Today, on September 14, 2023, the 12 finalists for the FIFA The Best 2023 award were announced. The nomination of the nominees was somewhat controversial but also somewhat expected.
Check with us the opinion on the absence of Vinicius Jr, as well as the final list and who has the best chance of winning the award.
Index
The Nominees for FIFA The Best 2023
The 12 names nominated to compete for the title of the best player in the world, awarded by FIFA The Best 2023, are:
- Julián Alvarez (Argentina/Manchester City)
- Marcelo Brozovic (Croatia/Inter Milan/Al Nassr)
- Kevin de Bruyne (Belgium/Manchester City)
- Ilkay Gundogan (Germany/Manchester City/Barcelona)
- Erling Haaland (Norway/Manchester City)
- Rodri (Spain/Manchester City)
- Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Georgia/Napoli)
- Kylian Mbappé (France/PSG)
- Lionel Messi (Argentina/PSG/Inter Miami)
- Victor Osimhen (Nigeria/Napoli)
- Declan Rice (England/West Ham/Arsenal)
- Bernardo Silva (Portugal/Manchester City)
Image: Martin Meissner/AP Photo/picture alliance
Favorites for the Award
There’s no room for going in circles here or making absurd assumptions. The list of the 12 finalists for the FIFA The Best 2023 award was entirely based on the period from December 19, 2022, one day after the conclusion of the World Cup, to August 20, 2023.
Therefore, the award’s competition is expected to be between one of the greatest players of all time, Lionel Messi, and one who aims to become one of the greatest in football, Erling Haaland.
Despite the competition between them, Haaland is likely to take the first place this year. The young man is a goal-scoring machine. With an insatiable hunger for goals, he keeps breaking records and finding the back of the net, all at the tender age of 23.
Messi, on the other hand, had a rather modest post-World Cup season. PSG had another mediocre season, infuriating the fans who called for the departure not only of Messi but also of Neymar, Verratti, and Sergio Ramos. Their requests were granted, and none of them are part of the squad anymore, with Mbappé as the main star.
On the contrary, Haaland scored 52 goals in 53 games for Manchester City, in addition to winning the “Treble.”
In the Premier League, he scored 36 goals in 35 games, surpassing Andy Cole and Alan Shearer, who held the record for most goals in a single English League season with 34 goals each.
So, apparently, Haaland will prevail over one of the top 3 greatest players in history (his position in this top 3 may vary according to the opinion of each football lover). At just 23 years old, he has conquered the club football world, winning everything possible.
If he continues to maintain this level of performance, Haaland will surely receive this award on many occasions, deservedly so.
Image: AFP
The Absence of Vinicius Jr
At times, it is difficult to believe in these awards. Certain actions and choices weaken the award and gradually erode its credibility.
In the current list of 12 finalists, there are 6 players from Manchester City, which is somewhat justified given the incredible season the English team had.
One of the players nominated for the award was Julian Alvarez. The young talent had an impressive year, winning the World Cup with Argentina and clinching titles with Manchester City. But the award should be reserved for the best players in the world within a one-year span. If the trophy were awarded to the player who won the most important titles in the year, he would certainly be a strong contender.
Although he had great performances, the young player was a substitute in most of Manchester City’s games, as Erling Haaland was the undisputed starter.
In the World Cup, he did play a crucial role. However, he did not complete a full game during the competition, often coming on as a substitute or being replaced before the end of the match (including extra time).
Another name on the list is Marcelo Brozovic. He had a good season with Inter Milan, reaching the Champions League final. For Croatia, he reached another semifinal, delivering excellent performances.
In contrast, there is simply no reason for Declan Rice’s presence on the list. The player played for West Ham, which had a dismal Premier League season, finishing in 14th place.
Furthermore, he had a disappointing World Cup, even by England’s standards since 1966.
He did win the Conference League, a title from the third tier of European football. Given the current competitiveness of national leagues and the Champions League, the Conference League should not carry significant weight in an individual award. His nomination is simply bizarre.
Image: Adrian DENNIS / AFP
In various media outlets, including this one, we question the reason for Vinicius Jr’s absence from the list. Let’s look at the numbers.
According to Sofascore, the Brazilian forward scored 25 goals and provided 22 assists (the third player among the top 5 leagues with the most assists) in 64 games for Real Madrid.
He needed 116 minutes to be involved in a goal.
Individually, he was the player among the top 5 leagues with the most successful dribbles (211), most duels won (483), and most fouls suffered (208).
As if that weren’t enough, he was the fifth player with the most involvement in big goal chances (75).
On top of these outstanding numbers, Vinicius Jr and Real Madrid won the Club World Cup, the UEFA Super Cup, and the Copa del Rey during the evaluation period.
It is impossible to find a plausible explanation for Vinicius Jr’s absence. However, there is no shortage of baseless explanations and assumptions to justify his absence from the list.
As reported by us earlier this year, Vinicius Jr responded to racist incidents during a La Liga match. He took a stand and, instead of being embraced, he was criticized by the powerful figures in Spanish football.
Vinicius Jr is cheerful, intelligent, and approaches football in a way that the decision-makers and those who run the football world cannot understand.
Always with a smile on his face, he plays with joy, and he plays exceptionally well. But when unjustly treated, he speaks out. He exposes injustices and fights for improvement, not only for himself but for all who may suffer from the same issues.
Such actions are not well-received. FIFA, UEFA, La Liga, and everyone who governs football may prefer a player who stays silent, someone who, as they say, “just plays football.”
Despite this, Vini will certainly not be discouraged and will continue to shine in another season with the greatest team in football history, displaying charisma, attitude, and, above all, football worthy of an award.
Image: Reprodução Instagram Vinicius Jr
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Written by Vitor F L Miller
