The Best FIFA Men's Player 2019: Top 5 contenders for the award - August 2019

Hello and welcome back to our assessment of the top contenders for the Best FIFA Men's Player Award for the year 2019 at the start of August 2019. There has been some significant changes in our rankings since our last assessment in July and we are here with the latest updates.

FIFA recently released their final 10 man shortlist for the 2019 Best FIFA Men's Player of the year and there has been some glaring miss in the final list. Bernardo Silva and Raheem Sterling could not make the cut and as such those two miss out from the top 5 list at the start of August. Most significantly, it means a change in the top three.

The month of July saw the clubs indulge in the transfer market and there was very little action in terms of competitive football. Teams prepared for the upcoming season and were involved in pre-season games to get up to speed before the start of the new season.

As such, there were not too many areas to judge players on and players have been assessed based on their performance from the start of this year.

FIFA shall announce the winner on 23rd September, in the Best FIFA Football Award Show in Milan, but who is leading the race at the start of August? Read on to find out.

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#5 Eden Hazard (Belgium, Real Madrid)

Eden Hazard has been handed the No. 7 shirt at Real Madrid

Eden Hazard ended last season on a high, blowing away Arsenal in the final of the UEFA Europa League and helping Chelsea finish the season as the Europa League Champions. The Blues also ended up third in the Premier League table and Hazard was the stand out performer of the year for the London club.

The former Chelsea man was rewarded for his fantastic performance with a move to the Santiago Bernabeu, as Real Madrid finally came calling and a deal was agreed between the two clubs.

Since joining the Spanish giants, though, things have been a little slow for Eden Hazard. He started the preseason strong, impressing in the 3-1 defeat at the hands of Bayern Munich.

The Belgian has blown hot and cold at times since then, however, it is still only pre-season now, so he has enough time to turn his season around.

Eden Hazard has been handed the No. 7 shirt at Real Madrid for the upcoming season, which see him join a prestigious list. At the start of August, the Belgian is 5th among the top contenders in our rankings.

#4 Sadio Mane (Senegal, Liverpool)

Sadio Mane (lifting the trophy) won the UEFA Champions League with Liverpool

The Senegalese was a revelation for Liverpool last season, firing them to the UEFA Champions League title and also helping his club finish a close second in the Premier League. Sadio Mane's rise in the world of football has been prolific and this summer, he was the force behind Senegal's brilliant run in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.

Senegal reached the final of the tournament, only to come second against an equally brilliant Algeria team. The Liverpool man scored 3 goals and was selected in the team of the tournament.

Mane's pace and abilities on the ball make him extremely tricky to handle for the opposition. He has a swift change of pace and is also brilliant on the turn. The Senegalese is also strong enough to hold on to the ball to bring his teammates into the game. Jurgen Klopp used Mane's qualities to perfection last year and this time too, the Senegalese will be raring to go.

Mane scored 26 goals last season, including 22 in the Premier League and won his first Premier League Golden Boot. He is 4th in our list among the top 5 contenders for the Best FIFA Men's Player of the Year at the start of August.

#3 Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal, Juventus)

Ronaldo found success with club and country this year

Cristiano Ronaldo has climbed up the charts in our rankings at the start of August, due to the absence of Raheem Sterling and Bernardo Silva in the final 10 man shortlist for the award. The Portuguese, as such, is third among the contenders for the Best FIFA Men's Player of the Year now.

Ronaldo endured an impressive debut season for Juventus, where he won both the Serie A title and Supercoppa Italiana. He even won the inaugural UEFA Nation's League with Portugal this summer. However, one has to admit that he had a subpar season by his standards.

The Portuguese is known for his goals and his talismanic impact on the team. Unfortunately for him, it was hardly the case in the season gone by.

Despite scoring 21 goals in the league, he could not win the Serie A Golden Boot, neither could he inspire Juventus to the Champions League trophy, managing only sporadic bursts of brilliance.

In the UEFA Nations League, he was outstanding in the semi-final against Switzerland but failed to have an impact in the final. Bernardo Silva emerged as the heartbeat of the Portugal team and the Manchester City man was rightly judged the Player of the Tournament ahead of Ronaldo.

However, every cloud has a silver lining and Ronaldo's impact on his new team, in a new league is still commendable. Unfortunately, it just is not enough to win him the Best FIFA Men's Player of the Year this year.

#2 Virgil van Dijk (Netherlands, Liverpool)

Virgil van Dijk is one of the best defenders in the world right now

The Dutchman continues to be among the top contenders for the award owing to his inspirational effect on Jurgen Klopp's team. The Liverpool manager was ridiculed for investing £75m on a defender in January 2018, but a year and a half later, Virgil van Dijk has found his place among one of the best signings in the history of the club.

Van Dijk had a massive impact on Liverpool's fortunes last season, as they won the UEFA Champions League and came within touching distance of a first Premier League title, only to fall short on the final day.

The former Southampton then steered Netherlands to the inaugural UEFA Nations League final but had to settle for silver against a formidable Portugal side.

This month, he was a part of the Liverpool team that locked horns against Premier League champions Manchester City in the Community Shield.

City emerged winners by virtue of a penalty shootout, as van Dijk and Liverpool were undone by a ruthless City team.

There's no doubt that the Dutchman was exceptional last season, but you need something truly magical to beat the man who leads this list. And so, van Dijk is still second in the race of the Best FIFA Men's Player of the Year Award at the start of August.

#1 Lionel Messi (Argentina, Barcelona)

Lionel Messi still is the favorite to life the award this year

Lionel Messi continues to lead the race as the awards night draws closer. The Argentine showed a rare rebellious side to his character in the 2019 Copa America, criticizing the authorities and defending his national team like a true leader.

Unfortunately, it earned him a 3-match ban and also a hefty fine, but not before Messi's voice had traversed the entire span of the globe and found eager ears at unusual places.

The Barcelona skipper also inspired his team to the La Liga title and even helped the Catalans reach the final of the Copa del Rey, only to be defeated by Valencia.

In the Champions League, Messi and co. were undone by a fiery Liverpool side in the semi-finals, in one of the games of the tournament. Despite managing only one Silverware this season, Lionel Messi, however, still deserves the Best FIFA Men's Player of the year award and it is easy to see why.

The Argentina skipper did not have have the best of impacts in the Copa America, as his nation finished third in the tournament. In Barcelona colors though, Messi was outstanding once again last season, winning the La Liga Golden Boot, the European Golden Shoe, while also finishing as the top scorer of the Champions League.

Individually, there was no player close to him in the entire world and at the start of August, Messi continues to be the number one contender for the award.