who wins 2017/18 FIFA best player award?

who wins 2017/18 FIFA best player award?

Danny Ward

Football governing body, FIFA, released the shortlist of nominees for the Best Football Awards for the 2017/18 season on Monday, with Luka Modric, Cristiano Ronaldo and Mohamed Salah locked in a cliffhanger for the Best Men’s Footballer award.

PredictionBoard.com take a deep analysis into the performance and achievements of the three players for both club and country in the year under review, starting with; 

Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal, Real Madrid)

Cristiano Ronaldo had an outstanding season with Real Madrid before moving to Juventus this summer. At club level, the utility offensive player scored 44 goals comprising 26 in 27 La Liga games, and 15 in 13 Champions League games. He also scored two goals in two Club World Cup games and a goal in one Super Cup appearance. He completed club football with the Champions League and the FIFA Club World Cup, but finished 2nd in the La Liga.

For the Portuguese national team where he is captain, Ronaldo played 18 games for the Selecaos and scored 17 goals, including four at the 2018 World Cup where the side exited at the 1/16 stage.

Ronaldo scored nine goals at the group stages of the Champions League, the highest by any footballer, and recorded three goals each against PSG and Juventus in the 1/16 and the quarter-final stages respectively.

Ronaldo goes into the race as holder of the last two FIFA Best Player Awards after winning it in 2016 and 2017.

 

Mohamed Salah (Egypt, Liverpool)

Salah had a fantastic debut season at Liverpool following his return to the English Premier League from Italian side AS Roma.

The Egyptian offensive player may be considered as the dark horse of the three contenders, but his achievements for both club and country make him a force to reckon with in the contest.

Salah returned Liverpool to the Champions League final for the first time since 2007. Though the English side lost to Real Madrid by 3-1, Salah’s goal tally of 10 goals in 13 games cannot be overlooked.

This was aside Salah scoring 32 goals in 36 Premier League games. He helped Liverpool to finish 4th in the league and to also qualify for this season's Champions League.

Salah was influential for Liverpool as he was for Egypt. He helped the Pharaohs to qualify for their first World Cup in 28 years with 6 goals in the qualifying and friendly games, and two goals in the mundial which the club exited at the group stage.

Salah completed the year with the Golden Boot award in the Premier League and the PFA Player of the Year award.

 

Luka Modric (Croatia, Real Madrid)

Luka Modric was the key figure of the Real Madrid side that won the Champions League last season. He featured in 11 Champions League games, scored one goal and gave as many assists. He played 26 La Liga games, scored one goal and recorded six assists.

Modric’s goal tally may not be close to his two contenders, but the nipple footed player boasts of an impeccable record at national team level.

Modric led Croatia to the finals of the 2018 World Cup, the first in the history of the Eastern European country. Modric played 18 games for the Vatrenis and scored three goals, including two at the mundial.

Modric goes into the contest as a Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup winner with Real Madrid and World Cup losing finalist with Croatia. He won the Golden Ball award at both the Champions League and the Club World Cup, and the Croatian's chances have been boosted by his winning of the UEFA Men’s Footballer of the Year award last week.