Bayern Munich striker Sadio Mane and Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham were shortlisted for the 2022 FIFA Men’s Player award, alongside the likes of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé and former Bundesliga stars Robert Lewandowski and Erling Haaland.
It’s been quite the year for Mane, who won the African Cup of Nations with Senegal and helped his country qualify for the 2022 World Cup before switching from Liverpool to Bayern in July.
The 30-year-old, who missed the finals through injury, has already scored 11 times for the record holders. He was also named African Player of the Year for early 2022 and finished second to Karim Benzema in the final 2022 Ballon d’Or voting.
Bellingham’s delivered equally outstanding displays for club and country. The 19-year-old midfielder has become a key player for Dortmund and was one of the standout players of any age group at the World Cup, helping England reach the quarter-finals.
The Bundesliga’s toughest striker so far this season, the 2022 Golden Boy runners-up also made history as the youngest Englishman to score five UEFA Champions League goals.
Former Dortmund striker Haaland and former Bayern striker Lewandowski – who left the Bundesliga for Manchester City and Barcelona respectively over the summer – are also in contention. Achraf Hakimi and Kevin De Bruyne are two more nominees with previous and formative Bundesliga experience.
In full, the FIFA Best Men’s Player nominees:
Julian Alvarez (Argentina/River Plate/Manchester City)
Jude Bellingham (England/Borussia Dortmund)
Karim Benzema (France/Real Madrid)
Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium/Manchester City)
Erling Haaland (Norway/Borussia Dortmund/Manchester City)
Achraf Hakimi (Morocco/Paris Saint-Germain)
Robert Lewandowski (Poland/Bayern Munich/Barcelona)
Sadio Mane (Senegal/Liverpool/Bayern Munich)
Kylian Mbappé (France/Paris Saint-Germain)
Lionel Messi (Argentina/Paris Saint-Germain)
Luka Modric (Croatia/Real Madrid)
Neymar (Brazil/Paris Saint-Germain)
Mohamed Salah (Egypt/Liverpool)
Vinicius Junior (Brazil/Real Madrid)
