The Best is an annual awards ceremony run by FIFA which celebrates the past season of football, crowning The Best Men's Player, Goalkeeper and Coach. Last year's winners were Luka Modric, Thibaut Courtois and Didier Deschamps. The World Cup had a stupid impact on the nominees last year so thankfully that does not influence this year's awards.
Below are the three men that I think should win their respective catergories.
Below are the three men that I think should win their respective catergories.
The Best Men's Player
The final three for this award are Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Virgil van Dijk, Personally, I think Ronaldo only gets votes based on his name - he does not deserve to have made the final three. It is, then, a two horse race between Messi and van Dijk. Messi was at his very best last season, registering 51 goals and 22 assists in 50 matches. He is an alien and that is why he is the greatest player of all time. I think he should have won in 2017 and 2018 but as many people have said, giving it to Messi every year would be "boring". That's a ridiculous statement as the player that is the best should win the award, no matter how many times they have won it before. Unfortunately for Messi, there may actually be a player that has performed better than him. The level and consistency Virgil van Dijk has played at since coming to Liverpool is extraordinary. It is down to him that Liverpool have reached the Champions League final in the past two season (winning one) and has completely transformed their defence. He never looks uncomfortable in possession or when one-on-one. It says a lot when a central defender gets the amount of praise he does.
VERDICT - Virgil van Dijk
The Best Men's Goalkeeper
The final three this award are Alisson, Ederson and Marc-Andre ter Stegen. The fact that Brazil's second choice goalkeeper in Ederson is shortlisted says a lot about their options but as he is behind Alisson, there is no way he can win the award. Liverpool spent £66.8 million on Alisson in a bid to finally sort out their goalkeeping problem. Much like van Dijk, Alisson's sheer presence his brings in confidence to the other defenders is what makes him so good. He got 21 clean sheets in the league - winning the Golden Glove - and made 8 saves in the Champions League final, arguably a man of the match performance in which Liverpool won. For ter Stegen, it was another season where he kept up his high standards. I don't know how Neuer is picked ahead of him for Germany as it has been clear for some time now that ter Stegen is a much better goalie. What perhaps swings this in Alisson's favour ever so slightly is that he won the Copa America with Brazil, failing to keep a clean sheet in just one match. It is that level of consistency that we have come to expect from him.
VERDICT - Alisson
The Best Men's Coach
The final three for this award are Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp and Mauricio Pochettino. Unfortunately for Pochettino, he did not win a trophy last year but it was a remarkable achievement for Tottenham to reach the Champions League final and testament to the job he has done, but I don't think he deserved the award. Guardiola's Manchester City side were the first English club to complete the domestic treble, reaching an unassailable 98 points in the process. Sir Alex Ferguson said doing that treble would be almost impossible, so that shows how much of an achievement Guardiola made. For Klopp, winning the Champions League with Liverpool, who again weren't one of the favourites, was the moment the Reds were back where they truly belong. He took over a club that had no faith in itself, but now he has instilled a never say die attitude that all the players live by, and is clearly present through their Barcelona performance. How far Liverpool have come in less than four years under Klopp is all down to his management and the system he has put in place at the club. He, for me, deserves this accolade.
VERDICT - Jurgen Klopp
I've predicted all Liverpool winners which shows where the club now lies in world football, which is again down to Jurgen Klopp. Messi will probably win the Puskas award as a consolation, much like Salah did last season.
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