LIONEL Messi, Erling Haaland and Jennifer Hermoso are among the six finalists for the FIFA The Best Men’s and Women’s Players of the Year awards.
The nominees were announced today, with the awards ceremony scheduled for London, England on January 15.
Argentina captain and Qatar 2022 World Cup winner and Most Valuable Player Messi and Treble winners Manchester City’s top scorer Haaland are up against France and Paris Saint-Germain striker Kylian Mbappe for the men’s award.
Messi beat the other two to win his record-extending eighth Ballon d’Or earlier this year, with Haaland second and Mbappe third.
Hermoso, who was in Spain’s triumphant FIFA Women’s World Cup squad in Australia and New Zealand in August, is up for the women’s top prize with her international teammate and Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmatí and Ecuadorian youngster Linda Caicedo, who plays her club football in Spain with Real Madrid.
FIFA explained that the women’s award recognises the outstanding performer between August 1, 2022 to August 20, 2023, the date of the FIFA Women’s World Cup final.
The finalists for The Best FIFA Men’s Player are the most outstanding performers from the period of December 19, 2022 to August 20, 2023, according to the governing body.
A total of 16 players were initially nominated for The Best FIFA Women’s Player award, having been chosen by a panel of experts.
From this shortlist, the three finalists have been selected by an international jury comprising: women’s national team coaches, women’s national team captains, football journalists, and fans who voted on FIFA’s official website.
As for the men, a total of 12 players were initially nominated for The Best FIFA Men’s Player award, having been chosen by a panel of experts.
Like their female counterparts, from this shortlist, the three finalists have been selected by an international jury comprising: men’s national team coaches, men’s national team captains, football journalists, and fans from all over the world registered on FIFA.com.
FIFA also announced the three finalists for FIFA Puskás Award today as Julio Enciso (Paraguay/Brighton & Hove Albion FC), Guilherme Madruga (Brazil/Botafogo Futebol Clube), and Nuno Santos (Portugal/SportingCP).
The prize is named after legendary Hungarian striker Ferenc Puskás and was last won by Polish Amputee footballer Marcin Oleksy’s bicycle kick.
A total of 11 goals were initially nominated for this edition of the FIFA Puskás Award. From this shortlist, the three finalists have been selected by fans who voted on FIFA’s official website, as well as expert panellists.
FIFA describes Julio Enciso’s goal as a thunderbolt right-foot strike from 25 yards, while Guilherme Madruga executed a superb overhead kick from outside the area, and Nuno Santos makes the final three for his audacious left-foot rabona.
