France’s World Cup star Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are among key players shortlisted by FIFA, the world football governing body, for the Best Men’s Player award nominees for the 2017-2018 season.
The 19-year-old Mbappe displayed a string of impressive performances in France’s World Cup-winning campaign, becoming only the second teenager after Brazil’s Pele to score in a World Cup.
The 31-year-old Lionel Andrés Messi Cuccittini is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for Spanish club, Barcelona and has a record-tying five Ballon d’Or awards.
Messi has the second-most goals scored (100) of all-time in the European Cup and UEFA Champions League.
The 33-year-old Portuguese Ronaldo has won a fourth career Ballon d’Or for his soccer accomplishments and is the sixth-most expensive Association Football transfer (£88.5 M, from Real Madrid to Juventus in 2018).
The Egypt’s Mohamed Salah who is among those shortlisted Salah, is the top scorer in European club football last year. He scored 44 goals for the Premier League side Liverpool in all competitions, and picked player of the seasons honours in England.
The current African footballer of the year, Salah, would be the first player from the continent to win the FIFA prize since Liberian striker- and current president- George Weah won in 1995.
Other players in the 10-man list are: Kevin De Bruyne, Antoine Griezmann, Eden Hazard, Harry Kane, Luka Modric and Raphael Varane.
The awards ceremony is set to take place in London on September 24. FIFA said it would name a final list of three nominees in early September.
Football fans can vote for their preferred nominee on FIFA’s website.
Results are expected to be taken into consideration alongside the votes of national team coaches, captains and selected journalist from Fifa’s 211 member countries.
FIFA has also announced the nominees for the Coach of the Year award, with the likes of Zinedine Zidane, Pep Guardiola and Gareth Southgate form part of the list.
