December 15 – FIFA has announced the final nominees for The Best FIFA Women’s Player and The Best FIFA Men’s Player awards ahead of the 2023 edition of The Best FIFA Football Awards ahead of the ceremony next month.
Also announced were the finalists for the FIFA Puskas Award, which is awarded to the scorer of the best goal of the year
Spanish World Cup winners Astana Bonmati and Jenni Hermoso are nominated for the women’s award alongside 18-year-old Colombia forward Linda Caicedo, who is by far the youngest player to feature in the performance-based awards this year.
The award recognises women’s football’s outstanding performer between 1 August 2022 to 20 August 2023, the date of the FIFA Women’s World Cup final.
Spain had a winner in 2022 with Alexia Putellas picking up the Best Player award for outstanding performances for FC Barcelona which secured the team a spot in the final of the Women’s Champions League, a final they ultimately lost to Lyon 3-1.
The three final nominees for The Best FIFA Men’s Player cover the period 19 December 2022 to 20 August 2023.
Lionel Messi won the 2022 edition thanks to outstanding displays at former club PSG and in particular the Qatar World Cup win. The Argentina international collected his eighth Ballon d’Or last month. Messi is listed in the final three again – his debut for MLS side Inter Miami has been spectacular – but the period covered for the awards begins the day after the 2022 World Cup Final.
This could open to door to Norway striker Erling Haaland who having secured a historic treble with Manchester City collecting the European golden boot and countless records in the process.
France’s Kylian Mbappé is the third male nominee.
The finalists for The Best FIFA Women’s Player:
- Aitana Bonmatí (Spain / FC Barcelona)
- Linda Caicedo (Colombia / Deportivo Cali Femenino / Real Madrid CF)
- Jennifer Hermoso (Spain / CF Pachuca Femenil)
The finalists for The Best FIFA Men’s Player):
- Erling Haaland (Norway / Manchester City FC)
- Kylian Mbappé (France / Paris Saint-Germain)
- Lionel Messi (Argentina / Paris Saint-Germain / Club Internacional de Fútbol Miami)
Last year’s FIFA Puskas award was given to Polish amputee Marcin Oleksy for an inspiring acrobatic effort that took social media by storm.
The three finalists for this year’s award are:
- Julio Enciso (Paraguay / Brighton & Hove Albion FC)
- Guilherme Madruga (Brazil / Botafogo Futebol Clube)
- Nuno Santos (Portugal / Sporting CP)
The recipients of The Best FIFA Football Awards 2023 will be honoured at an event on Monday, January 15, 2024, in London, the third time FIFA has chosen London as the venue for The Best FIFA Football Awards, following the ceremonies held in the city in 2017 and 2018.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at moc.l1735382104labto1735382104ofdlr1735382104owedi1735382104sni@g1735382104niwe.1735382104yrrah1735382104