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The sixth edition of The Best FIFA Football Awards will be hosted in Switzerland this week and is set to feature some of the sport's biggest names. The award ceremony will honour 2021's best players in world football and will take place in Zurich on the 17th of January.
While the Ballon d'Or ceremony did not take place in 2020, the Best FIFA awards were presented on a virtual platform due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The categories included the best players, goalkeepers, and coaches in both men's and women's football.
The 2020 edition of the ceremony saw Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski edge Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to the award. Ronaldo has missed out on a nomination in the Best Men's Player category this year, and Mohamed Salah will compete with Messi and Lewandowski for the prestigious prize.
Messi, Lewandowski, and Salah set to battle it out for the Best FIFA Men's Player 2021
Lionel Messi won his seventh Ballon d'Or this year after playing a key role in Argentina's historic Copa America triumph. The Argentine has dominated world football for over a decade and is unsurprisingly a frontrunner for the Best Men's Player award.
The former Barcelona man is by no means the only promising bet, however, with Robert Lewandowski in the form of his life. The Polish striker has broken an incredible number of records with Bayern Munich and may well pip Messi to this prize.
Mohamed Salah has also been named in the top three, with Cristiano Ronaldo, Erling Haaland, and Karim Benzema missing out this year. The ceremony also has something in it for the managers, with Thomas Tuchel, Pep Guardiola, and Robeto Mancini in contention to win the Best FIFA Men's Coach award.
Barcelona Femeni dominated women's football in 2021 and it comes as no surprise that Alexia Putellas and Jenni Hermoso are nominated for the Best Women's Player award. The Catalans' manager Lluis Cortes is a frontrunner in the women's coach category.
When does The Best FIFA 2021 ceremony take place?
India: 17th January 2022, at 11:30 PM IST
USA: 17th January 2022, at 1 PM (Eastern Standard Time), 12 PM (Central Standard Time), 10 AM (Pacific Standard Time)
UK: 17th January 2022, at 6 PM
Where and how to watch The Best FIFA 2021 ceremony?
Viewers in India can watch live streaming of The Best FIFA 2021 awards on Voot Select.
FIFA will also telecast its award ceremony to viewers across the world on its media channels and social platforms. Viewers can access FIFA's official accounts on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter to watch the awards ceremony live.
