Cristiano Ronaldo has been nominated for the FIFA World Player of the Year award for 2020, along with 10 others who stand a chance of winning the trophy.
The Portuguese is the only player to have made the top three in each of the four years since the format was changed in 2016, winning twice in 2016n and 2017, before a second and third placed finish in the latter years.
Ronaldo may have a battle on his hands to keep that statistic running however, with Robert Lewandowski the most likely winner of this year’s award.
European champions Bayern met Paris Saint-Germain in the final of the Champions League, which could have a big standing on the award, with Thiago Alcantara, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar all having featured in the fixture.
Four of the nominations come from Liverpool however, in Mo Salah, Sadio Mane, Virgil Van Dijk and summer signing Thiago (as mentioned above), with their team having run away with the Premier League title last season, although they failed to make it past Atletico Madrid in the round of 16.
Lionel Messi will of course be amongst the front-runners, although having failed to win a single trophy last season, you could be forgiven for ruling him out of contention.
Full list of players as stated on TuttoSport:
Thiago Alcantara (Spain – Bayern Munich – Liverpool), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal – Juventus), Kevin de Bruyne (Belgium – Manchester City), Robert Lewandowski (Poland – Bayern Munich), Sadio Mané (Senegal – Liverpool), Kylian Mbappé (France – Paris Saint Germain), Lionel Messi (Argentina – Barcelona), Neymar (Brazil – Paris Saint Germain), Sergio Ramos (Spain – Real Madrid), Mohamed Salah (Egypt – Liverpool), Virgil van Dijk (Holland – Liverpool).
Could CR7 make the top three despite our struggles in Europe last term? Could his form this term put him into contention?
Patrick