Overview:
U.S. women's national team captain and midfielder Lindsey Horan was the lone American to be listed as a finalist on The Best FIFA Football Awards, it was announced on Thursday.
Lindsey Horan in action at the Women’s World Cup. (Jenna Watson-USA TODAY Sports)
U.S. women’s national team captain and midfielder Lindsey Horan was the lone American to be listed as a finalist on The Best FIFA Football Awards, it was announced on Thursday.
Given the USA’s disappointing elimination from the recent Women’s World Cup, it should not come as a surprise.
Former St. John’s University standout Rachel Daly, of the English squad that finished as runners-up in Australia, also is a finalist.
There was, however, a U.S. based male player who made the list – Argentine World Cup champion Lionel Messi, who plays for Inter Miami CF in MLS.
The nominees were shortlisted by a panel of football experts who reviewed longer lists compiled by FIFA based on the candidates’ achievements during the respective award eligibility periods. Voting is now open across the various categories, with the international jury being comprised of national team captains and coaches, journalists, and fans from all over the world.
Performances at the record-breaking FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™ are reflected in The Best FIFA Women’s Player nominees. Adidas Golden Ball winner Aitana Bonmatí leads a quartet of Spanish nominees. Four players from tournament runners-up England and a trio of Matildas – who were a victory away from reaching the final on home soil – are also part of a 16-player shortlist.
Half of the candidates for The Best FIFA Men’s Player were part of Manchester City FC’s 2022-23 treble-winning squad, while coach Pep Guardiola, is nominated for The Best FIFA Men’s Coach alongside four of his peers. Meanwhile, the 2021 and 2022 winners of The Best FIFA Women’s Coach – Emma Hayes and Sarina Wiegman – feature among the quintet nominated in this category.
The FIFA Puskás Award is guaranteed to generate hundreds of thousands of votes each year, with the prize recognizing the player ‘judged to have scored the most aesthetically significant goal, regardless of championship, gender or nationality and scored without the result of luck or a mistake and in support of fair play.’ The nominees will be announced on Sept 21.
The winners of The Best FIFA Women’s Player, The Best FIFA Women’s Coach and The Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper will be selected by an international jury comprising the current coaches of all women’s national teams (one per team), the current captains of all women’s national teams (one per team), one specialist journalist from each territory represented by a national team and fans from all over the world registered on FIFA.com.
The winners of The Best FIFA Men’s Player, The Best FIFA Men’s Coach and The Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper will be selected by an international jury comprising the current coaches of all men’s national teams (one per team), the current captains of all men’s national teams (one per team), one specialist journalist from each territory represented by a national team and fans from all over the world registered on FIFA.com.
The Best FIFA Women’s Player Nominees
Aitana Bonmatí (Spain); Linda Caicedo (Colombia); Rachel Daly (England); Kadidiatou Diani (France); Caitlin Foord (Australia); Mary Fowler (Australia); Alex Greenwood (England); Jennifer Hermoso (Spain); Lindsey Horan (USA); Amanda Ilestedt (Sweden); Lauren James (England); Sam Kerr (Australia); Mapi León (Spain); Hinata Miyazawa (Japan); Salma Paralluelo (Spain); Keira Walsh (England).
The Best FIFA Men’s Player Nominees
Julián Álvarez (Argentina); Marcelo Brozović (Croatia); Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium); İlkay Gündoğan (Germany); Erling Haaland (Norway); Rodrigo (Rodri) Hernández Cascante (Spain); Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Georgia); Kylian Mbappé (France); Lionel Messi (Argentina); Victor Osimhen (Nigeria); Declan Rice (England); Bernardo Silva (Portugal).
The Best FIFA Women’s Coach Nominees
Peter Gerhardsson (Sweden): Jonatan Giráldez (Spain); Tony Gustavsson (Sweden); Emma Hayes (England); Sarina Wiegman (Netherlands).
The Best FIFA Men’s Coach Nominees
Pep Guardiola (Spain); Simone Inzaghi (Italy); Ange Postecoglou (Australia); Luciano Spalletti (Italy); Xavi (Spain).
The Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper Nominees
Mackenzie Arnold (Australia); Ann-Katrin Berger (Germany); Catalina Coll (Spain); Mary Earps (England); Christiane Endler (Chile); Zećira Mušović (Sweden); Sandra Paños García-Villamil (Spain).
The Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper Nominees
Yassine Bounou (Morocco); Thibaut Courtois (Belgium); Ederson (Brazil); André Onana (Cameroon); Marc-André ter Stegen (Germany).
Club Atlético Colón de Santa Fe fan (Argentina); Fran Hurndall (England); Miguel Ángel, Millonarios fan (Colombia).
Award qualifying periods
The qualifying period for the women’s awards – The Best FIFA Women’s Player, The Best FIFA Women’s Coach and The Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper – was from Aug. 1, 2022 to August 20, 2023, the date of the FIFA Women’s World Cup final.
For the men’s awards – The Best FIFA Men’s Player, The Best FIFA Men’s Coach and The Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper – the qualifying period was between Dec. 19, 2022 to Aug. 20, 2023.
When does voting open?
Fan voting in all the above categories will commence on FIFA’s digital platforms on Thursday 14 September when the respective shortlisted nominees are announced, along with the candidates for The FIFA Fan Award. Voting will close at midnight CET on Friday, Oct. 6.
Voting for the FIFA Puskás Award, which will be presented to the scorer of the best goal during the period from Dec. 19, 2022 to Aug. 20, 2023 inclusive, will commence on Thursday 21 September and close at midnight CET on Tuesday, Oct 10.
