Antoine Griezmann has been confirmed as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi’s rival for The Best FIFA Men’s Player 2016 award.
Griezmann beat the likes of Neymar and Gareth Bale in being put forward as the third and final competitor for FIFA’s new award to determine the best player of the past year.
The forward scored 32 goals in all competitions for Atletico Madrid last season, which helped the side almost take Barcelona all the way in the La Liga title race and reach the 2016 Champions League final, which was eventually won on penalties by Real Madrid.
Griezmann also played a key role in France’s run to the final of Euro 2016, where they were beaten by Ronaldo’s Portugal in extra time.
The pair were nominated for UEFA’s Best Player in Europe Award back in August, which Ronaldo ultimately won.
The candidates for The Best FIFA Men’s Coach 2016 have also been decided, and Zinedine Zidane will be going head to head with Portgual’s Fernando Santos and Leicester City’s Claudio Ranieri, less than a year since replacing Rafa Benitez in his first senior management role.
Despite this, Zizou took Madrid a whisker away from the League last season and led them to an 11th European cup.
All of FIFA’s Best awards, including the world football body’s Fair Play Award and Fan Award, will be presented in Zurich on January 9.
