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Lionel Messi has made the list of nominees for FIFA The Best Men's Player award, but Vinicius Junior has surprisingly missed out.
FIFA have released the 12-man list for the award, and Messi has been included following his 2022 FIFA World Cup heroics. The iconic forward led Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar with seven goals and three assists in seven games.
The list of nominees also includes Manchester City stars Julian Alvarez, Kevin De Bruyne, Erling Haaland, Ilkay Gundogan, Rodri and Bernardo Silva. All six were key for the Cityzens as they won a continental treble, becoming only the second English side to do so.
Haaland is likely to be Messi's main rival for the award when the ceremony takes place next year. The Norweigan superstar was in prolific form last season, bagging 52 goals in 53 games across competitions. He won the Premier League's Golden Boot with 36 goals in 35 games and was the top scorer in the UEFA Champions League with 12 strikes in 11 outings.
Meanwhile, Messi's former Paris Saint-Germain teammate and World Cup final foe Kylian Mbappe has also been nominated. The France captain was in superb form lsat season and scored a memorable hat-trick in the final defeat to Argentina on penalties.
Napoli duo Victor Osimhen and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia have also made the list after playing crucial roles in helping their side win the Serie A title. Marcelo Brozovic is perhaps the surprise nominee following an impressive season with Inter Milan. Arsenal's new signing Declan Rice completes the list of nominees after captaining West Ham United to UEFA Europa Conference League glory.
However, there was no place for Real Madrid's Vinicius despite his excellent 2022-23 campaign. The Brazilian trickster was in scintillating form, bagging 23 goals and 21 assists in 55 games across competitions. His Los Blancos side won the Copa del Rey but faltered in the Champions League and La Liga.
One fan has tipped Messi to win FIFA The Best Men's Player of the Year award:
"Messi's winning it once again."
Another is bemused that Vinicius didn't earn a nomination:
"Does Vini Jr play basketball?"
Here's how fans on X (formerly Twitter) reacted to FIFA's list of nominees:
Antoine Griezmann reckons Lionel Messi deserves to win Ballon d'Or ahead of Erling Haaland
Lionel Messi is also nominated for the Ballon d'Or, whose award ceremony takes place next month. The seven-time winner of the award wasn't nominated last year, the first such instance in 17 years.
The Inter Miami superstar is the hot favuorite to win his record-extending eighth Ballon d'Or but faces competition from City's Haaland. The duo both enjoyed stellar past campaigns, but many are backing Messi for winning the World Cup.
Antoine Griezmann is one of them who reckons the 2022 World Cup winner deserves the award ahead of Haaland, telling RMC Sport:
“Haaland or Messi for the Ballon d’Or? Me. I should win it. You forgot that I am nominated too … If not me, then Messi or Mbappe. Haaland had a great season, but it’s a World Cup year, you know?"
The iconic Argentine was also in fine form for his former club PSG last season, netting 21 goals and 20 assists in 41 games across competitions. It's easy to forget thta the Parisians won the Ligue 1 title, given his unceremonious departure to MLS side Inter Miami in the summer.
