Becker, Yassine Bounou, Thibaut Courtois, Ederson and Emiliano Martínez slug it out.
The Best FIFA Football Awards 2022 will be held on 27 February 2023 in Paris, France.
The winners in each of the categories will be decided by fans votes.
The Best FIFA Men’s Player nominees:
Julian Alvarez
Jude Bellingham
Karim Benzema
Kevin de Bruyne
Erling Haaland
Achraf Hakimi
Robert Lewandowski
Sadio Mane
Kylian Mbappe
Lionel Messi
Luka Modric
Neymar
Mohamed Salah
Vinicius Junior
The Best FIFA Women’s Player nominees:
Aitana Bonmatí
Debinha
Jessie Fleming
Ada Hegerberg
Sam Kerr
Beth Mead
Vivianne Miedema
Alex Morgan
Lena Oberdorf
Alexandra Popp
Alexia Putellas
Wendie Renard
Keira Walsh
Leah Williamson
The Best FIFA Men’s Coach nominees:
Carlo Ancelotti
Didier Deschamps
Pep Guardiola
Walid Regragui
Lionel Scaloni
The Best FIFA Women’s Coach nominees:
Sonia Bompastor
Emma Hayes
Bev Priestman
Pia Sundhage
Martina Voss-Tecklenburg
Sarina Wiegman
The Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper nominees:
Álisson Becker
Yassine Bounou
Thibaut Courtois
Ederson
Emiliano Martínez
The Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper nominees:
Christiane Endler
Ann-Katrin Berger
Mary Earps
Merle Frohms
Alyssa Naeher
Sandra Paños García-Villamil
FIFA Puskás Award nominees:
Mario Balotelli
Amandine Henry
Théo Hernández
Alou Kuol
Kylian Mbappé
Francisco González Metilli
Marcin Oleksy
Salma Paralluelo
Richarlison
Alessia Russo
Dimitri Payet
The Best FIFA Fan Award nominees:
Japan
Saudi Arabia
Argentina
