Spain internationals Lamine Yamal and Pedri, Barcelona players, and Real Madrid’s French striker Kylian Mbappé are among eleven nominees for FIFA’ s The Best player award, soccer’s international governing body announced Thursday.
They will not be the only representatives of the Spanish league, as Barcelona’s Brazilian striker Raphinha is also among the candidates for the award.
Dembélé tops the list of nominated stars
An award, The Best, to which Paris Saint-Germain’s French striker Ousmane Dembélé is also aspiring.
Last September he was awarded the Golden Ball ahead of Spain’s Lamine Yamal.
As well as his Portuguese teammate Vitinha, who is also among the nominees for The Best award.
Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi and Portugal’s Nuno Mendes (Paris Saint-Germain) complete the list of candidates.
England’s Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Egypt’s Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) and England’s Cole Palmer (Chelsea).
The Best to the best goalkeeper
Spanish international David Raya, England’s Arsenal goalkeeper, will compete, among others, with Real Madrid’s Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and Barcelona’s Polish goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny for The Best for best goalkeeper.
The Brazilian Alisson Becker (Liverpool) and Argentine Emiliano ‘Dibu’ Martinez (Aston Villa) are also in the running for the award.
Also, Italy’s Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain/Manchester City), Germany’s Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich) and Switzerland’s Yann Sommer (Inter Milan).
Best Trainer Award
In the Best Coach category, Spain’s Luis Enrique Martinez, who won the Champions League with Paris Saint-Germain, will compete for the award with Barcelona’s German coach Hansi Flick and Arsenal’s English coach Mikel Arteta.
Spain’s Roberto Martinez, coach of Portugal, and Dutchman Arne Slot, manager of Liverpool, are also in the running for The Best.
Also, Italian Enzo Maresca (Chelsea) and Mexican coach Javier Aguirre, who led ‘El Tri’ to victory in the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Finally, the late Manolo el del Bombo, the iconic fan who accompanied the Spanish national team around the world for decades, is nominated for The Best for best fan, along with the fans of Iraq’s Zakho,
Rounding out the trio is Argentine Alejandro Ciganotto, the Racing de Avellaneda fan who trekked from Argentina to Rio de Janeiro to attend the Copa Libertadores semifinal between his team and Brazilian side Flamengo.
FIFA The Best FIFA Player of the Year Award Nominees
Ousmane Dembélé (France and Paris Saint-Germain)
Achraf Hakimi (Morocco and Paris Saint-Germain)
Harry Kane (England and Bayern Munich)
Kylian Mbappé (France and Real Madrid)
Nuno Mendes (Portugal and Paris Saint-Germain) Cole Palmer (England and Chelsea) Cole Palmer (England and Chelsea) Pedri (Spain and Barcelona) Raphinha (Brazil and Barcelona) Mohamed Salah (Egypt and Liverpool) Germain)
Cole Palmer (England and Chelsea)
Pedri (Spain and Barcelona)
Raphinha (Brazil and Barcelona)
Mohamed Salah (Egypt and Liverpool)
Vitinha (Portugal and Paris Saint-Germain)
Lamine Yamal (Spain and Barcelona)
Nominees for The Best FIFA Men’s Football Coach of the Year Award
Javier Aguirre (Mexico)
Mikel Arteta (Arsenal)
Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain)
Hansi Flick (Barcelona)
Enzo Maresca (Chelsea)
Roberto Martinez (Portugal)
Arne Slot (Liverpool)
Nominees for The Best FIFA Goalkeeper Award
Alisson Becker (Brazil and Liverpool)
Thibaut Courtois (Belgium and Real Madrid)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Italy and Paris Saint-Germain/Manchester City)
Emiliano Martinez (Argentina and Aston Villa)
Manuel Neuer (Germany and Bayern Munich)
David Raya (Spain and Arsenal)
Yann Sommer (Switzerland and Inter Milan)
Wojciech Szczęsny (Poland and Barcelona)
Nominees for the FIFA Fan Award
Alejandro Ciganotto (Argentina)
Manolo el del Bombo (Spain)
Zakho Fans (Iraq).
With information from EFE
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