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FIFA The Best nomination: Ronaldo is absent, Mbappe confronts Messi

FIFA announced a shortlist of 14 players to compete for The Best award but without superstar Cristiano Ronaldo who had a forgettable season with Manchester United in 2022 and a disappointing World Cup.
Leey
By: Leey

1. Julian Alvarez

Julian Alvarez

At 22 year olds, Alvarez doesn't seem to be having any problems. He first adjusted well to life at Manchester City before contributing four goals to Argentina's World Cup victory. In Qatar, the player known as "The Spider" proved to be the ideal counterbalance to Lionel Messi with his ferocious pushing and dead-eye finishing.

Alvarez scored six goals for River Plate in an 8-1 Copa Libertadores defeat of Alianza Lima before to his transfer to City.

2. Jude Bellingham

Jude Bellingham

With his strong midfield performances in Qatar at the age of just 19, Bellingham established himself as one of the captains of Gareth Southgate's England team, making him one of the most sought-after players in Europe. He not only helped Borussia Dortmund win the Bundesliga title, but he also became the second-youngest goal scorer in World Cup history for England. He possesses a unique combination of athletic, technical, and tactical aptitude, but his old head on youthful shoulders may be most impressive.

Although Bellingham only made 41 league appearances, Birmingham retired his No. 22 shirt after he joined Dortmund. Bellingham was the club's youngest-ever first-team player at the time of his senior debut.

3. Karim Benzema

Karim Benzema

He was outstanding for Real Madrid, and Benzema's injury prevented him from competing in Qatar 2022, one of the few World Cup disappointments.

Benzema comes from a big family with five sisters and two brothers. A movie was made on his life. The movie, Le K Benzema, was made in 2017 under the direction of Florent Bodin and Damien Piscarel.

4. Kevin De Bruyne

Kevin De Bruyne

With De Bruyne producing 15 league goals and eight assists, as well as performing very well in the final stretch to help Manchester City edge Liverpool, the Premier League title for Manchester City was secured for once another season.

He was named the Premier League Player of the Season, a member of the Premier League and UEFA Champions League Team of the Season, and he has made excellence look natural for him. He had an amazing 15 assists for City prior to the World Cup, most of which went to Erling Haaland, making his start to this season even better in terms of providing goals.

One of just three players to win the accolade in consecutive years after Thierry Henry and Cristiano Ronaldo, De Bruyne is one of only seven players to have won two PFA Players' Player of the Year honors in England.

5. Erling Haaland

Erling Haaland

When you think of Erling Haaland, just one word comes to mind: goals. He has scored goals everywhere he has played, and if there was any lingering question about his talent, his move from Borussia Dortmund to Manchester City proved he can compete at the greatest level. 21 goals in his first 16 league games demonstrated that he has a good chance of continuing to smash records before he's done.

Haaland made league history by becoming the first player to ever record three straight hat-tricks at home.

6. Achraf Hakimi

Achraf Hakimi

Right-back for Paris Saint-Germain Hakimi has excelled for both club and country, but after leading the Atlas Lions to an astonishing fourth-place finish at Qatar 2022, he will be remembered most for that team. You'll go far to find a full-back who possesses as much speed, talent, and technique going forward as he does defending. He was named to the 2021 CAF Africa Cup of Nations Best XI.

For the last two years, Hakimi has earned the Best Moroccan Player Abroad honor.

7. Vinicius Junior

Vinicius Junior

Vinicius Junior had a fantastic season at Real Madrid, dominating domestically and scoring the game-winning goal against Liverpool in the Champions League final. Unsurprisingly, he was named to the Champions League Team of the Season and received the Young Player of the Season honor in Europe's top league. The Brazilian still has a lot to offer; he is only 22.

When Vinicius made his Flamengo debut in 2017 at the age of 16, Real Madrid quickly signed him, and he officially joined the team on his 18th birthday.

