BUDAPEST: Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland are shortlisted for the FIFA Best Men’s Player Award while Spaniard Aitana Bonmati is among the nominees for the Best Women’s Award after emerging as the best player of the tournament at the World Cup.
Six of the men’s nominees are players from the Manchester City squad that won the treble in the 2022-23 season, while City’s Spanish manager Pep Guardiola has been nominated for Best Men’s Coach.
Spain’s World Cup victory saw four of their players among the 16 candidates for the women’s award.
World Cup runners-up England have four players on the list, with Sarina Wiegman topping the list of best women’s coaches while Australia has three players.
World Cup winner Argentina’s Messi and Spain’s Alexia Putellas are the frontrunners for the best player award.
Candidates were shortlisted by a panel of football experts including former players Mia Hamm and Didier Drogba.
The draw for the eighth annual award opened last night on the FIFA.com website and ends in mid-October.
National team coaches, captains, journalists and fans were among the voters.