29/11/2024–|Last updated: 11/29/202411:42 PM (Mecca time)
Argentine star Lionel Messi tops the list of candidates to win the 2024 World Player of the Year award presented annually by the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA).
Although Messi participated with his team, Inter Miami, in the American Football League, which is completely far from the major leagues, the Argentine led his country to win the 2024 Copa America title.
This means that the number of Messi’s international titles is increasing, and this may nominate him for more individual titles.
Since the inception of the FIFA World Player of the Year award for the first time in 2016, Messi has won it 3 times (a record) and is looking forward to his third win in a row.
One of Messi’s most prominent rivals is Rodri, who recently won the Ballon d’Or after his success with his English team, Manchester City, and his participation in the Spain national team winning the 2024 European Nations Cup.
Real Madrid players dominated the nominations with 4 players, compared to one Barcelona player.
Below is the list of nominees for the FIFA World Player of the Year award:
- Argentine Lionel Messi – American team Inter Miami.
- Spanish Rodri – Manchester City, England.
- Erling Haaland – Manchester City.
- Spanish Dani Carvajal – Real Madrid.
- Uruguayan Federico Valverde – Real Madrid.
- Englishman Jude Bellingham – Real Madrid.
- French Kylian Mbappe – French Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid.
- Spanish Lamine Jamal – Barcelona, Spain.
- German Florian Wirtz – Bayer Leverkusen.