8. Robert Lewandowski

Robert Lewandowski

After another goal-filled season for Bayern Munich, the prolific Polish striker is vying for his third award in a row. He put an end to it by flying to Barcelona. With Bayern, he won the Bundesliga once more, and with his second Golden Shoe trophy, he was not only the top scorer in Germany but also in all of Europe. The event saw him earn his first World Cup goals despite missing a penalty in Qatar.

Lewandowski's €45 million transfer to Barcelona set a record for Bayern Munich and made him the most expensive Polish player in history.

9. Sadio Mane

Sadio Mane

Before heading to Bayern Munich to take on a new challenge, Mane won everything with Liverpool, including a domestic cup double, and narrowly missed winning a second Champions League. He has also excelled for Senegal, scoring the go-ahead penalty as they won the Africa Cup of Nations and advanced to the World Cup. Sadly, though, his injuries kept him out of the competition. At the CAF Africa Cup of Nations, he was named both Man of the Tournament and African Footballer of the Year.

When Mane scored his hat-trick for Southampton against Aston Villa in 2015, it was the fastest hat-trick in Premier League history, taking just two minutes and 56 seconds.

10. Kylian Mbappe

Kylian Mbappe

With all he's accomplished in the game and the World Cup Golden Boot he won after France lost to Argentina on penalties in the Qatar 2022 final, it's easy to forget that Mbappe is only 24 years old. He has already won the World Cup, though, and he also frequently makes the Champions League Team of the Season in addition to several scoring records and honors.

Mbappe, a World Cup expert, has started 12 of France's games so far in the tournament and has contributed to two goals and 12 goals total, with Les Bleus drawing two games and losing the other two. When he started, France never lost in 90 minutes, winning 11 of 12, with the only loss coming in the extra period against Argentina in the Qatar 2022 final.

11. Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi

What is left to be said about Messi? When he led Argentina to the World Cup, he not only finished the set but also led them admirably by scoring seven goals and taking home the adidas Golden Ball.

He broke the record for most World Cup appearances and finished the tournament as Argentina's all-time leading scorer. His spectacular performance in Qatar was the cherry on top for the man who rightfully belongs among the all-time greats of the game after winning everything else over the years.

The fact that Messi not only has the most goals ever scored in La Liga (474) but also the most assists ever in the Spanish top flight demonstrates just how excellent a player he was while at Barcelona (192).

12. Luka Modric

Luka Modric

Few people in Qatar gave Modric or Croatia much of a chance, but thanks to one of the best midfielders in the world, they once more beat the odds by placing third. He continued to be outstanding for Real Madrid in their Champions League victory and, because to more of his outstanding midfield performances, was named to the competition's Team of the Season.

After guiding Croatia to the World Cup final in 2018, Modric won this honor, ending the 10-year domination of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

13. Neymar

Neymar

Brazil fell to Croatia on penalties after scoring a fantastic goal at the World Cup to demonstrate what Neymar is capable of. The World Cup will have been a huge letdown for the Brazilian, who helped PSG win another league championship. To make up for it, he'll try to assist the French team win the Champions League.

Neymar has 100 goals in 100 games among three clubs: Santos, Barcelona, and PSG.

14. Mohamed Salah

Mohamed Salah

The Egyptian just keeps quietly scoring goals for Liverpool, and last season, another large haul nearly helped the Reds win all four competitions.

The Premier League's Golden Boot was won by Salah once more, and he was once more honored for his accomplishments by being voted PFA Player of the Year twice, in addition to the Football Writers' award.

In addition to winning the FIFA Puskás Award for 2018 for his goal in the Merseyside derby against Everton, Salah has twice finished third in this competition.

FIFA is currently open to voting for fans until February 3, with the winner announced at The Best FIFA Football Awards ceremony held on February 27 in Paris, France.

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Leey
Written by: Leey
Leey is the reporter for Betimate. She currently has a series of articles about football. She specializes in researching football data to come up with evaluations about the tournament and predictions about the matches.

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