REUTERS/Carl Recine
The 10-man shortlist for FIFA’s Best Men’s Player 2018 has been announced and is studded with footballing talent. This year the World Cup gave players an additional opportunity to get their names on the list and consequently many of the stars from Russia are featured.
World Cup winners Raphael Varane, Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann have been shortlisted, alongside finalist and Golden Ball winner Luka Modric. Finishing up the list is Cristiano Ronaldo, Kevin De Bruyne, Eden Hazard, Harry Kane, Lionel Messi and Mohamed Salah.
Every player has a credible case for winning the award, having performed outstandingly for either club or country. However, the list is narrowed down to three in early September before the winner is announced on September 24th.
Here are the three players in with the best chance of winning the accolade.