When world football’s leading soccer players convene in Milan, Italy Sept. 23 for The Best FIFA Football Awards, there will be two new honors: The Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper and members of the FIFA FIFPro Women’s World 11.

“FIFA is certain that France will host a groundbreaking edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup this year, so I cannot think of a better moment to introduce these new awards. It is yet another step in the right direction to raise the profile of women’s football,” said Zvonimir Boban, FIFA’s deputy secretary general of football.

The Best of FIFA award will be announced Teatro alla Scala, where the football world will get to know the winners in 11 categories:

* The Best FIFA Men’s Player

* The Best FIFA Women’s Player

* The Best FIFA Men’s Coach

* The Best FIFA Women’s Coach

* The Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper

* The Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper *

* FIFA FIFPro Men’s World 11

* FIFA FIFPro Women’s World 11 *

* The FIFA Puskás Award

* The FIFA Fair Play Award

* The FIFA Fan Award

Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 25 MLS Cups. He has written about New York City FC, New York Cosmos, the New York Red Bulls and both U.S. national teams for Newsday and has penned a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has published ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. It is available at Amazon.com.