FIFA unveils best player finalists including Lamine Yamal and Mbappé, as well as coach candidates for the World Coach of the Year award, featuring Pep Guardiola, Carlo Ancelotti, and Spain’s Luis de la Fuente
Leo Messi and Kylian Mbappé, among the contenders (Photo: AFP)
FIFA has announced the eleven finalists for the prestigious 'Best Player of the Year' award, set to be presented on January 15, 2025. Among the nominees is Inter Miami’s Argentine superstar Lionel Messi, who headlines the list leading up to The Best awards ceremony.
For the first time since 2003, neither Lionel Messi nor Cristiano Ronaldo has appeared on the shortlist for the Ballon d’Or, which recognizes the World Player of the Year. However, Messi finds consolation in being one of FIFA's eleven finalists for the 2024 World Player of the Year award. Unlike the Ballon d’Or, this award evaluates performances based on the calendar year rather than the 2023/24 season.
Messi, the award’s recipient for the past two years, is notably the sole representative from a team outside Europe’s top five leagues. His inclusion is largely attributed to his triumph in the Copa America.
Joining Messi on the shortlist are recent Ballon d’Or winner Rodri and breakout star Vinícius Júnior, along with a host of current or former Real Madrid players: Dani Carvajal, Federico Valverde, Jude Bellingham, and Toni Kroos. Other nominees include Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappé, Manchester City’s Erling Haaland, Barcelona's rising talent Lamine Yamal, and Florian Wirtz, who played a pivotal role in Bayer Leverkusen’s historic Bundesliga title.
In the race for the World Coach of the Year award, the candidates are Carlo Ancelotti, Lionel Scaloni, Luis de la Fuente, Pep Guardiola, and Xabi Alonso.
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