FIFA shortlists 24 stars for Men’s Player Award

The world football governing body has announced the contenders for the Best FIFA Men’s Player 2017 award.

A panel of football legends, including Nigeria’s Austin ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha, had compiled the nominees for the award before the list was made public on Thursday.

The current holder of the award, Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo, made the 24-man list, including Italy’s Gianluigi Buffon, Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Gabon’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang among others.

Read also: Okocha, Maradona in panel that selected nominees for FIFA Best Player

The nominees as released on the Fifa website are:

* Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (GAB – Borussia Dortmund)
* Leonardo Bonucci (ITA – Juventus/AC Milan)
* Gianluigi Buffon (ITA – Juventus)
* Dani Carvajal (ESP – Real Madrid)
* Cristiano Ronaldo (POR – Real Madrid)
* Paulo Dybala (ARG – Juventus)
* Antoine Griezmann (FRA – Atlético Madrid)
* Eden Hazard (BEL – Chelsea)
* Zlatan Ibrahimovic (SWE – Manchester United)
* Andres Iniesta (ESP – FC Barcelona)
* Harry Kane (ENG – Tottenham Hotspur)
* Ngolo Kante (FRA – Chelsea)
* Toni Kroos (GER – Real Madrid)
* Robert Lewandowski (POL – FC Bayern Munich)
* Marcelo (BRA – Real Madrid)
* Lionel Messi (ARG – FC Barcelona)
* Luka Modric (CRO – Real Madrid)
* Keylor Navas (CRC – Real Madrid)
* Manuel Neuer (GER – FC Bayern Munich)
* Neymar (BRA – FC Barcelona/Paris Saint-Germain)
* Sergio Ramos (ESP – Real Madrid)
* Alexis Sanchez (CHI – Arsenal)
* Luis Suarez (URU – FC Barcelona)
* Arturo Vidal (CHI – FC Bayern Munich)

It is from this final shortlist that key members of the footballing community – journalists, fans, national team coaches and captains – will vote for the winner, and the final three nominees will be announced in mid-September.

The ceremony where the winners of the awards will be crowned, which will be the second edition of The Best FIFA Football Awards™, will take place in London on Monday, October 23, 2017.

 

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