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FIFA have released their three-man shortlist for The Best FIFA Men’s Player Award today, just a few days after UEFA named their Player of the Year in Monaco.
The short-list for the prestigious award mirrors that of the UEFA prize as Lionel Messi, Virgil van Dijk, and Cristiano Ronaldo once again make their way into the top three.
A ten-man shortlist was initially announced earlier last month and included award regulars, Messi and Cristiano, who were joined by Eden Hazard, Harry Kane, Sadio Mane, Kylian Mbappe, Mohamed Salah, Frenkie de Jong, Matthijs de Ligt and Virgil van Dijk.
The award recognises a player's achievements during the period from 16 July 2018 to 19 July 2019 and the winner is voted for by media representatives, national team coaches, national team captains and fans, with each group getting 25% of the overall vote.
The three finalists for were announced in an event at the San Siro stadium in Milan today, with all award winners set to be revealed at The Best FIFA Football Awards show in the city on September 23.
In this article, we attempt to rank the three finalists for the award based on their performances in the previous season:
#3 Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus and Portugal)
Cristiano Ronaldo, who remains a perennial contender for all individual prizes, has found himself in unfamiliar territory as he is widely pegged to lose the race for the Best FIFA Men’s Player award this year.
The 34-year-old forward was named Serie A's Player of the Year as he aided Juventus to a predictable league title by scoring 21 goals and providing 10 assists for the side. He may have tallied an impressive 28 goals in all competitions for the Turin giants, but his debut season in the Italian top-flight is largely seen as dull in comparison to his previous campaigns.
The Portuguese talisman has helped the Old Lady to a domestic double with a Supercoppa Italiana win, but has failed to deliver on the stage he was primarily brought to the club to shine on: the UEFA Champions League.
The European trophy has eluded the Bianconeri for decades but the arrival of the 'Champions League man' was expected to put an end to the drought.
Ronaldo was, however, unable to inspire Juventus beyond the quarter-finals of the European competition as the side fell to a shock defeat to Dutch titans, Ajax.
The Juventus superstar's only redemption may come in the form of Portugal's UEFA Nations League win, as his national team would have never made it to the finals if it wasn't for his decisive hat-trick in the semi-finals.
Ronaldo's season may have been far from torrid but it falls agonisingly short in a race where his fellow contenders have hit insane numbers in the course of the year.
#2 Lionel Messi (Barcelona and Argentina)
Messi enjoyed one of his best individual seasons in recent years as he outclassed every single attacking player in Europe with scintillating displays and mind-blowing numbers to back him.
The Barcelona captain netted 51 goals and provided 22 assists in 50 games for the Catalan giants, finishing as the top-scorer in La Liga, Europe, and the Champions League.
The 32-year-old dominated 14 of the 15 attacking statistics in the Spanish top-flight, coming second only in the take-on numbers, as former Southampton player Sofiane Boufal completed 144 take-ons, which is 10 more than the Blaugrana superstar.
His goal-scoring exploits ultimately helped Barcelona to a consecutive La Liga title but failed to inspire them to the much-awaited Champions League trophy, a promise that he made to fans before the start of the season.
The Blaugrana were initially pegged for a spectacular treble as they were favourites to win the Champions League and the Copa del Rey. However, an embarrassing semi-final defeat to Liverpool in the European competition and a shock defeat to Valencia in the Copa del Rey have reduced their trophy count from three to one.
Barcelona's grand collapses have unfortunately overshadowed Messi's personal achievements and his performances in the Copa America have provided little to no retribution for the slight.
Messi made the headlines as Argentina succumbed to a semi-final exit in the Copa America this summer. The five-time Balon d'Or winner, who only found the net thrice in the South American tournament, accused CONMEBOL of setting up the competition for Brazil to win and was consequently, handed a ban and a fine for his comments.
The mercurial Argentine truly has no attacking rival in the race for the award but his own shortcomings towards the end of the season could cost him a handful of prizes this year.
#1 Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool and Netherlands)
A world-record fee of £75 million never looked cheaper as Liverpool continue to reap the fruits of Virgil van Dijk's transfer from Southampton in 2017.
Coming straight after his UEFA's Player of the Year win, the 28-year-old is heavily tipped to add the Best FIFA Men’s Player award to his growing list of individual prizes after he played an influential role in the Reds' 97-point haul in the Premier League and their memorable Champions League win.
The colossal centre-back rivals Messi's attacking stats with ridiculous defensive numbers of his own. While the Barcelona talisman boasts of a staggering 51 goals, the Liverpool star was the defender with the highest successful duel percentage in the continent (76.3 %), winning 244 of the 322 duels he competed in.
It was also believed that the Netherlands international was not dribbled past in any competitive game last term, a stat that has been rehashed several times across media outlets and bar room debates.
His defensive abilities, backed by his intelligence and agility, have largely helped Liverpool maintain the best defensive record in the Premier League as they managed to concede only 22 goals last season.
The Dutchman's influence in the attacking third is also to be noted as he registered four goals and four assists in 59 appearances for club and country.
Internationally, van Dijk guided Netherlands to the UEFA Nations League final but ultimately failed to get the better of eventual winners, Portugal.
The PFA Player of the Year looks set to break all barriers this award season as he ushers in a new era in which defenders are credited for their contributions to football, not only with words in an article but also with a trophy to take home.
