When Neymar awaited the winner of the 2017 Best FIFA Men’s Player award on the London Palladium stage on Monday, did he really think he had a chance?

Since AC Milan’s Kaka collected the player of the year hardware in 2007, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have shared the distinction of being named the world’s best with five gongs apiece.

But with both players aged 30 or above, could their monopoly be challenged next year? Here are the current frontrunners to succeed the decorated pair:

Neymar

The strong favourite.

Neymar’s world-record transfer to Paris Saint-Germain was engineered to give him a better chance of winning individual honours. At Barcelona he operated in the shadow of Messi and, to a lesser extent, Luis Suarez, and when you’re not the leading light at your club you’re not going to be named the best player on the globe.

He’s phenomenally talented and already proved he can single-handedly drag his team over the line when he inspired Brazil to glory at the 2016 Olympics in Rio. The 25-year-old will have some big-name sidekicks in the French capital to help him – Kylian Mbappe and Edinson Cavani are his current strike partners – and he’s started strongly in Ligue 1 with seven goals and five assists over eight appearances.

Kevin De Bruyne

The last time there was Premier League representation in the team of the year was in 2014, when Paris Saint-Germain’s David Luiz was selected shortly after leaving Chelsea, and Manchester United new boy Angel Di Maria was picked after a sterling season with Real Madrid.

Judging from performances early on in the 2017-18 campaign, Kevin De Bruyne is ready to introduce himself to the upper reaches of the world’s game.

The perfect weight and forensic accuracy of his passes has helped Manchester City net an incredible 32 goals over nine Premier League matches, and his knack of pressing out of possession and finding space when a teammate has the ball is especially pleasing for boss Pep Guardiola.

De Bruyne should be the favourite to challenge Andres Iniesta’s nine-year stranglehold on the FIFPro World XI, but he should put most focus on toppling Messi or Ronaldo before Neymar does.

Marco Asensio

Isco isn’t the only player to condemn Gareth Bale to bench-warming duties when the Welshman manages five minutes away from the treatment room.

Marco Asensio’s masterful dribbling has left the Bernabeu faithful doe-eyed since he was regularly deployed by Zinedine Zidane. He’s never overawed by the big stage, scoring on his debuts in La Liga, the Champions League, Copa del Rey, UEFA Super Cup, and the Supercopa.

And not only has he contributed to Bale’s limited minutes, but he’s also blocked Bale’s path to being the natural successor of Ronaldo. Asensio’s currently pocketed more league goals than any of his teammates, and doesn’t lose possession as regularly as Isco.

Harry Kane

For those who have been unfortunate enough to watch an England match in, say, the last 25 or so years, it will come as no surprise that a native hasn’t been named in the world team of the year since Wayne Rooney snuck into the 2011 lineup.

Walthamstow lad Harry Kane seems a cut above.

His blood-thirsty hunger for etching his name on the scoresheet, coupled with an unerring accuracy, has proffered the strongest candidate for not only trumping Alan Shearer’s Premier League goal-scoring record of 260, but potentially battering it.

Right now there’s no better climate for Kane to play his football: the Tottenham Hotspur game plan is built around his unbelievable scoring talents. In 2017, he’s scored 45 goals in 40 games for club and country.

Kylian Mbappe

Kylian Mbappe exploded onto the football scene last season with goals that helped inspire AS Monaco to the Ligue 1 title. He’s already established himself as one of the most recognisable footballers around, and his ability to contribute in various facets of play despite his starting position in the frontline is en vogue with football viewers right now.

His professionalism at such a young age – he doesn’t turn 18 until December – is also another quality that can help him become a mainstay in The Best FIFA Men’s Player final three for years to come – perhaps before Ronaldo and Messi’s powers noticeably dwindle.

To pursue individual silverware, maybe Mbappe will eventually have to step from under the shadow of Neymar in the future to secure a lucrative switch to Real Madrid or another giant. But rest assured: when Ronaldo and Messi decline or retire, the competitiveness of the race for The Best FIFA Men’s Player award could rise exponentially.

(Photos courtesy: Action Images)

In the war against modern slavery, the International Trade Union Confederation won a battle.

