Three-way shootout for FIFA award
Neymar was named alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi on the three-man shortlist for the Best FIFA Men’s Player Award, which was announced in London on Friday.
Brazil superstar Neymar, 25, won the Copa del Rey with Barcelona last season before joining Paris Saint-Germain in a blockbuster 222 million euros move that smashed the world transfer record.
Ronaldo, 32, is the overwhelming favourite to win the award, having led Real Madrid to the La Liga title and a third Champions League success in four years last season. He won last year’s award after winning the Champions League with Madrid and the European Championship with Portugal.
Messi, 30, scored 54 goals last season as Barcelona won the Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup.
The Argentina great, a record five-time winner of the Ballon d’Or, has made a superb start to the current campaign, scoring 12 goals in his first eight appearances in all competitions.
Ronaldo won the inaugural Best FIFA Men’s Player Award last year after a six-year merger between the FIFA honour and the Ballon d’Or.
Real Madrid’s Zinedine Zidane goes head to head with Chelsea’s Antonio Conte and Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri for the top coach award.
The winner of the 2017 awards will be announced during a ceremony at the London Palladium on October 23.
UNITED AND CITY HAVE PUT PRESSURE: KLOPP
LIVERPOOL: Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp believes the flying starts made by the Manchester clubs have created greater scrutiny of his team, but he is refusing to panic. Klopp’s men are on a four-match winless run in all competitions and have fallen five points behind the Premier League’s leading duo – City and United.
The German believes the way City and United have started – the Manchester clubs each winning four and drawing one of their opening five league games – has only made it tougher on Liverpool.
“Everywhere it [expectation] is the same, but here it is a little bit more,” Klopp told UK newspapers.
“When the Manchester teams are flying, that makes it even more difficult but I cannot change this.
“What I can do is cool the situation here down and do the right things again and work on the other things. That is how it is always.”
COSTA LANDS IN MADRID AFTER DEAL AGREED
MADRID: Diego Costa arrived in Spain on Friday as the striker closed in on his return to Atletico Madrid from Chelsea.
The Premier League Champions on Thursday confirmed they had agreed terms with Atletico for the sale of the Spain international for a fee that could rise to €60 million.
Costa will not be able to play for Diego Simeone’s team until January as Atletico serve a FIFA-imposed player registration ban.