BREAKING: Messi and Ronaldo top FIFA Player of the Year Award shortlist

Report reaching National Daily has it that FIFA has just released the shortlisted candidates for the 2018/2019 Player of the Year Award with the Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi and Juventus talisman Cristiano Ronaldo topping the list.

Virgil van Dijk is one of three Liverpool players in contention for Men’s Player of the Year at The Best FIFA Awards later this month.

Van Dijk, named UEFA Men’s Player of the Year last week, is joined by front duo of Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah on the 10-man shortlist for the award.

Spurs striker Harry Kane is also up for the gong, which is based on what players achieved between July 16 2018 and July 19 2019, as is former Chelsea star Eden Hazard.

Others notable players on the list are PSG phenomenon Kylian Mbappe, the highly-rated young Dutch twosome, Frenkie de Jong and Matthijs de Ligt, who shone for Ajax in their Eredivisie triumph and on their run to the Champions League semi-finals, are also included.

The three finalists will be revealed in the coming weeks, with award winners named at The Best FIFA Football Awards show in Milan on 23 September.

The three-man shortlist for Men’s Coach of the Year is one of eight awards that will be announced at the event, and is an all-Premier League affair, with Jurgen Klopp, Pep Guardiola and Mauricio Pochettino the finalists.