FIFA have officially released the nominees for the various categories of awards that will be given out at The Best FIFA Football Awards ceremony on December 17th. Here are the respective men’s shortlists and our predictions were thrown into the mix as well!
The Best FIFA Men’s Player
Thiago AlcĂ¢ntara (Spain / FC Bayern MĂ¼nchen / Liverpool FC)
Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal / Juventus FC)
Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium / Manchester City FC)
Robert Lewandowski (Poland / FC Bayern MĂ¼nchen)
Sadio Mané (Senegal / Liverpool FC)
Kylian Mbappé (France / Paris Saint-Germain)
Lionel Messi (Argentina / FC Barcelona)
Neymar (Brazil / Paris Saint-Germain)
Sergio Ramos (Spain / Real Madrid CF)
Mohamed Salah (Egypt / Liverpool FC )
Virgil van Dijk (Netherlands / Liverpool FC)
Most Likely to Win: Robert Lewandowski
The Polish hitman was the top scorer in every single competition that he took part in. If that wasn’t enough, Bayern won the treble last season and also won the UEFA Super Cup against Sevilla to add to their tally of silverware.
It is no secret that Lewandowski would’ve won the Ballon d’Or had it been awarded, and the Bayern number 9 fully deserves the award ahead of all the great players on the list simply because he is the best of the best right now.
The Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper
Alisson Becker (Brazil / Liverpool FC)
Thibaut Courtois (Belgium / Real Madrid CF)
Keylor Navas (Costa Rica / Paris Saint-Germain)
Manuel Neuer (Germany / FC Bayern MĂ¼nchen)
Jan Oblak (Slovenia / Atlético de Madrid)
Marc-André ter Stegen (Germany / FC Barcelona)
Most Likely to Win: Manuel Neuer
The competition for the best goalkeeper is honestly, narrowed down to Courtois and Neuer. While the Belgian keeper conceded the least amount of goals in the division as Madrid won the La Liga title for the 34th time, Manuel Neuer won the league along with the Champions League.
The German was sensational in all competitions as he captained Bayern to the treble in Hansi Flick’s first season in charge. The start and end of the season were poles apart for the German, and he has done a lot to regain his status as the best goalkeeper in the world.
The Best FIFA Men’s Coach
Marcelo Bielsa (Argentina / Leeds United FC)
Hans-Dieter Flick (Germany / FC Bayern MĂ¼nchen)
JĂ¼rgen Klopp (Germany / Liverpool FC)
Julen Lopetegui (Spain / Sevilla FC)
Zinedine Zidane (France / Real Madrid CF)
Most Likely to Win: Hansi Flick
We’re calling it: Bayern will clean sweep The Best Awards on the 17th of December with Hansi Flick winning the award for the best manager. The fact that he managed to deliver FOUR major trophies in his first season in charge only goes to show how effective his appointment has been.
Despite the amazingly talented and legendary managers who have been nominated, nobody comes close to Flick in terms of the 19/20 season.