World Cup finalists Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe featured on FIFA's Best Men's Player shortlist, but there was no room for Cristiano Ronaldo.

The recent Al-Nassr signing did not feature in FIFA's list of 14 players who are up for the award, which takes a look back at the best performers from the previous calendar year.

2022 witnessed a number of memorable moments at club and international levels. From Bayern's record 10th straight Bundesliga and Erling Haaland's rampant start to life in England, to Senegal's first Africa Cup of Nations triumph and a first final-four World Cup finish for an African side with Morocco in Qatar.

A year of fine footballing action closed with Lionel Messi finally getting his hands on the World Cup trophy, but will that be enough for the Argentine to win FIFA's esteemed individual award?

Who are the 2022 FIFA Best Men's Player Award nominees?

Player Club
Julian Alvarez River Plate/Manchester City
Jude Bellingham Borussia Dortmund
Karim Benzema Real Madrid
Kevin De Bruyne. Manchester City
Erling Haaland Dortmund/Manchester City
Achraf Hakimi Paris Saint-Germain
R. Lewandowski Bayern Munich/Barcelona
Sadio Mane Liverpool/Bayern Munich
Kylian Mbappe Paris Saint-Germain
Lionel Messi Paris Saint-Germain
Luka Modric Real Madrid
Neymar Paris Saint-Germain
Mohamed Salah Liverpool
Vinicius Junior Real Madrid

How is the 2022 FIFA Best Men's Player award decided?

The final shortlist of players are selected by FIFA based on sporting performance - both at team and individual level - as well as general conduct on and off the pitch.

Of those nominees, votes are then decided by media representatives, national team coaches, national team captains and, since October 2016, the general public.

Each group gets 25% of the vote, before a winner is announced from votes cast from those four sections.


How to vote for 2022 FIFA Best Men's Player award
In order to be able to vote, fans must be registered on FIFA's website. Once registered, FIFA members are allowed to vote for their top three selections in the men's player category.

FIFA's website includs each candidate, their individual and team accolades, and numbers 1, 2 and 3 underneath. No.1 will be considered as top choice, No.2 second choice and No.3 third choice.

Users then have to click 'Submit your vote' at the bottom of the page and the vote will be counted.

When will 2022 FIFA best men's player award results be announced?

The awards of all categories, including the men's player, will be revealed at The Best FIFA Football Awards on February 27, 2023.

https://www.goal.com/en-ng/news/fifa-best-mens-player-award-2023-nominees-messi-mbappe-ronaldo/blt1985350fe157b81c

Hmmmmm I thought this FIFA award use to be the biggest achievement for a football player, but now balon Dor is more prestigious to it

Congratulations to the winner in advance

INTEGRITYA1:
Congratulations to the winner messi in advance and more tears to pendu fans

jimmyolasun:

You get it right. I just decided not to mention name, I've learnt to be neutral on public forum as a business guy, even if I know where my loyalty is pointing at.

INTEGRITYA1:


You get it right. I just decided not to mention name, I've learnt to be neutral on public forum as a business guy, even if I know where my loyalty is pointing at.

but not in football. anyone who chooses to pick offence in that is a sick fellow.. all the whole banters about pendu and pessi and all is for fun. people wey dey make millions every day na him i go carry put for head..

all the same, davido get 1 world cup appearance

messi >> davido>> c ronaldo

This looks straight off like a tight one between Messi, Mbappe and Benzema.

Benzema had the first half of the year on lockdown with UCL and La liga but missing in the second. Messi had the best second half of the year with WC win but had a forgettable first half. Mbappe had a measure of both halves but was not the best in either.

If the prestige attached to the World Cup is anything to go by, this should narrowly go to the GOAT.

Someone said Davido has more World Cup final appearances than Alhaji Wasiuu Siubanallah

ThierryJay:
[b]This looks straight off like a tight one [/b]between Messi, Mbappe and Benzema.

Benzema had the first half of the year on lockdown with UCL and La liga but missing in the second. Messi had the best second half of the year with WC win but had a forgettable first half. Mbappe had a measure of both halves but was not the best in either.

If the prestige attached to the World Cup is anything to go by, this should narrowly go to the GOAT.

Someone said Davido has more World Cup final appearances than Alhaji Wasiuu Siubanallah

E no tight anything.
Messi owns it.