On Wednesday, the ITUC welcomed a breakthrough to end the kafala system, announcing that new guidance and commitments made by Qatar’s government will dismantle the system, which requires migrant workers to have an in-country sponsor and has led to millions becoming trapped in Qatar. Further meetings are planned with the country’s labour minister on implementing labour rights for two million migrant workers.

The ITUC has constantly called on Qatar to “make the 2022 World Cup a World Cup with rights for all workers,” demanding that the system is abolished and replaced with a minimum wage, workers representation, and a grievance procedure to settle disputes while also eliminating contract substitution.

“The new guidance from Qatar signals the start of real reforms in Qatar which will bring to an end the use of modern slavery and puts the country on the pathway to meeting its international legal obligations on workers’ rights,” Sharan Burrow, ITUC’s general secretary, said. “Following discussions in Doha there is a clear government commitment to normalise industrial protections for migrant workers.

“These initiatives have the support of the ITUC, and we hope that implementation will be also supposed by the ILO with its technical expertise. Much remains to be done, but these steps open the way for workers to be treated with dignity and for their lives and livelihoods to be protected.”

Six steps are included in the government’s guidance and commitments. They include:

• Employment contracts will be lodged with a government authority to prevent contract substitution, ending the practice of workers arriving in the country only to have their contract torn up and replaced with a different job, often on a lower wage
• Employers will no longer be able to stop their employees from leaving the country
• A minimum wage will be prescribed as a base rate covering all workers, ending the race-based system of wages
• Identification papers will be issued directly by the State of Qatar, and workers will no longer rely on their employer to provide their ID card without which workers can be denied medical treatment
• Workers’ committees will be established in each workplace, with workers electing their own representatives
• A special disputes resolution committee with a timeframe for dealing with grievances will be a centerpiece for ensuring rapid remedy of complaints

As the Guardian’s David Conn writes, the kafala system is an abuse of human rights which ties workers to “a single employer, low pay, poor accommodation, and labouring in dangerous heat,” resulting in hundreds of unexplained deaths.

In September, Human Rights Watch said: “Qatari authorities should adopt and enforce adequate restrictions on outdoor work to protect the lives of migrant workers who are at risk from working in the country’s intense heat and humidity.” Heat protection regulations for the majority of workers do not prohibit outdoor work during hours where weather conditions reach levels that result in potentially fatal heat-related illnesses.

FIFA voted Qatar as the host of the 2022 World Cup in 2010.

Like a fortune teller using a crystal ball or a series of tarot cards to determine a person’s future, predicting how football will play out over the coming years is a fool’s errand.

It’s facile to judge what transpires in the present, but not so much when it comes to around the corner. Especially in football, where factors like injuries, form, and transfers can flip a player’s career on its head.

As part of Monday’s lavish FIFA ceremonies in London, the football governing body announced the FIFPro World XI, and there were very few surprises as La Liga giants Real Madrid and Barcelona dominated the assemblage of football’s best.

Related: FIFPro World XI: Real Madrid dominates, Buffon takes home 2nd prize

Of the 11 players selected, only Neymar (24), Toni Kroos (27), and Marcelo (29) are younger than 30 years old, and despite the stranglehold many of the players have on the FIFA XI, time is a factor beyond the control of even the world’s best.

With that in mind, here’s a hypothetical glance at what the FIFPro World XI could look like in five years’ time:

Alban Lafont (Toulouse) – Currently plying his trade with Ligue 1 side Toulouse, Lafont, 18, already has 70 first-team appearances with Les Pitchouns, and has displayed a knack for pairing shot-stopping with distribution. AC Milan’s Gianluigi Donnarumma is the popular pick, but look for Lafont to make an eventual move to Paris Saint-Germain to boost his stock while filling his trophy case with domestic and continental honours.

Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid) – Playing for Real Madrid is a shortcut to success and for Carvajal, 25, the sky’s the limit for the slick-passing right back who is set to take World’s Best full-back honours from Los Blancos brethren Marcelo. One concern for Carvajal would be a history of minor injuries having appeared in 22 and 23 La Liga matches in each of the last two seasons, respectively. Countryman Hector Bellerin may give his colleague a challenge.

Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain) – Remarkably still just 23 years old despite more than half a decade of first-team football, Brazilian centre-back Marquinhos has become a symbol of consistency in the French capital. With fellow La Canrinha Thiago Silva in decline, expect Marquinhos and Presnel Kimpembe to be anchors at the back for the future Champions League winner.

