FIFA have announced their ten-man shortlist for their 'The Best' award, celebrating the finest footballer of the 2018/19 season.

It's been a difficult season to judge, too, with several international tournaments and Champions League winners who didn't conquer their domestic title.

But FIFA managed to limit things down to ten - Virgil van Dijk, Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah, Harry Kane, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Matthijs de Ligt, Frenkie de Jong, Kylian Mbappe, and Eden Hazard.

There are some notable absentees, however.

Alisson Becker, who won the Champions Leauge and Copa America, as well as keeping the most clean sheets in both competitions as well as the Premier League, can feel hard done by.

Bernando Silva, too, was arguably Manchester City's best player as they won a treble, and added the inaugural Nations League with Portgual - how he didn't get in is anyone's guess.

But one name who is conspicuous by his absence is Neymar.

The Brazilian is always on these lists and, if reports are to be believed, he's so certain to be there that it's included in his contract.

According to UOL (per AS), Neymar gets a pay rise for making FIFA's 'The Best' shortlist and the fact that he hasn't made it costs him a considerable amount of money.

UOL claim €3m - an enormous figure to miss out on, even when you're as wealthy as Neymar.

But it was always an uphill struggle for the Brazilian to make it.

Yes, he won Ligue 1 with Paris Saint-Germain but Mbappe was the Player of the Year after Neymar spent much of the season injured. While injury again prevented him from a part in Brazil's triumph in the Copa America.

Safe to say he'll be hoping for better luck next year.

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