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The Best FIFA Men's Player Award is an individual honour bestowed upon the best male footballer of the year. It is awarded by football's governing authority FIFA. In addition to the sporting performance, a player's conduct both on and off the field is also assessed when picking the winner.
The Best FIFA Men's Player Award is decided by votes from four groups
The Best FIFA Men's Player Award is decided via votes from media representatives, national team coaches and national team captains. In 2016, it was decided that the general public will also have a say in the Best FIFA Men's Player Award. Each group will have a 25% vote share.
Robert Lewandowski won the Best FIFA Men's Player Award in 2020. He was the clear-cut favourite and it was a one-horse race more or less. But this time around, there are several players who are in the race to win the prestigious award.
Without further ado, let's take a look at the five favourites for the Best FIFA Men's Player Award 2021.
#5 Cristiano Ronaldo - Portugal/Juventus
Cristiano Ronaldo may have lost a yard of pace in recent years but despite that, he continues to be one of the best individual performers in the world. Ronaldo won the Serie A Golden Boot this year, scoring 29 goals for Juventus from 33 appearances in the Italian top-flight.
He also had a pretty solid outing at Euro 2020. Even though Portugal crashed out of Euro 2020 in the Round of 16, Ronaldo managed to win the Golden Boot. He scored five goals and provided an assist in four matches in the continental competition.
Cristiano Ronaldo won the Best FIFA Men's Player award in 2016 and 2017. But having won just the Coppa Italia this year, it will be difficult for Ronaldo to find a place on the podium this time around.
#4 Robert Lewandowski - Poland/Bayern Munich
The Bayern Munich marksman is arguably the best striker in the world right now. He won the latest edition of the Best FIFA Men's Player Award but it won't be as straightforward for Lewandowski this time. That's despite the incredible numbers he clocked in the 2020-21 season.
Lewandowski broke Gerd Muller's record for most goals scored in a 38-game Bundesliga season. He scored 41 goals in 29 Bundesliga games. Lewandowski scored 48 goals and provided nine assists in 40 appearances across all competitions in the 2020-21 season.
He also scored three goals at Euro 2020. Since a large share of the votes come from captains and coaches of national teams, there will be a certain weightage attached to trophies. Lewandowski has the Bundesliga title but his achievements in a star-studded Bayern Munich side might not be enough this time around.
He was the odds-on favourite last time because Bayern Munich won the continental treble and were unstoppable in Europe.
#3 N'Golo Kante - France/Chelsea
N'Golo Kante was unstoppable in the closing stages of the 2020-21 season for Chelsea. He was a force to be reckoned with in midfield as he produced match-winning performances one after the other.
Kante picked up four back-to-back man-of-the-match awards for Chelsea, starting from the second leg of the quarter-final to the final of the Champions League. The Frenchman is a tenacious campaigner and is technically proficient in addition to being tactically intelligent.
Kante was one of France's chief weapons at Euro 2020 but they crashed out in the Round of 16 against Switzerland. But having been the standout performer in Chelsea's Champions League triumph, the 30-year-old is definitely in with a chance of being chosen as the Best FIFA Men's Player.
#2 Jorginho - Italy/Chelsea
Jorginho is Chelsea's metronome in midfield. Under Thomas Tuchel, the Italian's influence on the game has become more apparent and the results are starting to show as well. He kept Chelsea's midfield ticking and kept things neat and tidy in the center of the pitch during their triumphant run in the UEFA Champions League.
He was also phenomenal for Italy at Euro 2020. Forced to do more defensive work at the continental tournament, Jorginho came out with flying colours. The 29-year-old topped the list for interceptions (25), recoveries (46) and fouls drawn (18) at Euro 2020.
Jorginho has won two major titles this summer and was an influential figure for his club and country in both triumphs. The UEFA Champions League title and Euro 2020 make for a trophy haul that is difficult to look past.
#1 Lionel Messi - Argentina
It's a bit weird not to see the Barcelona tag right next to Lionel Messi's name. He has officially left the club and it's been a roller coaster of a summer for the Argentina international.
Messi was the driving force behind Argentina's Copa America title win in the summer. He won the Golden Boot and the Best Player Award at the recently concluded continental competition. Messi also won the Pichichi trophy in 2021 after topping the La Liga goalscoring charts with 30 to his name.
He had a haul of 38 goals and 14 assists from 47 appearances across all competitions for Barcelona in the 2020-21 season. He also guided Barcelona to the Copa Del Rey title.
It remains to be seen where Messi will end up ahead of the 2021-22 season. But there's no doubting that it will be a game-changing signing for any side that secures his services.
