The Best FIFA Football Awards 2020: Robert Lewandowski, Pernille Harder, and Jurgen Klopp among nominees

FIFA has released the full list of nominees for The Best FIFA Football Awards and expectedly, some familiar names lead the way as favorites to cart away the prestigious accolades.

The awards were introduced in 2017 after FIFA ended their association with the Ballon d’Or and Portugal icon Cristiano Ronaldo was the first recipient of the FIFA Best Men’s Player award.

Since then, it has grown to become one of the most prestigious individual awards in the game of football and despite the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, FIFA has revealed that the 2020 edition will go ahead as planned

The awards are due to be held on December 17th and a full list of nominees for the seven awards on the day has been revealed.

How are the winners of the awards decided?

A panel comprising of former players curated the list of nominees in each category, from which votes are awarded by media representatives from more than 200 countries, as well as national team coaches and captains all over the world.

Football fans are also eligible to cast their votes and voting would run until December 9 on the official FIFA website FIFA.com.

The final list of three nominees will then be released on December 11, ahead of the ceremony which will be held virtually owing to COVID-19 social distancing rules.

The Best FIFA Men’s Player nominees

Poland striker Robert Lewandowski leads the way after a stellar season that saw him score 55 goals from just 47 matches in all competitions to help Bayern Munich to the treble.

The 32-year-old is joined by former winners Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as well as reigning PFA Player of the Year Kevin de Bruyne. 

• Thiago Alcântara (Spain / FC Bayern München / Liverpool FC)
• Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal / Juventus FC)
• Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium / Manchester City FC)
• Robert Lewandowski (Poland / FC Bayern München)
• Sadio Mané (Senegal / Liverpool FC)
• Kylian Mbappé (France / Paris Saint-Germain)
• Lionel Messi (Argentina / FC Barcelona)
• Neymar (Brazil / Paris Saint-Germain)
• Sergio Ramos (Spain / Real Madrid CF)
• Mohamed Salah (Egypt / Liverpool FC )
• Virgil van Dijk (Netherlands / Liverpool FC)

The Best FIFA Women’s Player nominees

Olympique Lyon completed a stunning season that saw them win a fifth consecutive Champions League title, as well as a third treble on the trot and it is no surprise to see their players dominate the nominees for the Best Women’s Player award. 

The French champions are well represented, with five players from their treble-winning team included, although the English WSL is also very visible.

Denmark international and reigning UEFA Women’s Player of the Year Pernille Harder is the favorite, after her stunning performance for Wolfsburg last season. 

• Lucy Bronze (England / Olympique Lyonnais / Manchester City WFC)
• Delphine Cascarino (France / Olympique Lyonnais)
• Caroline Graham Hansen (Norway / FC Barcelona)
• Pernille Harder (Denmark / VfL Wolfsburg / Chelsea FC Women)
• Jennifer Hermoso (Spain / FC Barcelona)
• Ji So-yun (Korea Republic / Chelsea FC Women)
• Sam Kerr (Australia / Chelsea FC Women)
• Saki Kumagai (Japan / Olympique Lyonnais)
• Dzsenifer Marozsán (Germany / Olympique Lyonnais)
• Vivianne Miedema (Netherlands / Arsenal WFC)
• Wendie Renard (France / Olympique Lyonnais)

The Best FIFA Men’s goalkeeper nominees

Germany international and World Cup winner Manuel Neuer had a spectacular performance to inspire Bayern Munich to the treble last season.

The former Schalke man was at his imperial best in the final of the Champions League to thwart Neymar and co. and he is joined by the likes Liverpool’s Alisson Becker and Jan Oblak. 

• Alisson Becker (Brazil / Liverpool FC)
• Thibaut Courtois (Belgium / Real Madrid CF)
• Keylor Navas (Costa Rica / Paris Saint-Germain)
• Manuel Neuer (Germany / FC Bayern München)
• Jan Oblak (Slovenia / Atlético de Madrid)
• Marc-André ter Stegen (Germany / FC Barcelona)

The Best FIFA Women’s goalkeeper nominees 

Sarah Bouhaddi and Ann-Katrin Berger are among the forerunners for the award and others like Christiane Endler and Hedvig Lindahl are also in the running. 

• Ann-Katrin Berger (Germany / Chelsea FC Women)
• Sarah Bouhaddi (France / Olympique Lyonnais)
• Christiane Endler (Chile / Paris Saint-Germain
• Hedvig Lindahl (Sweden / VfL Wolfsburg / Atlético de Madrid Femenino)
• Alyssa Naeher (USA / Chicago Red Stars)
• Ellie Roebuck (England / Manchester City WFC)

The Best FIFA Men’s Coach nominees

Jurgen Klopp is the current holder of this award after guiding Liverpool to the Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup in 2019.

The German is also in the running, having masterminded the Reds’ first league title in three decades but Hans-Dieter Flick is the favorite after guiding Bayern Munich to a continental treble just nine months after his appointment. 

• Marcelo Bielsa (Argentina / Leeds United FC)
• Hans-Dieter Flick (Germany / FC Bayern München)
• Jürgen Klopp (Germany / Liverpool FC)
• Julen Lopetegui (Spain / Sevilla FC)
• Zinedine Zidane (France / Real Madrid CF)

The Best FIFA Women’s Coach nominees 

Stephan Lerch, Jean-Luc Vasseur and Sarah Wiegman are all among seven nominees for the Best FIFA Women’s Coach.

• Lluís Cortés (Spain / FC Barcelona)
• Rita Guarino (Italy / Juventus Women)
• Emma Hayes (England / Chelsea FC Women)
• Stephan Lerch (Germany / VfL Wolfsburg)
• Hege Riise (Norway / LSK Kvinner)
• Jean-Luc Vasseur (France / Olympique Lyonnais)
• Sarina Wiegman (Netherlands / Dutch national team)

Puskas Award nominees

The Puskas Award is given to the player adjudged to have scored the best goal in the calendar year.

The nominees were selected by a panel and the final winner is decided by public votes.

• F Shirley Cruz (CRC) – Costa Rica v. Panama [Concacaf Women’s Olympic qualifying] (28 January 2020)
• Giorgian De Arrascaeta (URU) – Ceará SC v. CR Flamengo [Brasileirão – Brazil] (25 August 2019)
• Jordan Flores (ENG) – Shamrock Rovers FC v. Dundalk FC [League of Ireland] (28 February 2020)
• André-Pierre Gignac (FRA) – UANL Tigres v. Pumas UNAM [Liga MX – Mexico] (1 March 2020)
• Sophie Ingle (WAL) – Arsenal WFC v. Chelsea FC Women [FA Women’s Super League – England] (19 January 2020)
• Zlatko Junuzović (AUT) – SK Rapid Wien v. FC Red Bull Salzburg [Bundesliga – Austria] (24 June 2020)
• Hlompho Kekana (RSA) – Mamelodi Sundowns FC v. Cape Town City FC [South African Premier Soccer League] (20 August 2019)
• Son Heung min (KOR) – Tottenham Hotspur v. Burnley FC [Premier League – England] (7 December 2019)
• Leonel Quiñónez (ECU) – Universidad Católica v. CSD Macará [Serie A – Ecuador] (19 August 2019)
• Luis Suárez (URU) – FC Barcelona v. Real Mallorca [LaLiga – Spain] (7 December 2019)
• Caroline Weir (SCO) – Manchester City WFC v. Manchester United WFC [FA Women’s Super League – England] (7 September 2019

The Best FIFA awards will take place at a virtual ceremony on December 17.

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