Live | Football: Benzema, Mbappé and Messi nominated for FIFA Cup “Best”.
Argentina’s Lionel Messi and France’s Kylian Mbappe are in contention for the 2022 FIFA Player of the Year award after facing off in the World Cup final, the shortlist was announced on Thursday.
Neymar, the third member of Paris Saint-Germain’s “MNM”, is among the candidates for the “Golden ball” as well as Karim Benzema, Norwegian prodigy Erling Haaland or Croatian Luka Modric. The result will be announced on February 27.
Among women, two-time “Golden Ball” winner Alexia Putellas from Spain, Beat Mead from England or Wendy Renard from France are on the list.
World Cup finalists Didier Deschamps (France) and Lionel Scaloni (Argentina) Pep Guardiola (Manchester City), Champions League winner with Real Madrid, Carlo Ancelotti and Moroccan coach Walid Regraghi, fourth in the World Cup and Wydad Casablanca for the best coach trophy Winner of the African Champions League.
The International Federation also presents trophies to the best coach, best goalkeeper and best goalkeeper, as well as the supporters’ award and the Puskas award for goal of the year. Dimitri Payet is a candidate to recover against PAOK Thessaloniki.
Football fans can vote online until 11:59 p.m. Paris time on February 3. In early February 2023, FIFA will announce the three finalists in each category.
Lists of candidates
Players:
Aitana Bonmati (Spain – FC Barcelona)
Debinha (Brazil – North Carolina Courage)
Jessie Fleming (Canada-Chelsea)
Ada Hegerberg (Norway – Olympique Lyon)
Sam Kerr (Australia – Chelsea)
Beth Mead (England – Arsenal)
Vivianne Miedema (Netherlands – Arsenal)
Alex Morgan (USA – Orlando Pride and San Diego Wave)
Lena Oberdorf (Germany – Wolfsburg)
Alexandra Popp (Germany – Wolfsburg)
Alexia Putellas (Spain – FC Barcelona)
Wendy Renard (France – Olympique Lyonnais)
Keira Walsh (England – “Manchester City” and “Barcelona”)
Leah Williamson (England – Arsenal)
Players:
Julian Alvarez (Argentina – River Plate and Manchester City)
Jude Bellingham (England – Borussia Dortmund)
Karim Benzema (France – Real Madrid)
Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium – Manchester City)
Erling Haaland (Norway – Borussia Dortmund and Manchester City)
Achraf Hakim (Morocco – Paris Saint-Germain)
Robert Lewandowski (Poland – “Bayern” and “Barcelona”)
Sadio Mane (Senegal – Liverpool and Bayern Munich)
Kylian Mbappe (France – Paris Saint-Germain)
Lionel Messi (Argentina – Paris Saint-Germain)
Luka Modric (Croatia – Real Madrid)
Neymar (Brazil – Paris Saint-Germain)
Mohamed Salah (Egypt – Liverpool)
Vinicius Junior (Brazil – Real Madrid)
Coaches:
Sonia Bompastor (France – Olympique Lyonnais)
Emma Hayes (England – Chelsea)
Bev Priestman (England – Canada)
Pia Sundhage (Sweden – Brazil)
Martina Voss-Tecklenburg (Germany – Germany)
Sarina Wiegman (Netherlands – England and Holland)
Coaches:
Carlo Ancelotti (Italy – Real Madrid)
Didier Deschamps (France – France)
Pep Guardiola (Spain – Manchester City)
Walid Regragui (Morocco – Wydad Casablanca and Morocco)
Lionel Scaloni (Argentina – Argentina)
Babysitters:
Ann-Katrin Berger (Germany – Chelsea)
Mary Earps (England – Manchester United)
Christian Endler (Chile – Olympique Lyon)
Merle Frohms (Germany – Eintracht Frankfurt and Wolfsburg)
Alyssa Naeher (USA – Chicago Red Stars)
Sandra Paños García-Villamil (Spain – FC Barcelona)
Trustees:
Alisson Becker (Brazil – Liverpool)
Yassine Bounou (Morocco – Sevilla FC)
Thibaut Courtois (Belgium – Real Madrid)
Ederson (Brazil – Manchester City)
Emiliano Martinez (Argentina – Aston Villa)
Puskas Award for the best goal:
Mario Balotelli (Italy): Adana Demirspor – Goztepe Izmir (May 22, 2022)
Amandine Henry (France): FC Barcelona – Olympique Lyonnais (May 21, 2022)
Teo Hernández (France): AC Milan – Atalanta Bergamo (May 15, 2022)
Alou Kuol (Australia): Iraq v Australia U23 (4 June 2022)
Kylian Mbappe (France): Argentina v France (December 18, 2022)
Francisco González Metilli (Argentina): Central Córdoba – Rosario Central (August 1, 2022)
Marcin Oleksy (Poland): Warta Poznań – Stal Rzeszów (6 November 2022)
Salma Paralluelo (Spain): FC Barcelona – Villarreal (April 2, 2022)
Dimitri Payet (France): Olympique de Marseille – PAOK Thessaloniki (April 7, 2022)
Richarlison (Brazil): Brazil v Serbia (November 24, 2022)
Alessia Russo (England): England v Sweden (26 July 2022)
