Kane, Hazard, Salah, Ronaldo Head FIFA’s Best Shortlist
England’s Harry Kane,Chelsea’s Eden Hazard, Mohamed Salah of Liverpool, Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne and new Juventus signing Cristiano Ronaldo are all included in a 10-man shortlist for the Best FIFA Men’s Player award for 2018 released yesterday.
England full-back Lucy Bronze is on the shortlist for the best women’s player.
Tottenham forward Kane, 24, won the Golden Boot at the World Cup in Russia with six goals as England achieved their best finish since 1990.
He went into the World Cup on the back of registering his first 30-goal haul in a Premier League season.
And Kane maintained that form at the finals, becoming the first English player to win the top scorers’ prize since Gary Lineker in 1986.
Hazard 27, won the FA Cup with Chelsea in May and then collected the Silver Ball in Russia after inspiring Belgium to third - their best World Cup finish.
Salah, 26, also enjoyed a prolific campaign. The Egyptian scored 46 times for club and country during 2017-18, helping Liverpool to the Champions League final in his first season at Anfield.
Belgium midfielder De Bruyne, 27, played a prominent role in a record- breaking season for City, who accumulated the most points and wins in a Premier League season.
It was also a landmark year for five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese scored 54 goals in 54 games in all competitions, spearheading Real Madrid’s triumph in the Champions League and the Fifa Club World Cup.
Voting for the award closes at midnight on 10 August, while the awards ceremony takes place in London on 24 September.
Full shortlist Cristiano Ronaldo - Juventus & Portugal Kevin De Bruyne - Manchester City & Belgium Antoine Griezmann - Atletico Madrid & France Eden Hazard - Chelsea & Belgium Harry Kane - Tottenham & England Kylian Mbappe - Paris StGermain & France Lionel Messi - Barcelona & Argentina Luka Modric - Real Madrid & Croatia Mohamed Salah - Liverpool & Egypt Raphael Varane - Real Madrid & France