Super Eagles forward Victor Osimhen has been nominated for the illustrious Best FIFA Men’s Award alongside some of the biggest names in world football, the world governing body announced on Thursday.
The 24-year-old, who recently scored a hat-trick for Nigeria in their 6-0 thrashing of Sao Tome and Principe in the AFCON 2023 qualifiers last Sunday, has been selected alongside eleven other footballers across the world for the excellent performances over the past year.
???? ICYMI ????#TheBest nominees have been announced! ????
VOTE NOW for your favourite! ????️
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) September 14, 2023
Osimhen was in prime form for Napoli last season with 31 goals and five assists across all competitions, including 26 goals in Serie A, to win the Capocannoniere Award as top scorer and become the first African to win the Golden Boot in the Italian topflight.
He also led the Partenopei to their first league title in 33 years and their best-ever UEFA Champions League performance when they got to the quarter-finals of the 2022-23 edition.
Osimhen was nominated alongside World Cup winner Lionel Messi, French ace Kylian Mbappe, and Norwegian scoring machine Erling Haaland, who recently won the UEFA Men’s Player of the Year award. He also has the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Declan Rice, Marcelo Brozovic, Ilkay Gundogan, Julian Alvarez, Rodri, and club teammate Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
The nomination is the second global recognition the Nigerian talisman has received in succession after he was named to the initial 30-man shortlist for the Ballon d’Or award earlier in the month.
According to FIFA, the 12 nominees for the Best Men’s Award were selected based on their “achievements and sustained excellence” over a nine-month period from December 19, 2022, to August 20, 2023.
***You can cast your vote for Victor Osimhen on the official FIFA website.***
