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The shortlists for FIFA’s men’s and women’s awards were whittled down to three.

Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland, and Kylian Mbappe were named finalists Thursday for the coveted individual honor, which will be handed out at The Best FIFA Football Awards ceremony in London on Jan. 15.

Aitana Bonmati, Linda Caicedo, and Jennifer Hermoso were named finalists for the women’s prize.

The individual awards recognize the most outstanding players from Dec. 19, 2022, to Aug. 20, 2023.

There were initially 12 players shortlisted for the men’s accolade, with stars such as Victor Osimhen, Kevin De Bruyne, and Declan Rice falling short of being named finalists.

Messi, who won a record-extending eighth Ballon d’Or in September, captured the Best FIFA Men’s Player honor last year for the second time in his illustrious career after helping Argentina win the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Haaland and Mbappe have never won the award, which was first handed out in 2017.

Meanwhile, on the women’s side, Bonmati is the likely favorite to win after a year in which she’s already captured the Women’s World Cup Golden Ball, UEFA Women’s Player of the Year award, and Ballon d’Or.

Caicedo impressed by winning the Copa America Femenina Golden Ball, while Hermoso shined during Spain’s Women’s World Cup triumph. However, Hermoso’s efforts were later overshadowed after the country’s former football federation president, Luis Rubiales, controversially kissed her after the final.

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Manchester United hardly put up a fight.

Erik ten Hag’s troubled side said goodbye to European competition after losing 1-0 to Bayern Munich on Tuesday.

United created precious little in a game it had to win to have any hope of advancing. Having conceded 15 goals in six group-stage matches, the Red Devils ultimately finished last in Group A behind Copenhagen and Galatasaray.

“We didn’t lose it today. That’s clear. We had some good performances. We also made some mistakes, some individual errors from more players, and yet it’s not good enough,” Ten Hag told TNT Sports. “I think today the performance was very good and we didn’t deserve to lose but we lost the game.”

Copenhagen punched their ticket to the knockout round with a 1-0 win over Galatasaray. As a third-place finisher, the Turkish side gets to continue its European adventure in the Europa League.

It’s the second time in four years United have suffered a Champions League group-stage exit and the second time the club has ever finished dead last in a group.

The defeat is certain to heap more pressure on Ten Hag as he battles reports of a dressing room divide. United also face a daunting trip to Anfield, where first-placed Liverpool await them in the Premier League on Sunday.

United’s Champions League campaign never really took off. After falling 4-3 to Bayern on Matchday 1, the three-time European champions blew separate one-goal leads in an eventual 3-2 loss at home to Galatasaray before coughing up a 2-0 advantage in a 4-3 capitulation away to Copenhagen. United surrendered another 2-0 lead in a 3-3 draw with Galatasaray on Nov. 29.

Entering the final matchday one point behind Copenhagen and Galatasaray – and with injuries to Casemiro, Lisandro Martinez, Christian Eriksen, and Mason Mount – United needed a win and their two group opponents to draw to reach the knockout stage. But the team seemed resigned to losing from the opening whistle. It managed just a single shot on target all game and ultimately lost on a goal to Kingsley Coman in the 70th minute.

Making matters worse, defenders Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw exited just before and at half-time with apparent injuries. Maguire, named the Premier League’s player of the month for November, tried to play through a groin injury before signalling for a substitution, while Shaw seemed to favor his hamstring.

United are now 11-1-12 in all competitions this season.

Copenhagen showed much more mettle in their contest, hanging on to win after match-winner Lukas Lerager was sent off in the 90th minute.

The Danish side last played in the Champions League knockout round during the 2010-11 season, when it lost 2-0 on aggregate to Chelsea in the round of 16.

Barcelona came from behind to beat Porto 2-1 on Tuesday and reach the Champions League knock-out rounds for the first time in three seasons.

Brazilian winger Pepe sent Porto ahead but Barcelona’s Portuguese duo Joao Cancelo and Joao Felix both netted to turn the game on its head.

The former Benfica pair pounced against their old club’s rivals to ensure Xavi Hernandez’s team would not face a humiliating group stage exit as they did in both of the last two seasons.

Defeat by Shakhtar Donetsk in Hamburg in their previous European match made Barca nervous, with poor performances domestically adding to their jitters.

However despite conceding first, Cancelo quickly levelled and he set up Felix in the second half for the winner to delight Barca’s fans at the Olympic Stadium on the city’s Montjuic hill.

“It was a final and we won it … we’ve put the club in the last 16, which is where it deserves to be,” Cancelo told Movistar.

“When results don’t come, your confidence is not the same.”

Xavi shook up his side with Cancelo switching to left-back and Oriol Romeu dropped for Ilkay Gundogan after Barcelona’s 1-1 draw at Rayo Vallecano on Saturday, the latest in a string of sub-par displays.

Inaki Pena kept his place in goal for the Catalans while first choice Marc-Andre ter Stegen is out with back pain and made several saves as both sides racked up good chances.

Porto’s Pepe, whistled by Barca fans because of his Real Madrid past, became the fifth oldest player in Champions League history at 40 years and 275 days.

The veteran Portuguese centre-back was in the right place at the right time to block Felix’s early effort, after Raphinha tested Diogo Costa with a low drive.

Porto’s Medhi Taremi beat Pena after 25 minutes but the goal was ruled out for offside against the Iranian striker.

The goalkeeper made a solid save to deny Galeno after he burst into life and squeezed a shot off, with pressure mounting on the Spanish champions.

Porto made the breakthrough after 30 minutes, with Brazilian winger Pepe slamming home the rebound after Pena denied Evanilson.

Before Barcelona allowed fear to set in, Cancelo dragged them back level with a fine individual goal.

The former Benfica defender, on loan from Manchester City, cut in from the left to bypass a defender and beat Costa with a confident strike.

High octane

Raphinha flashed a shot tantalisingly wide when Costa gave the ball away on the edge of his own box to Pedri, and Pena thwarted Alan Varela at the other end as the game lurched from one side to the other.

The second half began at the same frantic pace, with Felix cracking a strike off the top of the crossbar.

Ten minutes later the 24-year-old had his goal, exchanging passes with the rampaging Cancelo and carefully slotting home, his first for Barcelona since mid-September.

Raphinha came close twice in quick succession as the Catalans sought to stretch their lead, but although they could not, this time around they still managed to get the job done.

Barca defender Ronald Araujo’s huge fist pump at full-time showed it was with more nerves than it should have been.

Cancelo went off before the end but said it was precautionary, and that he would be fit for the clash against Atletico Madrid on Sunday.

“I am sure I will be there against Atletico Madrid,” he added.

“Now we have to recover and win on Sunday.”

Defeat leaves Porto, second, tied with Shakhtar, third, on nine points — they face each other in the final group game on December 13 in Portugal.