FIFA has not followed suit with France Football In announcing its top men’s player of the year 2021.
Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski has pipped Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi to FIFA’s Best honor, going back-to-back and joining Cristiano Ronaldo as the only players to twice win the nascent honor.
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The Best FIFA Men’s Player was awarded to Ronaldo in 2016 and 2017 before Luka Modric and Lionel Messi won it
Barcelona’s Alexia Putellas claimed the women’s top honors, as she did in the Ballon d’Or voting.
Edouard Mendy won Best Men’s Goalkeeper honors while his Chelsea coach Thomas Tuchel as Best Men’s Coach. Chilean backstop Christiane Endler of PSG and Chelsea manager Emma Hayes were also honored as best on the women’s side.
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Salah finalist for Best, but not in Best XI
There is controversy in the men’s Best XI as Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah was not included despite being one of three players nominated for Best Men’s Player. Cristiano Ronaldo was instead included, as was Erling Haaland, as a group of four forwards included Lewandowski and Messi.
Ronaldo was honored with a career achievement award but apparently, that wasn’t enough.
The midfield was all-Premier League, as Man City’s Kevin De Bruyne was joined by Chelsea duo Jorginho and N’Golo Kante.
Man City back Ruben Dias, Juventus’ Leonardo Bonucci, and Bayern/Real Madrid’s David Alaba form a back three in front of PSG and Italy’s Gianluigi “Gigi” Donnarumma.
But Women’s honor says, “Hold my drink”
How are you the best women’s player in the world but not in the Women’s Best XI? Putellas and Barca would love to know..
UWCL winners Barcelona stunningly did not have a single player in the Best XI while USWNT star Alex Morgan and retired Carli Lloyd were honored by FIFA/
Goalkeeper Endler and the American duo were joined by Lucy Bronze, Millie Bright, Wendie Renard, Magdalena Eriksson, Esterfania Banini, Barbara Bonansea, Vivianne Miedema, and Marta.
Of course this is something tabulated by votes but it’s still something that should theoretically be rectified by logic for the sake of a sort of sensible integrity.
Lewandowski hails Gerd Muller after going back-to-back
Lewandowski’s claimed the last two Best Men’s Player awards, and honored the late Gerd Muller in his acceptance speech.
“If you asked me a few years ago, I would have said it is impossible to break that record and score that many goals in the Bundesliga,” said Lewandowski. “But now he is not with us anymore and I also say thank you to him because this record would not be possible without him. He set so many – and for the next generation of players it was to try and beat it.
Lewandowski wins but FIFA’s Best baffles; USWNT’s Lloyd, Morgan honored originally appeared on NBCSports.com