Fifa have announced the final three for The Best Men’s Player award for 2018 and there is one surprise omission.
Barcelona forward Lionel Messi has not made it into the final three of the award for the first time since the Ballon d’Or in 2006 – when he was just getting started in his senior career.
Though the Ballon d’Or merged with Fifa’s World Player of the Year award in 2010 and then split once again, Fifa’s The Best awards have served as the governing body’s official replacement with France Football continuing its own Ballon d’Or.
This year, the final three consists of Cristiano Ronaldo, who helped Real Madrid to a third-consecutive Champions League, Luka Modric who also won the Champions League and inspired Croatia to reaching the World Cup final, and Mohamed Salah, who scored 44 goals in all competitions for Liverpool and helped them reach the Champions League final.
Lionel Messi is not in the final three of The Best FIFA Men's Player – or equivalent – for the first time since 2006.
Wow. 🤯 pic.twitter.com/DYNsm4F0Dc
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) September 3, 2018
Despite his struggles in Europe with Barcelona and the World Cup with Argentina, Messi did have a very good domestic season, winning La Liga and the Copa del Rey, scoring 45 goals in 54 games across all competitions for the club winning the European Golden Shoe.
The final three also fails to include any of France’s World Cup winners from the summer, with Raphael Varane, Antoine Griezmann and Kylian Mbappe only making the top 10.
Fifa also announced the shortlist for The Best Women’s Player, Men’s Coach, Women’s Coach Goalkeeper, Fans and the Puskas Award, which are as follows:
Women’s Player: Ada Hegerberg (Norway and Olympique Lyon Feminin), Dzsenifer Marozsan (Germany and Olympique Lyon Feminin), Marta (Brazil and Orlando Pride)
Men’s Coach: Zlatko Dalic (Croatia national team), Didier Deschamps (France national team), Zinedine Zidane (Formerly Real Madrid)
Women’s Coach: Reynald Pedros (Olympique Lyon Feminin), Asako Takakura (Japan women’s national team), Sarina Wiegman (Netherlands women’s national team)
Goalkeeper: Thibaut Courtois (Belgium and Chelsea/Real Madrid), Hugo Lloris (France and Tottenham Hotspur), Kasper Schmeichel (Denmark and Leicester City)
Puskas Award: Gareth Bale (Real Madrid), Denis Cheryshev (Russia), Lazaros Christodoulopoulos (AEK Athens), Cristiano Ronaldo (for Real Madrid), Giorgian de Arrascaeta (Cruzeiro), Riley McGree (Newcastle Jets), Lionel Messi (Argentina), Benjamin Pavard (France), Ricardo Quaresma (Portugal), Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Fan Award: Sebastián Carrera (CD Puerto Montt), Japan and Senegal supporters, Peru supporters
The footballing world reacts to Lionel Messi’s The Best Awards omission
While many would have expected either Luka Modric or Cristiano Ronaldo to win The Best Men’s Player award this year, the omission of Messi from the top three has left the footballing world shocked.
We'll just leave this here. 🤯 pic.twitter.com/150lr4oZ0N
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) September 3, 2018
Lionel Messi's mind-blowing 2017/18 LaLiga season.
Not enough for a top three nomination. 🤯https://t.co/mbYbWtXotl
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) September 3, 2018
FIFA Best Award – It's not an award for the best player in the world if Messi doesn't win it, much less even make the top three
— Ryan Baldi (@RyanBaldiFW) September 3, 2018
I know 1) Barcelona didn't reach Champions League final 2) Argentina were poor at the World Cup and 3) it's always on his shoulders if those teams fall short, … but does anyone seriously think Messi wasn't one of the top three top-performing players in the world last season? https://t.co/yANVtyvaHS
— Oliver Kay (@OliverKayTimes) September 3, 2018
Fans play a part in this too with their vote. This award is just bias and shouldn't be taken seriously. Anyone with a half functioning brain knows Messi was the undisputed best last season and deserves the 2018 ballon d'or 100%
— We3toD_DuDe (@TheMark0fS) September 3, 2018
Messi not in another top 3. These awards are just getting ridiculous now.
Ronaldo and Modric are completely deserved, but you don't think Messi who had an amazing individual season while actually winning 2 trophies was better than Salah, who won 0 all year?
— ™ (@Tacticomotion_) September 3, 2018
Messi doesnt make FIFA top 3? but Salah does. Wow. This is injustice of the highest order. Man had zero trophies, had lesser goals, was KOd innthe group stages of the WC. @FIFAcom explain this.
— €|yöñ (@filbef) September 3, 2018
Messi is a victim of his own greatness, the best player in the world by a mile again and he isn't even nominated. That award is cancelled.
— Ollie (@BehanCFC) September 3, 2018
FIFA are a disgrace. Messi not even top three. European golden boot winner, La Liga and Copa del Rey even after everyone expected Barça to crumble and have a bad season.
One of Salah/Modric shouldn’t be there imo. I’ll remove Mo really.
— ~ (@davidnsudoh) September 3, 2018
When #TheBest is not the best. No way Messi should be excluded from the list. No Griezmann or Mbappé either. In a World Cup year. You'd think FIFA's big tournament would hold more sway in a FIFA award. But it's 25% fan vote, so Cristiano the favourite again.
— Ben Hayward (@bghayward) September 3, 2018
Anyone who thinks Modric and Lloris had better seasons than Messi and De Gea places way too much importance on a seven match tournament.
— Oscar (@Reunewal) September 3, 2018
No French World cup winners or Messi in final 3 for FIFA best: Ronaldo, Salah and Modric
— Kieran Canning (@KieranCanning) September 3, 2018
The post Lionel Messi left off Fifa award shortlist for the first time in 12 years appeared first on Squawka News.
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