Raphael Varane (Real Madrid) – Like Marquinhos, Real Madrid defender Varane, 24, plays for a continental power, and like his fellow centre-half, receives a fraction of the praise of his peers. It’s hard to imagine that bothering the reticent Frenchman, and with passing skills and positional awareness of a player five years his senior, the only way is up for a player likely to continue earning trophies at a rapid rate. John Stones may have something to say about this.

Benjamin Mendy (Manchester City) – There’s a reason Manchester City shelled out a record amount for a defender when it lured Les Bleus star Mendy to the Eithad. Arguably one of Europe’s best crossers of the ball, Mendy provides width in attack, creating space for midfielders while demanding the undivided attention of the opposing right-back. He’s also a peach of a fella, a factor that can’t hurt his popularity among peers and media.

Dele Alli (Tottenham) – There are a slew of burgeoning attacking midfielders to choose from, and at the expense of Los Blancos star Isco, 25, Tottenham’s Alli makes the list by virtue of a versatile skill set uncommon for a player not yet 22. Assuming he remains an integral part of a young core at White Hart Lane alongside Harry Kane and Christian Eriksen, Alli’s rise could see him become one of England’s greatest-ever players.

Thiago Alcantara (Bayern Munich) – Arguably the Bundesliga’s best player last season, Alcantara is a Jack-of-all-trades midfielder without a glaring weakness. With Bayern likely to build around him as an aging core hits the wall, Alcantara, 26, is set to become a focal point for both club and country courtesy of a versatility that has him among Europe’s best.

Marco Asensio (Real Madrid) – From La Casilla grad to first-team saviour, Spanish attacking midfielder Asensio, 21, enjoyed a brilliant 2016-17 campaign at the Santiago Bernabeu. There’s no reason to think that his meteoric rise shows any signs of slowing, and with the majority of the Real Madrid squad approaching footballing twilight, Asensio should be the attacking piece the capital side builds around.

Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain) – One of the first names on this hypothetical teamsheet, there aren’t any words of praise to fairly describe 18-year-old PSG forward Mbappe. Equal parts fluid runner and dribbling wizard, Mbappe’s modesty and demeanor will only help the versatile right-footer become the world’s best footballer.

Harry Kane (Tottenham) – To all those who called Tottenham goal-machine Kane a one-year wonder, eat a Spurs scarf dipped in hot sauce. Kane, 24, is both the world’s in-form striker and its most clinical finisher, and whether his future be in north London or with one of Europe’s behemoths, the England international’s nose for goal is an asset that should appreciate as he develops further tricks and turns in the penalty area.

Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain) – The sole remnant of the 2017 FIFPro XI, Neymar is set to excel as his senior peers Messi and Ronaldo make retirement plans. The flashy Brazilian, 25, can delay his own plans for backgammon and beach towels as he notches a first Ballon d’Or in 2019 after leading PSG to a second Champions League title on the trot.

(Photos courtesy: Action Images)

Behind the smile and the friendly embrace as Cristiano Ronaldo accepted the the Best FIFA Men’s Player of the Year award, Diego Maradona was admittedly disappointed he didn’t have the honour of delivering the trophy to his compatriot, Lionel Messi.

The Argentine legend was greeted by Ronaldo, with whom he was as cordial as ever when he handed over the award despite confessing it would’ve brought him more joy to hand the coveted trophy to the Barcelona star instead.

“To give the Best (award) to Ronaldo and not be able to give it to Messi hurt my soul,” Maradona said to TyC Sports, as translated by Adriana Garcia of ESPN FC.

(Photo courtesy: Action Images)

The Real Madrid star edged out Messi and Neymar to become the inaugural recipient of the award during Monday’s star-studded ceremony in London.

Before the show kicked off, Maradona was seen sharing a heartfelt moment with Messi.

He was later forced to respond to reports of their alleged deteriorating relationship, which were fueled by Maradona’s remarks over his disappointment when he wasn’t invited to Messi’s wedding last summer.

Maradona, however, insisted he continues to share a positive relationship with the 30-year-old.

“The meeting with Messi was fantastic,” he said. “I spoke to him, and the same love and affection was there as always.”