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As we edge closer towards another rollicking season of football in Europe, it's time to honour some of the stars who shone the brightest last time. Keeping in line with the same motive, FIFA released its top 10 nominations for 'The Best' FIFA Men's Player of the Year award, featuring some usual suspects.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi unsurprisingly make the cut, whereas Liverpool dominate the list with the highest representation through Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, and Virgil van Dijk.
Eden Hazard, Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe are the other big names, as Juventus and Barcelona's newest recruits Matthijs de Ligt and Frenkie de Jong respectively make up the list after a memorable campaign with Ajax.
However, some players had a similarly fantastic campaign throughout 2018/19 but were unlucky to still be ostracized from the nominations. In fact, some of these players fared better than a few nominees and their absence from the list has stirred controversy on social media.
Let's look at the three big players who deserved to be on the list, but were unfortunately overlooked:
#3 Bernardo Silva (Manchester City/Portugal)
Looks like if you're a Cristiano Ronaldo, winning the UEFA Nations League alongside the domestic league title is enough to warrant a nomination. But another league cup title as well as the Carabao Cup to go with the aforesaid triumphs isn't, if you're a certain Bernardo Silva.
The Manchester City winger played a starring role in his side's domestic treble, and also picked up the best player award for his performances in the UEFA Nations League knockouts.
He had a hand in 31 goals for his club and country throughout the 2018/19 campaign - statistically his best season ever, and yet, Silva is conspicuous by his absence from the top 10 nominees for the best player award.
So stirring has Silva's exclusion been for the fans that this issue is currently the hottest trending topic on Twitter in the UK!
#2 Raheem Sterling (Manchester City/England)
When Raheem Sterling was ripping defences to shreds and banging in the goals like there's no tomorrow during City's 100-pointer season of 2017/18, we thought we were seeing his best - only for the 24-year old to elevate his game higher in the following season.
With a staggering return of 25 goals and 18 assists across 51 games, he cantered to the PFA Young Player of the Year honours too.
His blazing form even transcended the vagaries of international football, with him playing a starring role for the Three Lions in international games - Sterling was twice on target to down Spain in the epic Nations League encounter before netting four times in the first two games of the Euro qualifiers, including an amazing hat-trick against the Czech Republic.
How such a magnificent season doesn't earn you a berth even in the top 10 nominations is anyone's guess, especially when you consider Harry Kane made the cut despite missing a large chunk of last season through injury.
#1 Alisson (Liverpool/Brazil)
The Reds' shot-stopper might not have won as many trophies as his Manchester City counterparts in the list, but he played an instrumental role in two of the biggest prizes on show - the Champions League and the Copa America.
Signed for a record fee of £66.8 million last summer, Alisson proved to be worth every penny of it. He beefed up Liverpool's backline with his stellar goalkeeping nous and registered a league-high 21 clean sheets.
His contributions in Liverpool's sixth European title is equally instrumental and undeniable. In addition to this, Alisson later went on to emulate those heroics in the Canary colours by helping Brazil to the Copa America title.
Yet again, he proved to be the safest pair of hands with five clean sheets until the final, conceding only Paulo Guerrero's penalty in the showpiece clash. However, he remained unbeaten from open play.
Alisson had done enough last season to stake a claim at the world's best goalkeeper honour, if only FIFA could bat an eyelid on this.
