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#3 Karim Benzema (France/Real Madrid)
Karim Benzema has had a great year at an individual level. He has been in sublime form for club and country. Benzema scored 30 goals and provided nine assists in 46 appearances across all competitions for Los Blancos last term.
This helped the 34-year-old earn a call-up to the national side after a gap of almost six years. Benzema made the most of it as well. He scored four goals in four appearances for France at Euro 2020.
The Real Madrid striker would then score crucial goals in the semi-finals and finals of the UEFA Nations League during France's triumphant run. He has also been in spectacular form for Real Madrid this term.
Benzema is one player who has improved his credentials in the race for the Best FIFA Men's Player Award 2021 in the second half of the year. He has scored 20 goals and provided eight assists in 23 appearances across all competitions so far this term.
Also take a look into Karim Benzema's Net Worth in 2021, his investments and charity donations.
#2 Lionel Messi (Argentina/Paris Saint-Germain)
Fresh from winning a record seventh Ballon d'Or, Lionel Messi is one of the frontrunners for the Best FIFA Men's Player Award as well. Messi has had a rather incredible year. He was a one-man army for Barcelona in the first half of 2021.
Messi schlepped the Catalans back into the La Liga title race but they ultimately finished third after squandering their chances in the final few gameweeks. Messi scored 38 goals and provided 14 assists in 47 appearances across all competitions for Barcelona in 2020-21.
The 34-year-old then went onto win the 2021 Copa America with Argentina. Not only was he the top goalscorer and assist provider at the competition but he was also chosen as the 'Best Player of the Tournament'.
He did not exactly hit the ground running at PSG but has been in great form in the Champions League. Messi has six goals and five assists to his name in 16 appearances across all competitions for the Ligue 1 outfit so far this season.
#1 Robert Lewandowski (Poland/Bayern Munich)
Robert Lewandowski won the Best FIFA Men's Player Award in 2020. He was the clear-cut winner. After the 2021 Ballon d'Or was awarded to Lionel Messi, a large section of football fans were of the opinion that Lewandowski had been robbed again.
It's hard to argue against the sheer numbers Lewandowski has stacked up. In the 2020-21 season, he scored 48 goals and provided nine assists in 40 appearances across all competitions for the Bavarians. He was a standout performer for them as they won the Bundesliga.
Lewandowski has already scored 30 goals in 25 appearances for Bayern Munich in the 2021-22 season. He has been a goalscoring machine for club and country. Lewandowski also won the European Golden Shoe in the 2020-21 season.
He also broke Gerd Muller's long-standing record for the most goals scored in a single Bundesliga season (40) by netting 41 in 29 appearances last term.
