African superstars Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane have been named among FIFA’s 2019 Men’s Best Player nominees.
The world soccer governing body released the 10-player shortlist on Wednesday afternoon.
Egyptian Salah and Senegalese Mane were among the standout performers in Liverpool’s UEFA Champions League-winning 2018-2019 season.
Both were also joint top scorers in the English Premier League, with Mane also helping Senegal to the CAF Africa Cup of Nations final.
Salah was also Liverpool’s top goalscorer in all competitions.
The two stars were joined in the shortlist by fellow Liverpool player Virgil van Dijk, who is the 2018-2019 PFA Players’ Player and Premier League Player of the Year.
The usual suspects – Barcelona’s Lionel Messi and Juventus’ Cristiano Ronaldo – are included among the nominees.
Paris St Germain’s Kylian Mbappé, Chelsea’s Eden Hazard, and Tottenham’s Harry Kane also feature after having stellar seasons.
Juventus’ Matthijs de Ligt and Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong complete the shortlist.
Fans worldwide can now vote for their top three players on the FIFA website, available here.