On November 28, FIFA announced the 11 shortlist for The Best Men’s Player Award, one of the most prestigious awards in football. Lionel Messi, winner of the FIFA Best Men’s Player award for the past two years, was shortlisted despite a mediocre Copa America season for Argentina. La Albiceleste won the title, but Messi was not their best player. He also failed to do anything spectacular for Inter Miami in the period under consideration (August 21, 2023 to August 10, 2024), helping them only to the League Cup.
Messi’s inclusion came as a pleasant surprise to his fans, but neutrals feel his place should have gone to someone else – someone who had a more impactful 2023-24 season. In the list below, we take a look at the top five candidates to take his place, while exploring the biggest obstacles to the Best FIFA Men’s Player award.
Let’s get started!
5th place Mohamed Salah (Liverpool/Egypt)
Liverpool ace Mohamed Salah may not have had his best season in 2023-24, but he was still the team’s best player. He tirelessly linked up with his teammates to create scoring chances, provide outstanding assists and score good goals. His heroics proved crucial as the Merseysiders finished third in the Premier League standings.
Salah scored 18 goals and 10 assists in 32 Premier League games last season. He also scored five goals and provided four assists in nine UEFA Europa League games as Liverpool advanced to the quarter-finals.
#4 Phil Foden (Manchester City/England)
Manchester City stars Rodri and Erling Haaland have been nominated for the Best FIFA Men’s Player award and deservedly so. However, FIFA excluded Phil Foden, Manchester City’s best player last season, from the shortlist. The England international was a central figure for Pep Guardiola’s Cityzens in the 2023-24 season, becoming the first team to win four consecutive Premier League titles. Throughout the season, Foden performed well, scoring 19 goals and providing 8 assists in 35 Premier League games. He also scored 5 goals and 3 assists in 8 UEFA Champions League games. His performances earned him the PFA Player of the Year award at the end of the 2023-24 season.
Foden was also a member of the England squad that reached the 2024 European Championship final. Even though his performance fell short of expectations, Gareth Southgate believed in him throughout the competition.
3rd place Cristiano Ronaldo (Al Nasr / Portugal)
Lionel Messi was shortlisted for FIFA’s Best Men’s Player, while five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo was deemed not good enough to make the cut. Yes. The fact that Ronaldo plays for Al Nasr in the Saudi Professional League didn’t help his cause. But the non-European league factor didn’t hurt Messi. Messi is probably playing in a much less challenging category.
Ronaldo did not win the Saudi Professional League with Al Nasr last season, but he scored an impressive 35 goals and provided 11 assists in 31 games in the top flight. According to Transfermarkt, Ronaldo has found the net 44 times in 45 games in the 2023-24 competition. The Portugal captain also appeared at Euro 2024, providing assists in five games as Os Navegadores reached the quarter-finals.
2nd place Harry Kane (Bayern Munich/England)
Premier League legend Harry Kane finally left Tottenham Hotspur last summer and pledged allegiance to Bundesliga powerhouses Bayern Munich. The England striker made his debut for Bayern, scoring 15 goals in his first 10 Bundesliga games. Kane maintained his blistering form throughout the campaign and scored a chart-topping 36 goals in 32 Bundesliga games. With a total of 72 points, Kane won the European Golden Boot at the end of the 2023-24 season. Unfortunately, even his tremendous performances were not enough to secure the top title for Bayern.
Kane also captained England to the final of the 2024 European Championship. Although he wasn’t his best performer, he still finished the season with three goals.
1st place: Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan/Argentina)
The most shocking omission from the list of best FIFA men’s player nominees, Lautaro Martinez had the best season of his career in 2023-24. The talented centre-forward was firing on all cylinders for Inter Milan during the 2023-24 Serie A campaign, scoring a league-high 24 goals and providing six assists in 33 games. His crucial goal contributions helped the Nerazzurri win Italy’s top title.
The 27-year-old sharpshooter also put in a stellar performance in the 2024 Copa America. He scored five goals in six games, including against Colombia in the final, leading Lionel Messi and Co. to glory. After the campaign, Martinez not only deserved to be on the shortlist, but should have been one of the favorites to win.
