A month and a half before The Best Football Awards ceremony, which will take place on February 27, FIFA has unveiled the list of 14 finalists for the best player award. Ballon d’Or, Karim Benzema is in the list. With Kylian Mbappé, they will represent the only two French chances. But the PSG star will have to face his club teammate Lionel Messi.
Neymar, the third member of the Paris Saint-Germain “MNM” is also among the nominees like the Norwegian prodigy Erling Haaland or the Croatian Luka Modric. Robert Lewandowski won this trophy last year.
Here are the nominees for #TheBest FIFA Player!
Cast your vote for your men’s and women’s player on FIFA+! ️https://t.co/oBHBYLotsZpic.twitter.com/nfJBfCKlJY
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) January 12, 2023
Wendie Renard present in women
Among the women, the Spanish double Golden Ball Alexia Putellas, the English Beath Mead or the French Wendie Renard are on the list. For the best coach trophy, World Cup finalists Didier Deschamps (France) and Lionel Scaloni (Argentina) face Pep Guardiola (Manchester City), the Champions League winner with Real Madrid, Carlo Ancelotti and Morocco coach Walid Regragui, fourth in the World Cup and winner of the African Champions League with Wydad Casablanca.
The International Federation also presents a trophy to the best coach, the best goalkeeper and the best goalkeeper, as well as a supporter’s award and the Puskas award for goal of the year, for which Kylian Mbappé, for his volley in the world final , or Dimitri Payet, for his recovery against PAOK Salonika, are candidates.
Football fans can vote on the Internet until February 3 at 11:59 p.m. Paris time. In early February 2023, Fifa will announce the three finalists in each category.