Three Liverpool Players Named Finalists for FIFA Player of the Year Award

Photo by David S. Bustamante/Soccrates/Getty Images

Virgil van Dijk, Sadio Mané, and Mohamed Salah are amongst the ten finalists.

There are ten finalists for FIFA’s The Best Men’s Player of the Year, and three of them are Liverpool players, making the Reds the only team with three players on the list—and one of only two with multiple finalists.

It’s no surprise Virgil van Dijk makes the cut, with the defender currently a narrow favourite to win the Ballon d’Or ahead of Lionel Messi—both of whom make the final ten here—and he’s joined by Sadio Mané and Mohamed Salah.

Meanwhile, Ajax somewhat surprisingly get two players on the list of finalists, with midfielder Frenkie de Jong—now of Barcelona—and defenderMatthijs de Ligt—now of Juventus—both included.

The list is rounded out by Tottenham’s Harry Kane, Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappe, and new Real Madrid signing Eden Hazard, though given the Ballon d’Or buzz, it’s likely going to be a race between Van Dijk and Messi.

Some might quibble at Alisson not being included after the goalkeeper played a key role in not just Liverpool’s Champions League triumph and 97-point season but also in Brazil’s Copa America win, but four players from one club might have been a little much.

Fans who sign in to FIFA’s site can vote for the winner, with the fan vote counting for a quarter in the final poll—equal weighting to the coaches, team captains, and journalists who will also vote on the winner.

Source: liverpooloffside.sbnation.com