FIFA announces nominees for The Best FIFA Football Awards 2022 with Cristiano Ronaldo missing

Football’s governing body, FIFA, has announced 14 men’s nominees for The Best 2022 World Player of the Year Award with Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo missing on the list.

The award seeks to recognize the best footballer of the calendar year 2022, and Lionel Messi tops a 14-man shortlist for the Best FIFA Men’s player award after leading his nation Argentina to World Cup glory last month.

Messi will have an edge to clinch the award, having netted seven goals in games in Qatar to finally win the World Cup. He was also awarded the Golden Ball after being deemed the best player at the tournament.

Mbappe, who netted a hat-trick in the World Cup final for France,was nominated with two Paris Saint-Germain players are nominated in Neymar and Achraf Hakimi.

Karim Benzema, who won last year’s Ballon d’Or for his performances with Real Madrid, is also nominated, as is Robert Lewandowski, winner of the FIFA prize in the last two years.