FIFA: Mbappe, Modric hope for World Cup bounce in award voting

GENEVA— World Cup stars Kylian Mbappe and Luka Modric will lead the challenge against a decade-long dominance of FIFA’s best player award by Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

Mbappe, the teenage star of France’s World Cup-winning team, and Modric, the Croatia captain who was named the tournament’s best player, joined five-time winners Ronaldo and Messi among 10 candidates announced by FIFA on Tuesday. For the first time, FIFA has opened voting within days of the World Cup, where Ronaldo and Messi both exited in the round of 16.

France also has Antoine Griezmann and Raphael Varane, who won a third straight Champions League title alongside Modric and Ronaldo with Real Madrid, on the FIFA list.

Varane is the only defender selected by a FIFA expert panel. Brazil star Neymar was not among the nominees.

Belgium, which lost to France in the semifinals, has Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard on the shortlist, which also includes World Cup golden boot winner Harry Kane of England and Mohamed Salah, the Egypt forward who was inspirational in Liverpool’s run to the Champions League final.

The winners will be announced Sept. 24 .

France could sweep the main prizes with Didier Deschamps and Zinedine Zidane heading 11 candidates for the best men’s coach. And in the women’s player award, French and European champion Lyon provided six of the 10 candidates, including captain Wendie Renard of France.