The Best FIFA Football Awards 2023 is on the horizon and in preparation for that highly-anticipated ceremony, football's world governing body has revealed the nominees for its different categories.
These include — but are not limited to — The Best FIFA Men's Player, the Best FIFA Women's Player, The Best FIFA Men's Coach, and The Best FIFA Women's Coach.
The nominees were chosen by a panel of experts that took into consideration the period between 1 August 2022 to 20 August 2023 for the women's game, thus including the recent 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup final, and the period between 19 December 2022 to 20 August 2023 for the men's accolades.
To no one's surprise, Manchester City dominate the list after winning the treble, securing the Premier League, FA Cup, and UEFA Champions League titles in an unforgettable 2022/23 campaign. As a result, Erling Haaland, Kevin de Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Rodri, Julian Alvarez, and Ilkay Gundogan — the German only left for Barcelona over the summer — are in the running for The Best FIFA Men's Player prize while Guardiola is nominated for The Best FIFA Men's Coach award.
Lionel Messi, who was named The Best FIFA Men's Player last year, made the shortlist despite the qualifying period excluding his 2022 FIFA World Cup win with Argentina. The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner, however, won Ligue 1 with PSG last season and has led Inter Miami to the inaugural Leagues Cup title just a few games into his spell with the MLS franchise.
Several of the standout performers at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup have been nominated for The Best FIFA Women's Player award, namely Aitana Bonmatí, who won the Golden Ball in Australia and New Zealand before scooping up the UEFA Women's Player of the Year Award. She faces competition from countrywomen Salma Paralluelo and Jennifer Hermoso, and England stars Rachel Daly, Alex Greenwood, and Lauren James.
Unsurprisingly, Sarina Wiegman is in the running for The Best FIFA Women's Coach prize. However, her stiffest competition comes from Barcelona Femeni boss Jonatan Giráldez, who led the club to Liga F and UEFA Women's Champions League success, and Emma Hayes, who guided Chelsea to the FA Women's Super League crown last season. Jorge Vilda, the manager who led Spain's women's national team to the World Cup title over the summer, has been overlooked after resigning following a tumultuous and controversial spell in charge.
Check out the nominees for The Best FIFA Football Awards 2023 in full below.
The Best FIFA Men's Player
-
Julián Álvarez (Argentina / Manchester City)
-
Marcelo Brozović (Croatia / Inter Milan /Al Nassr)
-
Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium / Manchester City)
-
İlkay Gündoğan (Germany / Manchester City / Barcelona)
-
Erling Haaland (Norway / Manchester City)
-
Rodrigo (Rodri) Hernández (Spain / Manchester City)
-
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Georgia / Napoli)
-
Kylian Mbappé (France / Paris Saint-Germain)
-
Lionel Messi (Argentina / Paris Saint-Germain / Inter Miami)
-
Victor Osimhen (Nigeria / Napoli)
-
Declan Rice (England / West Ham / Arsenal)
-
Bernardo Silva (Portugal / Manchester City)
The Best FIFA Women's Player
-
Aitana Bonmatí (Spain / Barcelona Femeni)
-
Linda Caicedo (Colombia / Real Madrid Femenino)
-
Rachel Daly (England / Aston Villa Ladies)
-
Kadidiatou Diani (France / Olympique Lyonnais Féminin / Paris Saint-Germain Féminine)
-
Caitlin Foord (Australia / Arsenal Women)
-
Mary Fowler (Australia / Manchester City WFC)
-
Alex Greenwood (England / Manchester City WFC)
-
Jennifer Hermoso (Spain / CF Pachuca Femenil)
-
Lindsey Horan (USA / Olympique Lyonnais)
-
Amanda Ilestedt (Sweden / Arsenal Women/ Paris Saint-Germain Féminine)
-
Lauren James (England / Chelsea Women)
-
Sam Kerr (Australia / Chelsea Women)
-
Mapi León (Spain / Barcelona Femeni)
-
Hinata Miyazawa (Japan / Mynavi Sendai)
-
Salma Paralluelo (Spain / Barcelona Femeni)
-
Keira Walsh (England / Barcelona Femeni)
The Best FIFA Men's Coach
-
Pep Guardiola (Manchester City)
-
Simone Inzaghi (Inter Milan)
-
Ange Postecoglou (Celtic / Tottenham)
-
Luciano Spalletti (Italy National Team / Napoli)
-
Xavi (Barcelona)
The Best FIFA Women's Coach
-
Peter Gerhardsson (Sweden National Team)
-
Jonatan Giráldez (Barcelona)
-
Tony Gustavsson (Australia National Team)
-
Emma Hayes (Chelsea Women)
-
Sarina Wiegman (England National Team)
The Best FIFA Men's Goalkeeper
-
Yassine Bounou (Morocco / Sevilla)
-
Thibaut Courtois (Belgium / Real Madrid)
-
Ederson (Brazil / Manchester City); André Onana (Cameroon / Inter Milan / Manchester United)
-
Marc-André ter Stegen (Germany / Barcelona)
The Best FIFA Women's Goalkeeper
-
Mackenzie Arnold (Australia / West Ham United Women)
-
Ann-Katrin Berger (Germany / Chelsea Women)
-
Catalina Coll (Spain / Barcelona Femeni)
-
Mary Earps (England / Manchester United W.F.C)
-
Christiane Endler (Chile / Olympique Lyonnais Féminin)
-
Zećira Mušović (Sweden / Chelsea Women)
-
Sandra Paños García-Villamil (Spain / Barcelona Femeni)
The FIFA Fan Award
-
Club Atlético Colón de Santa Fe fan (Argentina)
-
Fran Hurndall (England)
-
Miguel Ángel, Millonarios fan (Colombia)