The Best FIFA Football Awards: Messi and Mbappe nominated, Ronaldo misses out

The list of candidates for the 2022 award has been released by FIFA on Thursday night where Messi and Mbappe feature alongside Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema and Neymar in the Best FIFA Men's Player category.

Zurich: World Cup finalists Lionel Messi (Argentina) and Kylian Mbappe (France) have been nominated for FIFA’s Best awards while Cristiano Ronaldo is a notable omission from the list.

The list of candidates for the 2022 award has been released by FIFA on Thursday night where Messi and Mbappe feature alongside Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema and Neymar in the Best FIFA Men’s Player category.

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Julian Alvarez also joined teammate Messi among the nominees in the 14-member list. Alvarez, playing his first World Cup, scored four goals while skipper Messi topped the scoring charts for his country with seven goals in Argentina’s first World Cup triumph in 36 years.

Real Madrid’s Carlo Ancelotti, France’s Didier Deschamps and Argentina’s World Cup-winning manager Lionel Scaloni are nominated for best Men’s Coach. Morocco’s Walid Regragui also features on the shortlist after his side became the first African nation to reach a World Cup semifinal.

England’s Leah Williamson, Beth Mead and Keira Walsh are nominated in the Women’s Best Player category.

Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez and Champions League winner Thibaut Courtois are among the five nominees for The Best Men’s Goalkeeper.

Mbappe’s late equaliser and Alessia Russo’s goal in England’s Euro 2022 semifinal win over Sweden are among the 12-goal list of nominees for the FIFA Puskás Award for best goal of the year.

Two expert panels – one for women’s football and one for men’s football – selected the candidates for the players’, goalkeepers’ and coaches’ categories.

The three finalists in each of the seven categories will be announced by FIFA in early February 2023.

The Best FIFA Women’s Player:

• Aitana Bonmatí (Spain / FC Barcelona)
• Debinha (Brazil / North Carolina Courage) Jessie Fleming (Canada / Chelsea FC Women) Ada Hegerberg (Norway / Olympique Lyonnais) Sam Kerr (Australia / Chelsea FC Women)
• Beth Mead (England / Arsenal WFC)
• Vivianne Miedema (Netherlands / Arsenal WFC) Alex Morgan (USA / Orlando Pride / San Diego Wave) Lena Oberdorf (Germany / VfL Wolfsburg)
• Alexandra Popp (Germany / VfL Wolfsburg) Alexia Putellas (Spain / FC Barcelona)
• Wendie Renard (France / Olympique Lyonnais) Keira Walsh (England / Manchester City WFC / FC Barcelona) Leah Williamson (England / Arsenal WFC)

The Best FIFA Men’s Player:

Julián Álvarez (Argentina / River Plate / Manchester City FC) Jude Bellingham (England / BV Borussia 09 Dortmund) Karim Benzema (France / Real Madrid CF) Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium / Manchester City FC) Erling Haaland (Norway / BV Borussia 09 Dortmund / Manchester City FC) Achraf Hakimi (Morocco / Paris Saint-Germain) Robert Lewandowski (Poland / FC Bayern München / FC Barcelona) Sadio Mané (Senegal / Liverpool FC / FC Bayern München) Kylian Mbappé (France / Paris Saint-Germain) Lionel Messi (Argentina / Paris Saint-Germain) Luka Modric (Croatia / Real Madrid CF)

• Neymar (Brazil / Paris Saint-Germain)
• Mohamed Salah (Egypt / Liverpool FC)
• Vinícius Junior (Brazil / Real Madrid CF)

The Best FIFA women’s Coach:

Sonia Bompastor (France / Olympique Lyonnais) Emma Hayes (England / Chelsea FC Women)

Bev Priestman (England / Canadian National Team) Pia Sundhage (Sweden / Brazilian National Team) Martina Voss-Tecklenburg (Germany / German National Team) Sarina Wiegman (Netherlands / English National Team)

The Best FIFA Men’s Coach:

Carlo Ancelotti (Italy / Real Madrid CF) Didier Deschamps (France / French National Team) Pep Guardiola (Spain / Manchester City FC) Walid Regragui (Morocco / Wydad AC / Moroccan National Team) Lionel Scaloni (Argentina / Argentinian National Team)

The Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper:

Ann-Katrin Berger (Germany / Chelsea FC Women) Mary Earps (England / Manchester United WFC) Christiane Endler (Chile / Olympique Lyonnais) Merle Frohms (Germany / Eintracht Frankfurt / VfL Wolfsburg) Alyssa Naeher (USA / Chicago Red Stars)

Sandra Paños García-Villamil (Spain / FC Barcelona)

The Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper:

Álisson Becker (Brazil / Liverpool FC) Yassine Bounou (Morocco / Sevilla FC)

Thibaut Courtois (Belgium / Real Madrid CF) Ederson (Brazil / Manchester City FC)

Emiliano Martínez (Argentina / Aston Villa FC)

The FIFA Puskás Award:

Mario Balotelli (Italy): Adana Demirspor v. Göztepe Spor Kulübü [Süper Lig] (22 May 2022)

Amandine Henry (France): FC Barcelona v. Olympique Lyonnais [UEFA Women’s Champions League] (21 May 2022)

Théo Hernández (France): AC Milan v. Atalanta [Serie A] (15 May 2022) Alou Kuol (Australia): Iraq U23 v. Australia U23 [AFC U23 Asian Cup] (4 June 2022)

Kylian Mbappé (France): Argentina v. France [FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022] (18 December 2022)

Francisco González Metilli (Argentina): Club Atlético Central Córdoba v. Club Atlético Rosario Central [Primera División] (1 August 2022)

Marcin Oleksy (Poland): Warta Poznan v. Stal Rzeszów [PZU Amp Futbol Ekstraklasa] (6 November 2022)

Salma Paralluelo (Spain): FC Barcelona v. Villarreal CF [Liga F] (2 April 2022) Dimitri Payet (France): Olympique de Marseille v. PAOK Thessaloniki [UEFA Europa Conference League] (7 April 2022)

Richarlison (Brazil): Brazil v. Serbia [FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022] (24 November 2022)

Alessia Russo (England): England v. Sweden [UEFA Women’s EURO 2022] (26 July 2022)