Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Antoine Griezmann Nominated for 2016 FIFA Award
FIFA announced Friday that Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann have been nominated as the finalists for the 2016 Best FIFA Men's Player Award.
According to FIFA.com, Ronaldo, Messi and Griezmann were selected by captains and coaches of national teams, media members and fans, and the winner will be revealed Jan. 9.
Ronaldo—who is a two-time winner of the FIFA Ballon d'Or—led Real Madrid to a UEFA Champions League title and Portugal to a triumph in Euro 2016.
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He has also registered 19 goals and eight assists in 26 appearances for club and country so far this season.
The 29-year-old Messi has accrued nearly too much hardware to count during his illustrious career, and both a La Liga and Copa del Rey title to the mix for Barcelona in 2016.
He has 21 goals and five assists in 19 games played this season, although Argentina's inability to win a major tournament under his guidance could put Messi at a disadvantage in the voting.
Griezmann will be viewed by many as the dark horse in the race, but he helped lead Atletico Madrid to the UEFA Champions League final and France to the Euro 2016 final. His teams fell short in both competitions, but he won the Euro 2016 Golden Boot and Player of the Tournament awards with six goals.
The FIFA Best Men's Player Award will headline the inaugural Best FIFA Football Awards, which are replacing the FIFA Ballon d'Or.
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