Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, and Erling Haaland are competing for the FIFA Best Player award after being included in the shortlist, while Aitana Bonmatí is among the nominees after winning the Ballon d'Or for the best player in the Women's World Cup. Half of the ten nominees in the men's category came from Manchester City, which achieved a treble of titles for the 2022-2023 season, and the team's coach Pep Guardiola has been nominated for the Best Men's Coach award.
Four Spanish players were nominated after the victory in the Women's World Cup among the 16 candidates for the Best Women's Player award, alongside four players from England, the World Cup runners-up. Dutch coach Sarina Wiegman was nominated for the Best Coach award. Messi, who won the World Cup with Argentina, won the Best Men's Player award last year, while Spanish player Alexia Putellas won the Best Women's Player award.
The nominees for the shortlist were selected by a panel of football experts, which included retired player Mia Hamm and striker Didier Drogba. Voting for the awards, held for the eighth consecutive year, begins today, Thursday, on FIFA's website and ends in mid-October. Voting is open to national team coaches, captains, journalists, and fans.
