World football’s governing body FIFA have released the 10 nominees for The Best Men’s Football Award, with the Premier League quartet of Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane and Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane making the list.
Former Chelsea star Eden Hazard, now of Real Madrid, has also been included, and usual suspects – Barcelona’s Lionel Messi and Juventus’ Cristiano Ronaldo – weren’t left out.
However, plenty football fans on Twitter have raised eyebrows following the exclusion of Manchester City attacking midfielder Bernardo Silva.
Wizkids Matthijs de Ligt, Frenkie de Jong and Kylian Mbappe of Juventus, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain respectively have also been included.
Many neutral fans reckon the City star deserved to make the list ahead of Spurs striker Kane, and here is how some of them reacted on the social media micro-blogging platform:
Bernardo Silva was absolutely robbed. Harry Kane?! As my British friends say, you’re ‘avin a laugh, mate.
— Sad Boy Solstice Reubs (@PapiReubs) July 31, 2019
Bernardo Silva should be infront of Kane for this https://t.co/4Vg3ntK3bL
— Ryan Howard (@Ryan_Howard88) July 31, 2019
The fact that Bernardo Silva, Sterling or even Alisson ain't here, while Kane and Salah got a slot shows how much of joke Fifa have turn to through out this year's.? pic.twitter.com/1TP8kVOYqS
— JæSauce (@OmarJqfqr) July 31, 2019
Since Fifa decided to mess up, let's end this now
Retweet for Bernardo silva
Like for Harry KaneLeggo!!!! pic.twitter.com/TXLMxmhLVG
— Kene_is_Manuel #Bbnaija (@kene_manuel) July 31, 2019
De Ligt ?!!
De Jong ?!!
Harry Kane ?!!
For The Best?!!!!What about Alisson Becker ?!!
What about Raheem Sterling?!!
What about Bernardo Silva ?!!
Absolutely unfair.. pic.twitter.com/QH4BPMMORx— Aram Mo (@IamRiriMo) July 31, 2019
Harry Kane was injured for 91 days in 2018/19, missing 17 games, and did not win any trophy, but made Fifa’s #TheBest shortlist ahead of Bernardo Silva, who won the domestic treble with Man City and was named Player of the UEFA Nations League. ?♂?♀https://t.co/rveDIkN4IT pic.twitter.com/2gQiNNhGoT
— David Kappel (@kappilinho) July 31, 2019
Bernardo Silva:
Key role in the PL?
Key role in LC ?
Key role in FA Cup?
Key role in Uefa Nations League?Harry Kane:
Injured a fair part on PL finishing 4th
Injured a fair part in CL & was poor
Played 1 game in FA cup
Played 2 games in LCKane nominated, Silva isn’t.
— Lampard’s Chelsea (@BringBackKalas) July 31, 2019
Bernardo Silva won the EPL, FA Cup, League Cup, Community Shield, UEFA Nations League & POTT, PFA Team of the Season, 9 goals, 8 assists & was one the top performers in world last season but somehow FIFA considered a Harry Kane ahead of him
Me to FIFA
pic.twitter.com/GOGTRa7Z0S— Clinton Brown #BBNaija ? (@Pastor_CVB) July 31, 2019
Tadic and Bernardo Silva especially have been robbed.
Kane doesn’t deserve to be here after his last season. https://t.co/PZpqhtMU7a
— EiF (@EiFSoccer) July 31, 2019
Shout out to FIFA for ignoring Bernardo Silva & Raheem Sterling but selecting Harry Kane. Even my Spurs pals are WTF?
— Clara Suess (@claramps) July 31, 2019
While the Tottenham star helped his side to a top-four finish in the Premier League last term with 17 league goals and four assists in 28 games, he was helpless when he was needed most – in the Champions League final against Liverpool.
Kane struggled to make an impact, ending the 2018-19 without silverware for both club and country.
Silva on the other hand was very instrumental as Man. City secured an unprecedented domestic treble, scoring 13 goals in 47 games and assisting eight others.
The 24-year-old also played a huge role in Portugal’s UEFA Nations League triumph, assisting in both semifinal and final against Switzerland and Netherlands respectively.
The City star definitely did enough to earn a place in The Best FIFA Men’s 10-man nominee list, and manager Pep Guardiola is most likely gutted that his man missed out.
Some Tottenham fans wouldn’t agree that Kane wasn’t deserving of the nomination, though.
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