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The Best FIFA Men's Player Award is one of the most prestigious individual prizes in the world of football. The Best FIFA Men's Player Award is right next to the Ballon d'Or in terms of significance. The much coveted trophy will be handed out at the The Best FIFA Football Awards online ceremony which will be held on 17th January.
The Best FIFA Men's Player Award uses a unique voting system
The Ballon d'Or and the Best FIFA Men's Player Award use different voting systems. The former is decided on the basis of an aggregate of votes from journalists, national team captains and coaches.
Meanwhile, the Best FIFA Men's Player Award has a voting system that's unique to itself. Voters are divided into four categories - national team captains, national team coaches, media representatives and fans. Each of the four categories get 25% of the vote share.
In 2020, we had a clear cut winner in Robert Lewandowski. Things are much tighter this time around. Without further ado, let's take a look at the top five favourites for the Best FIFA Men's Player Award.
#5 Mohamed Salah (Egypt/Liverpool)
Mohamed Salah has raced past multiple competitors to become a top contender in the race for the 2021 Best FIFA Men's Player Award. Salah was one of the only bright spots for Liverpool in an otherwise underwhelming 2020-21 season.
The Egyptian international scored 31 goals and provided six assists in 51 appearances across all competitions for Jurgen Klopp's men last term. He has stepped it up in the 2021-22 campaign and has been in sublime form.
In fact, it could be said that on current form, Salah might just be in the top three players in the world. He has scored 17 goals and provided seven assists in just 18 appearances across all competitions for Liverpool so far this term.
The sheer amount of impact he has had in the Premier League in recent times is immense. He has scored some wonderful solo goals and has been a difference maker for Liverpool in and around the final third. That's why he has cracked into our top five favourites for the 2021 Best FIFA Men's Player Award.
#4 Karim Benzema (France/Real Madrid)
Karim Benzema is yet another player whose credentials have grown considerably in recent months. Benzema went trophyless with Real Madrid in the 2020-21 season. But he scored 30 goals and provided nine assists in 46 appearances across all competitions for Los Blancos last term.
This allowed Benzema to earn a call-up to the French national side for Euro 2020. This was the first time that the 33-year-old was named in the national squad after a gap of six years. He scored four goals in four appearances for Les Bleus in the continental competition.
Benzema then started the 2021-22 season in spectacular fashion. He has been prolific in terms of goalscoring and his all-round game has been one of the highlights of Real Madrid's season so far. Benzema inspired France to a UEFA Nations League triumph, scoring important goals in the semi-finals and final of the competition.
He has scored 16 goals and provided eight assists in 18 appearances across all competitions in the 2021-22 season so far. We wouldn't be very surprised if Benzema made the Best FIFA Men's Player Award podium.
#3 Jorginho (Italy/Chelsea)
No footballer has had a better summer than Chelsea and Italy midfielder Jorginho. After playing a crucial role in Chelsea's triumphant run in the UEFA Champions League, Jorginho was a standout performer for Italy as they won Euro 2020.
The 29-year-old is one of the best holding midfielders in the game right now. Not only is he an excellent passer of the ball, but he is also adept at the defensive side of things. His positional awareness, ability to read the game and to make interceptions and blocks set him apart.
Jorginho was named UEFA Player of the Year. He has an impressive trophy haul this year, which includes the Champions League, Euro 2020 and the UEFA Super Cup. However, none of those successes could be entirely chalked up to Jorginho's individual brilliance.
That could unfortunately have an adverse impact on his chances of winning the Best FIFA Men's Player Award this year.
#2 Lionel Messi (Argentina/Paris Saint-Germain)
Lionel Messi won a record seventh Ballon d'Or on Monday. Although he is yet to really get going at Paris Saint-Germain, Messi did a great job in the first half of the year. He single-handedly dragged Barcelona back into the 2020-21 La Liga title race.
Messi turned in multiple matchwinning performances to help Barcelona get back on their feet last term. He was their standout performer as the Catalans won the Copa Del Rey. But Messi's crowning achievement was winning the 2021 Copa America with Argentina.
He was named the Best Player of the tournament. Messi was the top goalscorer and assist provider as well. He scored four goals and provided five assists in seven appearances in the tournament. The 34-year-old, however, has not been anywhere near his best this season at his new club.
#1 Robert Lewandowski (Poland/Bayern Munich)
If Robert Lewandowski had won the Ballon d'Or this year, it would have only been well deserved. The Polish international is inarguably the best striker on the planet right now. He broke Gerd Muller's record for the most goals scored in a single Bundesliga season (40) last term by scoring 41 goals in 29 appearances.
Lewandowski won the European Golden Shoe and finished the 2020-21 season with 48 goals and nine assists in 40 appearances across all competitions for the Bavarians. He then scored three goals in three appearances for Poland at Euro 2020. The 33-year-old has been in irrepressible form this term as well.
He has already scored 25 goals in 20 appearances across all competitions this season. Lewandowski has been a class apart since the start of the season and is still going strong. He is our pick to win the Best FIFA Men's Player Award this year.
