The Best FIFA Men's Player of the Year will be crowned on Monday night when world football's governing body hold their annual awards in Zurich.
The shortlist has been whittled down to three, with Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski, Paris Saint-Germain's Lionel Messi and Liverpool's Mohamed Salah being selected as the finalists.
Lewandowski is the current holder of the award, but it was Messi who scooped the Ballon d'Or for 2021 and Salah has done his own chances no harm with some stunning form in the first half of this season.
Here, the Sports Mole team discuss who they believe should win the prestigious award on Monday night.
© Reuters
Barney Corkhill, Editor
I am a huge fan of Lionel Messi - in my opinion the greatest player of all time - and Mohamed Salah - in my opinion the best player in the world right now - but for me Robert Lewandowski is a fairly comfortable favourite for this award given the voting period.
Gerd Muller's achievements had taken on almost mythical status in Germany, and 'Der Bomber' is still rightly regarded as one of the deadliest strikers to have ever played the game, so for Lewandowski to have broken two of his most 'unbreakable' records deserves suitable recognition.
Muller is the godfather of Bundesliga strikers and for me the best penalty-box poacher to have ever lived, yet Lewandowski is more than 'just' an outrageously good goalscorer. He scores all manner of them, many of them are of breathtaking quality and he creates plenty for his teammates too.
Simply put, Lewandowski's 2021 is among the best individual calendar years we have ever seen in football and, while Messi and Salah can also lay strong claims to the award, neither have quite carved their name into the history books to the same extent as the Bayern striker over the course of the year.
Sammy Wynne, Reporter
Mohamed Salah did not manage to help Liverpool to a trophy during the 2020-21 season, and despite his 26 goals and six assists in 45 appearances, a lack of silverware is likely to count against the Egyptian international on this occasion.
Lionel Messi enjoyed an incredible year which saw him win his first major international tournament with Argentina, lifting the Copa America trophy in the summer. He also helped Barcelona win the Copa del Rey and scored 43 goals, along with 17 assists in 57 appearances.
However, I believe Robert Lewandowski should retain his title as the Best FIFA Men's Player, having also won the award last year. The Polish striker netted 51 times in 44 matches and his goals earned Bayern Munich 33 points in the period under review.
The major aspect that I think wins the award for Lewandowski is that he broke Gerd Muller's long-standing Bundesliga record of scoring 40 goals in a single campaign. Lewandowski managed 41 in 29 appearances during the 2020-21 season. This personal achievement I believe tops Messi's Copa America triumph, with the 33-year-old also claiming a Bundesliga title and DFL Supercup medal.
James Mackenzie, Reporter
Messi is Messi, and Salah has been incredible, but for me it has to be Lewandowski.
His scoring record over the last couple of years has been unbelievable and it is ridiculous he hasn't picked up a Ballon d'Or. FIFA's award may not be quite as prestigious, but it is the least that he deserves.
© Reuters
Oliver Thomas, Reporter
It is a close call between Liverpool's Mohamed Salah and Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski, but I think the latter should just edge it.
The Poland striker finished 2021 as the top-scoring footballer, netting 69 goals in as many matches for club and country, 18 more than his nearest challenger Kylian Mbappe who played eight extra games, while Lionel Messi and Salah finished 26 and 30 goals behind the Bayern talisman respectively.
Lewandowski – who also broke Gerd Muller's Bundesliga goalscoring record with 41 strikes in just 29 league games last season – was pivotal in helping Bayern clinch their ninth successive top-flight title.
The 33-year-old has arguably been the best centre-forward in world football over the past few years and 2021 was yet another standout year for the veteran marksman, who is rightly a strong contender to retain the award he claimed 12 months ago.
Joel Lefevre, Reporter
Robert Lewandowski deserves to win the Best FIFA Men's Player award for a second successive time. The Polish striker is having another monster campaign for Bayern Munich, who rely on his goals more often than not.
A year after being an integral part of a treble season for the club, there was a ton of pressure and expectation on him to follow up that, and he has delivered.
The man does it all, he scores an outrageous amount of goals but can also put together some good assists and is involved in the build-up. His consistency and quality in front of goal year in and year out make him the most deserving player for this award.
Sam Varley, Reporter
For me, this year's award has to go to Robert Lewandowski. A year producing 61 goals, a Bundesliga title and a league goals record was a more than worthy claim for a Ballon d'Or, but this time the Pole should certainly collect the award for his scoring record, as he continues to defy his years and play at the peak of his powers.
Olly Allen, Reporter
If it was as simple as saying who was the best player in 2021, I would probably go for Salah hands down. Unfortunately for the Egyptian, if we're going by the official judging period of October 2020 to August 2021, his sensational start to this season has to be discounted.
On the flip side, this calendar quirk plays in Messi's favour, as his relatively underwhelming start to life at PSG is not considered. Instead, we're looking at a period where the Argentine scored 43 goals and ranked first among his rivals for assists, chances created and points won for his team.
Add in a first international trophy as he lifted the Copa America as captain and was named the tournament's best player, and my vote has to go to the little magician.
© Reuters
Ben Sully, Reporter
Robert Lewandowski should have been the recipient of the Ballon d'Or and he most certainly should be named The Best FIFA Men's Player of the Year.
The Polish superstar had an outstanding 2021, which included a Club World Cup title, another Bundesliga crown, and a German Super Cup trophy.
As well as team honours, the previous calendar year saw Lewandowski break Gerd Muller's Bundesliga record for most goals in a single season, and in December he broke another of Muller's records by scoring the most Bundesliga goals in a calendar year.
Amongst all the accolades and success, the Bayern striker also broke the 300-goal mark for his club, and made history for his national side by becoming the first Polish player to score at three consecutive European Championships.
Lewandowski has almost become a victim of his team's domestic dominance where his individual accolades, as well as his team's success, are almost taken for granted, although receiving this award would be a sign that football fans around the globe acknowledge the incredible year that Bayern's main man enjoyed.
Barney Corkhill
