Just 1 defender has been nominated for The Best Men’s Player Award

The list of nominees for The Best FIFA Men’s Player 2018 including nine hopefuls playing their trade in attacking roles. One defender alone bucks the trend. Raphael Varane was the part of the defence that helped France triumph at the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia. Varane reached a whole new level during the World Cup in Russia. Effective with his passing, unbeatable in the air and quick to intervene. Varane spent four years being haunted by one fleeting moment, which happened during the quarter-finals at Brazil 2014, when he lost out in an aerial challenge with Mats Hummels, leading to the only goal in France’s eventual loss to Germany. Four years later, Varane was involved in a similar aerial tussle following a free-kick. This time, he got the better of Uruguay’s solid and set France on the way to a 2-0 win.

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