Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe Are Leading in The Best FIFA Men's Player Nominees

FIFA announced on Friday the list of candidates for each of the 2022 awards. The best men's player award has received the most attention, with Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe, who performed well in the Qatar World Cup last month, leading the field of 14 nominees.

Lionel Messi won the tournament's Golden Ball after leading Argentina to the World Cup title. This makes it very likely that he will become the World Soccer Player of the Year again after 2019.

Messi's PSG teammate, French striker Kylian Mbappe, also played well in the World Cup. Although he lost to Argentina in the final, his performance and goals were what got him the Golden Boot award. He may well be the closest competitor to Messi.

Karim Benzema, who won the Ballon d'Or for helping Real Madrid win the Champions League, is also on the shortlist, but missing the World Cup could leave him out of the running for the best player award.

FIFA's annual awards ceremony will be held on Feb. 27, where the top performers in each category for 2022 will receive recognition.