It’s the end of the year, and it’s time for gifts as the holidays are approaching. However, in football terms, it means that it’s time to share awards for the “job well done” during the past 365 days. After the Ballon d’Or ceremony and Golden Boy award, the Best FIFA Men’s Awards are approaching.The 77 nominees (11 goalkeepers and 22 defenders, midfielders, and goalkeepers a piece) were revealed, including seven African players: two custodians, Yassine Bounou (Morocco) and Ronwen Williams (South Africa), two defenders, Achraf Hakimi (Morocco) and William Troost-Ekong (Nigeria), and three forwards, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon), Ademola Lookman (Nigeria), and Soufiane Rahimi (Morocco).🥁 #TheBest FIFA Men’s 11 nominees.Cast your vote now!— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) November 28, 2024 Yet, apart from “The Magnificent Seven” from the “Mother Continent,” there are numerous renowned players who are the favourites to be included in the XI. For instance, David Raya and Ederson among the custodians, Dani Carvajal and Antonio Rudiger of Real Madrid, and the Gunners’ duo of centre-backs, Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba in the defensive competition, Jude Bellingham, Toni Kroos, Cole Palmer, Rodri, and Martin Odegaard in the midfield, and Erling Haaland, Viktor Gyokeres, Harry Kane, Vinicius Junior, and Lamine Yamal among the forwards.Was there a doubt? Yamal wins the Golden Boy award!Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are also in the mix, as are some pretty odd and unexpected names, such as Empoli’s New Zealander Liberato Cacace, Nice’s Brazilian Dante, the Canadian Alistair Johnston of Celtic, or the Argentinian trio of Luciano Acosta (FC Cincinnati), Thiago Almada (Botafogo), and German Cano (Fluminense).##NAJAVA_MECA_8538331##Apart from the Best XI, people will be able to vote – and the decision will be solely theirs – for the best player, choosing among 11 nominees: Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid), Erling Haaland (Manchester City), Toni Kroos (Real Madrid – retired in July), Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid, with his last season at PSG counted), Lionel Messi (Inter Miami), Rodri (Manchester City), Federico Valverde (Real Madrid), Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid), Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen), and Lamine Yamal (Barcelona).
