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The Best FIFA Men's Player Award is one of the most prestigious individual prizes in football. Even though the Ballon d'Or was canceled last year in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Best FIFA Men's Player Award went ahead. Robert Lewandowski was named the Best FIFA Men's Player in 2021.
The voting system used for Best FIFA Men's Player Awards is unique
The Ballon d'Or winner is chosen on the basis of an aggregate of votes from journalists, national team captains and coaches. Meanwhile, the Best FIFA Men's Player Award is given on the basis of a different voting system. Voters are grouped into four categories.
National Team coaches, National Team captains, Media representatives from each country, and fans from across the world all have 25% vote share each.
Unlike 2020, it is very tough to predict which way this year's award will go. Without further ado, let's take a look at the top five favourites to win the Best FIFA Men's Player Awards this year.
#5 Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal/Manchester United)
Cristiano Ronaldo has had a stellar year at an individual level. He won the Serie A Golden Boot by scoring 29 goals in 33 appearances for Juventus in the 2020-21 season.
The Portuguese international followed it up by winning the Golden Boot at Euro 2020, scoring five goals and providing an assist in four appearances in the tournament. He has been in great goalscoring form this term as well. The 36-year-old also became the leading men's international goalscorer this year and now has 115 goals to his name.
Ronaldo may have lost a yard of pace in recent years but he hasn't lost the ability to come up clutch when his teams need him most. He has already scored several important goals for Manchester United in what has already been a testing season for them.
He has scored nine goals and provided an assist in 13 appearances for the Red Devils so far this term. Ronaldo's teams haven't performed all that well though. Also, a lack of major trophies could act as a major impediment for him in the race for the FIFA Best Men's Player Award.
#4 Jorginho (Italy/Chelsea)
Jorginho is one of the best holding midfielders on the planet right now. The technically brilliant Italian played a crucial role as Chelsea won the UEFA Champions League in the 2020-21 season.
Subsequently, he was Italy's midfield lynchpin as they won the European championship. Jorginho keeps a cool head under pressure and is one of the most complete holding midfielders in the game right now. His distribution is top-notch and so are his defensive attributes.
He possesses a great reading of the game and is always on hand to make interceptions and blocks. Jorginho's positional awareness has also gone a long way towards making his teams formidable at the back.
While neither Italy nor Chelsea's triumphs can be chalked down to individual brilliance, it is difficult to overlook what Jorginho has achieved with both sides. Jorginho was named UEFA Men's Player of the Year earlier this year as well.
Jorginho is a worthy contender for both the Ballon d'Or and the Best FIFA Men's Player Award this year.
#3 Karim Benzema (France/Real Madrid)
Karim Benzema has been on a roll this year. He was one of the only bright spots for Real Madrid in an otherwise dull 2020-21 season. Benzema scored 30 goals and provided nine assists in 46 appearances across all competitions last term.
Those exploits saw him earn a call-up to the French national side after a gap of six years. Benzema was one of the best strikers at Euro 2020, scoring four goals in four appearances. Unfortunately for him, France crashed out of the competition in the Round of 16 against Switzerland.
Benzema has kicked on in the same vein in the early stages of the 2021-22 season. He has been in staggering form for Real Madrid, scoring 14 goals and providing eight assists in just 15 appearances across all competitions so far.
In addition to that, Benzema scored important goals for France in the semi-final and final of the UEFA Nations League.
#2 Robert Lewandowski (Poland/Bayern Munich)
Robert Lewandowski is arguably the best striker in the world right now. The Bayern Munich centre-forward has been an extremely prolific goalscorer in recent times. He is definitely in with a shout to win the Best FIFA Men's Player Award in two successive years.
In the 2020-21 season, Lewandowski broke Gerd Muller's record of most goals scored in a single Bundesliga season by netting 41 in 29 appearances. He finished the season with a tally of 48 goals in 40 appearances across all competitions for the Bavarians. He also won the Bundesliga title last term.
Lewandowski scored three goals in three appearances at Euro 2020 but Poland crashed out in the group stages. The 33-year-old has been in sublime form this season as well and has 23 goals and two assists to his name from 17 appearances across all competitions.
#1 Lionel Messi (Argentina/Paris Saint-Germain)
Could Lionel Messi win his second Best FIFA Men's Player Award this term? Why not? Despite his lack of goals he Ligue 1 in the new season, Messi has had a spectacular year. He finally managed to win a major international trophy with Argentina as they became continental champions at Copa America 2021.
Messi was the top scorer and the top assist provider at the tournament. He scored four goals and provided five assists in seven appearances for La Albiceleste as they won the Copa America after 28 years. Messi was also named the tournament's Best Player.
He was also incredible for Barcelona in 2021. After getting off to a slow start in the 2020-21 season, Messi tuned it around and almost single-handedly dragged the Catalans back into the La Liga title race. He also won the Copa Del Rey with them.
Messi's individual brilliance shone through and he scored 38 goals and provided 14 assists for Barcelona in 47 appearances across all competitions last term.
