Elling Holland has emerged as a strong candidate for the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Player of the Year.

FIFA announced the 12 nominees for the World Player of the Year award on its official website on Thursday. Holland, Lionel Messi, Julian Alvarez, Marcelo Brozovic, Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan, Rodri, Hvitsa Kvarachelia, Kylian Mbappe, Victor Osimhen, Declan Rice, and Bernardo Silva are among the nominees. Voting is open until October 6.

While there is a strong field of nominees, it is expected to be a two-horse race between Holland and Messi. Holland and Messi had their best years last season. Holland wore a Man City shirt last season. He was at the top of his game at Dortmund and has been touted as the next generation of strikers. After the departure of Sergio Aguero, City were unable to find a reliable striker. Holland joined the club and City had their best squad yet.

In the Premier League (PL), Holland didn’t need an adjustment period. He announced his arrival in the PL with a multi-goal performance from the opening game. He was a monster all season long, scoring 36 goals and 8 assists in 35 games in the league.

Unsurprisingly, Holland was the top scorer and surpassed Alan Shearer and Andy Cole’s PL single-season record of 34 goals (42 games). Mohamed Salah’s 32 goals in a PL season in the 38-game format is the previous record. He also totaled 44 attacking points, tying him with Thierry Henry for the most attacking points in a 38-game season in the EPL.

City had their best season ever last season with Holland at the helm. After losing the lead to Arsenal for 248 days, they fought back to finish atop the EPL. In the FA Cup, they defeated local rivals Manchester United 2-1 to lift the trophy. Only the UEFA Champions League (UCL) title stood between City and the treble. City’s victory over Inter Milan in the UCL final gave them the second treble in EPL history.

Holland also swept the awards. He won both the PL Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year awards. He was also named Player of the Year by the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA). He even beat out Lionel Messi for the UEFA World Player of the Year award. Along with Messi, he is considered a frontrunner for the Ballon d’Or. These awards speak volumes about Holland’s performance last season.

Messi also had a great season. He scored 21 goals and provided 20 assists in 41 games, including cup competitions, for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). Despite his age, he’s still in top form. Messi’s highlight was the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Messi won many trophies with Barcelona and PSG, but he never made it to the top with the Argentina national team.바카라

Messi won the 2021 Copa America, giving him the major trophy he’d wanted for so long. Messi’s final goal was the World Cup. It didn’t start out well. They lost 1-2 to Saudi Arabia in their first group game. It was an upset. Getting hit by a hawk early proved to be a positive. Argentina regrouped and topped their group to advance to the round of 16.

They went on to defeat Australia, the Netherlands, and Croatia on their way to the final. The matchup between Messi, who is challenging for the best position in soccer history, and France’s Kylian Mbappe, the next Ballon d’Or candidate, drew worldwide attention. The match was intense. Things were going well for Argentina as they jumped out to a 2-0 lead. However, Mbappe’s multi-goal performance brought the game back to even. Messi’s goal put them back in front, but Mbappe answered right back. The game went to penalty kicks, and Messi’s Argentina won the title.

Messi won the World Cup and became the greatest player in soccer history. However, Holland is the favorite to win the award. The award is based on performances between December 19, 2022 and August 20, 2023. The 2022 World Cup in Qatar is excluded from the award. Messi has moved on from Europe to Inter Miami, where he is still in top form.

Meanwhile, Messi’s eternal rival Cristiano Ronaldo was left off the list for the second year in a row. Ronaldo left Manchester United last winter and headed to Saudi Arabia. His exclusion is likely due to the fact that he continues to play in Saudi Arabia, which is categorized as a fringe league.