There is no individual football award that creates a debate among the fans and the media also there is sure to be plenty when one of Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski, or Mohamed Salah is named this year’s men’s FIFA The Best winner on Monday 17 January.
FIFA’s annual The Best award is also becoming one of the coveted honors and the latest men and women’s winners will be crowned on Monday in Zurich. The awards will be decided by an international jury which will be a combination of captains and national team coaches selected journalists from each territory represented by a national side, and fans registered with FIFA’s official website.
🥇 The Best FIFA Men's Player 2021 nominees. Who gets your vote?
🇦🇷 Lionel Messi
🇪🇬 Mohamed Salah
🇵🇱 Robert Lewandowski#UCL pic.twitter.com/u4Y33dVOn7— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) January 7, 2022
It is a cruel truth that goal-scoring will be a prominent factor that decides when it comes to the top awards. So it is fair that Lionel Messi, Mohamed Salah, and Robert Lewandowski are the nominees for this year’s awards. They scored 129 goals between them in 145 games collectively in the calendar year 2021.
Lewandowski had a brilliant season in front of goal, scoring 43 in the Bundesliga in a calendar year breaking Gerd Müller’s record.
Salah had a mixed year by his high standards, he is nominated most likely due to the form which he gained in the second half of the year netting 22 goals in 25 games across all competitions.
Lionel Messi has just managed to find the net 6 times in the 16 matches he has played for PSG after his move from Barcelona but However, his 28 goals in 29 matches for Barcelona in the calendar year and also successful Copa America campaign with his national side Argentina with four goals in the tournament and lifting the trophy.
