*LONDON – Barcelona forward Lionel Messi faces the worst setback as he hasbeen left out from the FIFA player of the year award after 12 years.*
*He was left off the shortlist for FIFA’s Player of the Year award for thefirst time in 12 years.*
* Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric and Mohamed Salah were named as the threefinalists.*
Although Messi won the Spanish league title with Barca last season, the31-year-old had an unhappy World Cup, missing a penalty against Iceland andscoring only once in four games as they were knocked out in the last 16.
Messi, who last failed to make the final three nominees in 2006, has wonthe award, in its various guises, five times and finished runner-up onanother six occasions.