FIFA has announced the nominees for its annual The Best awards, revealing the players, coaches and goalkeepers who will compete for football’s most prestigious individual honours this year. French forward Ousmane Dembele of Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona’s Spanish prodigy Lamine Yamal, who were the main contenders for the recent Ballon d’Or, will once again go head-to-head for the men’s best player award.
The list features 11 male and 17 female players nominated based on their performances over the past year.
Men’s best player nominees: Ousmane Dembele, Achraf Hakimi, Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappe, Nuno Mendes, Cole Palmer, Pedri, Raphinha, Mohamed Salah, Vitinha and Lamine Yamal.
Women’s best player nominees: Sandy Baltimore, Nathalie Bjorn, Aitana Bonmati, Lucy Bronze, Mariona Caldentey, Temwa Chawinga, Kadidiatou Diani, Melchie Dumornay, Patri Guijarro, Lindsey Horan, Lauren James, Chloe Kelly, Ewa Pajor, Clàudia Pina, Alexia Putellas, Alessia Russo and Leah Williamson.
Notably absent from this year’s main categories are global icons Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, both of whom currently play outside Europe. However, they have been shortlisted for the men’s FIFPro World XI, which will be selected from a pool of 88 players, including 22 forwards.
In the coaching categories, PSG’s Luis Enrique, who led his team to a Champions League treble, and England women’s coach Sarina Wiegman, who guided her side to the European Championship title, are among the nominees.
Men’s best coach nominees: Javier Aguirre, Mikel Arteta, Luis Enrique, Hansi Flick, Enzo Maresca, Roberto Martínez and Arne Slot.
Women’s best coach nominees: Sonia Bompastor, Jonatan Giraldez, Seb Hines, Rene Slegers and Sarina Wiegman.
The goalkeeping categories also feature strong competition across both men’s and women’s football.
Men’s best goalkeeper nominees: Alisson Becker, Thibaut Courtois, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Emiliano Martínez, Manuel Neuer, David Raya, Yann Sommer and Wojciech Szczesny.
Women’s best goalkeeper nominees: Ann-Katrin Berger, Cata Coll, Christiane Endler, Hannah Hampton, Anna Moorhouse, Chiamaka Nnadozie and Fallon Tullis-Joyce.
The winners will be chosen through a global voting process involving national team coaches and captains, journalists and fans.
