Lionel Messi and Frenkie de Jong have been nominated for FIFA’s “The Best” Award for the best male player in the world. The award has been given three times, and Messi has not won it yet, though he has placed second twice. It’s De Jong’s first nomination.
Messi earned it after winning the top scorer awards for La Liga, the European Golden Shoe, and the UEFA Champions League last season with Barcelona, as well as a podium finish at Copa América. De Jong is nominated for his performances with AFC Ajax last season, where they made an improbable run deep into the UEFA Champions League, as well as his work in the Netherlands’ second-place UEFA Nations League finish.