Liverpool trio Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane have been nominated for #TheBest FIFA Men’s Player award for 2019.
There’s a bit of surprise though as Alisson Becker has missed out. If anything, the goalkeeper is probably the most deserving Liverpool player for the accolade.
The Brazilian stopper picked up three Golden Gloves last season, the first player ever to do so, and helped his teams win the Champions League and Copa America.
It has to be the best debut season a Reds player has ever had. Alas, he’s been left out.
Big Virg is rightly nominated for his exploits in Liverpool’s back line last season as he cemented his reputation as one of the best defenders in world football.
Mo and Sadio are also there on good merits having shared the Premier League’s Golden Boot with Arsenal’s Pierre Emerick Aubameyang last season – with Mane helping Senegal reach the African Cup of Nations final.
One surprising inclusion is Spurs forward Harry Kane. He didn’t have a bad season by any means, but he really should’t be anywhere near the shortlist while Alisson and Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva is nowhere to be seen.
The rest of the nominees are: Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Fenkie de Jong, Matthijs de Ligt, Eden Hazard and Kylian Mbappe.
#TheBest FIFA Men's Player nominees:
Cristiano Ronaldo
Frenkie de Jong
Matthijs de Ligt
Eden Hazard
Harry Kane
Sadio Mane
Kylian Mbappe
Lionel Messi
Mohamed Salah
Virgil van Dijk pic.twitter.com/vdxThagWEU— B/R Football (@brfootball) July 31, 2019