FIFA announced on this Monday morning the nominees for FIFA’s The Best awards in the 2018/19 season. As always, Barcelona’s Argentine Messi is competing against Juventus’s Cristiano Ronaldo. This time, they gained the figure of Liverpool’s Dutchman Virgil van Dijk, who is the favorite to grab the award.

The Dutch colossus is the favorite because he had an amazing, and solid season for the reigning European Champions, and was also voted UEFA’s best player in Europe on last Thursday. Messi is back in the final as last year’s finalists were CR7, Croatian Modric – who ended up winning the award -, and the Egyptian Salah.

The Portuguese has already won the award for best player in the world five times (2008, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017). The Argentine was also five times the best of all (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015).

Also disputing for The Best Player in the World amongst Women are: Seatle Reign strikers Megan Repinoe and Orlando Pride’s Alex Morgan compete with Lyon’s England’s Lucy Bronze. Bronze has won the award with UEFA and perhaps will win again.

FIFA’s The Best award also selects the Best manager of the year, Best Goalkeeper, and also the Puskas award. Men and Women included. Check out the other nominees below:

Managers

Three English football managers are the finalists for the best of the season award. German Jurgen Klopp, Champions League winner with Liverpool; Argentine Mauricio Pochettino of Tottenham; and Spanish Pep Guardiola from Manchester City.

In my opinion, Jurgen Klopp will win it, despite any other major conquers Pep Guardiola had on his domestic Football with Man City. Winning the Champions League is far more difficult, and Liverpool doesn’t count on the best squad in the world to do so. Pochettino will get third place.

Also on Managers, we have the nominees within Women’s Football.

World champion manager with the United States Jill Ellis competes against England’s Phil Neville and Netherlands coach Sarina Wiegman. Jill Ellis has achieved far more than anyone and should win easily. Neville competing in this list is a complete joke.

Goalkeepers

FIFA also announced the finalists to the best goalkeeper in the world. Liverpool’s Brazilian Alisson competes with Manchester City’s Ederson and Barcelona’s Marc-André Ter Stegen. Once again, the Liverpool player is the favorite, and not even because of the UEFA Champions League trophy. He is the best goalkeeper in the world right now. Ter Stegen grabs second place, as Ederson will have the third one.

Women include finalists: Chilean Christiane Endler from PSG; Swedish Hedvig Lindahl of Wolfsburg; and Dutch Sari van Veenendaal from Atletico Madri

The winners will be known on September 23 at the awards party held at the All Scala Theater in Milan, Italy.