FIFA have released their nominations for The Best Awards 2021. The world football governing body will reward players, goalkeepers and coaches in both men’s and women’s football for their achievements over the past 12 months during an online gala on 17 January 2022.
Due to the pandemic context, the 2020 event took place in similar conditions. The nominees have been selected by expert panels from the men’s and women’s game respectively. Voting for each category will stop on 10 December, with FIFA announcing the finalists for each of their awards early next year.
The Best trophy was first awarded in 2016, after FIFA and France Football stopped co-organizing the Ballon d’Or event. Cristiano Ronaldo won the first two editions, then Luka Modric, Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski got the prize themselves.
The winners of The Best FIFA Men’s Player, The Best FIFA Men’s Coach and The Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper Awards will be selected by an international jury comprising the current coaches of all men’s national teams (one per team), the current captains of all men’s national teams (one per team), one specialist journalist from each territory represented by a national team and fans from all over the world registered on FIFA.com. An identical system will be applied for the women’s awards to decide the winners.
Each of the four groups of voters within the jury has the same electoral weight irrespective of the actual number of voters in those groups (the votes of the coaches, the captains, the specialist journalists and the fans shall each make up one-quarter of the poll, notwithstanding the number of voters in each group). The coaches’, captains’ and journalists’ individual votes will be published on FIFA.com. for the avoidance of doubt.
Public voting is open on FIFA.com and will run until 23:59 CET on 10 December 2021.
The full list of nominees for The Best 2021 Award
The Best FIFA Men’s Player:
Karim Benzema (France / Real Madrid CF)
Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium / Manchester City FC)
Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal / Juventus FC / Manchester United FC)
Erling Haaland (Norway / BV Borussia 09 Dortmund)
Jorginho (Italy / Chelsea FC)
N’Golo Kanté (France / Chelsea FC)
Robert Lewandowski (Poland / FC Bayern München)
Kylian Mbappé (France / Paris Saint-Germain)
Lionel Messi (Argentina / FC Barcelona / Paris Saint-Germain)
Neymar (Brazil / Paris Saint-Germain)
Mohamed Salah (Egypt / Liverpool FC)
The Best FIFA Women’s Player:
Stina Blackstenius (Sweden / BK Häcken)
Aitana Bonmatà (Spain / FC Barcelona)
Lucy Bronze (England / Manchester City WFC)
Magdalena Eriksson (Sweden / Chelsea FC Women)
Caroline Graham Hansen (Norway / FC Barcelona)
Pernille Harder (Denmark / Chelsea FC Women)
Jennifer Hermoso (Spain / FC Barcelona)
Ji Soyun (Korea Republic / Chelsea FC Women)
Sam Kerr (Australia / Chelsea FC Women)
Vivianne Miedema (Netherlands / Arsenal WFC)
Alexia Putellas (Spain / FC Barcelona)
Christine Sinclair (Canada / Portland Thorns FC)
Ellen White (England / Manchester City WFC)
The Best FIFA Men’s Coach:
Antonio Conte (Italy / FC Internazionale Milano / Tottenham Hotspur FC)
Hansi Flick (Germany / FC Bayern München / German national team)
Pep Guardiola (Spain / Manchester City FC)
Roberto Mancini (Italy / Italian national team)
Lionel Sebastián Scaloni (Argentina / Argentinian national team)
Diego Simeone (Argentina / Atlético de Madrid)
Thomas Tuchel (Germany / Chelsea FC)
The Best FIFA Women’s Coach:
LluÃs Cortés (Spain / FC Barcelona)
Peter Gerhardsson (Sweden / Swedish national team)
Emma Hayes (England / Chelsea FC Women)
Beverly Priestman (England / Canadian national team)
Sarina Wiegman (Netherlands / Dutch national team / English national team)
The Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper:
Alisson Becker (Brazil / Liverpool FC)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Italy / AC Milan / Paris Saint-Germain)
Édouard Mendy (Senegal / Chelsea FC)
Manuel Neuer (Germany / FC Bayern München)
Kasper Schmeichel (Denmark / Leicester City FC)
The Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper:
Ann-Katrin Berger (Germany / Chelsea FC Women)
Christiane Endler (Chile / Paris Saint-Germain / Olympique Lyonnais)
Stephanie Lynn Marie Labbé (Canada / FC Rosengård / Paris Saint-Germain)
Hedvig Lindahl (Sweden / Atlético de Madrid Femenino)
Alyssa Naeher (USA / Chicago Red Stars)