After getting 2023 Ballon d’Or awards nominations, the Nigerian sensation, Victor Osimhen, has bagged another prestigious nomination after he was shortlisted for the FIFA Men’s Best Player Award at this year’s event.
The top scorer for the just ended 2023 AFCON Qualifiers has been shortlisted among the 12-man released by the world’s football governing body FIFA on Thursday, the 24-year-old forward, who won the Golden Boot as Napoli won the league for the first time in 33 years last season, will rub shoulders with other top player for the honour.
Osimhen became the first African to win the Golden Boot in Serie A history with a record 26 league goals scored by a player from the continent in a single season. He was also named the Serie A Best Striker for the 2022/23 season as well as made the Serie A Team of the Season.
The public can vote for their top three choices on FIFA website: https://www.fifa.com/the-best-fifa-football-awards/best-fifa-mens-player
Some of the players nominated alongside the Nigerian were two-time winner of the award Lionel Messi, Paris Saint-Germain’s star Kylian Mbappe, Manchester City’s treble winner Erling Haaland and his teammate, Rodri.
Others include Osimhen Napoli teammate Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, City’s Bernardo Silva, Julian Alvarez, IIkay Gundogan and Kevin De Bruyne.
England international Declan Rice, and former Inter Milan midfielder Marcelo Brozovic, completed the 12-man official shortlist –
The qualification period for the Best FIFA Football Awards 2023 runs from 19 December 2022 to 20 August 2023 (it does not include the FIFA World Cup 2022).
