A major football tournament taking place while the voting for the Fans’ Footballer of the Year is going on? It looked like an open goal for the six nominees who were taking part with their national sides.
A good tournament might just sway the vote in their favour. After all, Beth Mead’s inclusion in the nine-player shortlist was almost entirely on the back of her player of the tournament award at the Women’s Euros. It certainly appeared to put Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah at a disadvantage, with the two forced to watch from home following their countries' failures to secure a spot in the finals.
But, despite the six players going into the tournament off stellar years with their clubs, only Bukayo Saka truly shone on the world stage. Here, we look at how all six nominees fared at the World Cup.
