Alex Morgan is the lone U.S. women’s national team player to make the shortlist for the Best FIFA Women’s Player award.
Her USWNT teammate Sophia Smith, who last week was named the 2022 U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year, was not included among the 14 nominees announced Thursday. The full list of nominees is below.
Morgan won the NWSL Golden Boot in 2022, scoring 15 goals in the regular season for the San Diego Wave. The 33-year-old striker also scored the game-winning goal for the USWNT in the Concacaf W Championship final.
Smith finished second to Morgan in the Golden Boot race, but the 22-year-old won the NWSL MVP and led the Portland Thorns to the NWSL title. She also paced the USWNT with 11 goals in 2022, becoming the youngest player to lead the United States in scoring since Mia Hamm in 1993.
The Best FIFA Women’s Player award has been presented annually soccer’s international governing body since 2016, when it replaced the FIFA’s previous Player of the Year award. USWNT players have won the award twice in the six years of its existence: Carli Lloyd in 2016 and Megan Rapinoe in 2019. Morgan finished second to Rapinoe in 2019.
Nominees for The Best FIFA Women's Player:
— Just Women’s Sports (@justwsports) January 12, 2023
🇧🇷 Debinha
🇨🇦 Jessie Fleming
🇳🇴 Ada Hegerberg
🇦🇺 Sam Kerr
🇳🇱 Vivianne Miedema
🇺🇸 Alex Morgan
🇩🇪 Lena Oberdorf
🇩🇪 Alex Popp
🇪🇸 Aitana Bonmatí
🇪🇸 Alexia Putellas
🇫🇷 Wendie Renard
🏴 Beth Mead
🏴 Keira Walsh
🏴 Leah Williamson pic.twitter.com/xx6QDB290F
FIFA also announced nominees for its top goalkeeper and coach awards. USWNT goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher is among the nominees for Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper, while England manager Sarina Wiegman is up for Best FIFA Women’s Coach after leading the Lionesses to their first UEFA Women’s Euro title.
Nominees for the awards were selected by a panel of former players, including retired USWNT star Carli Lloyd.
The winners for each award will be selected through a wider voting process, which will include four groups: national team coaches; national team captains; soccer journalists; and fans voting through the FIFA website. Each group will receive equal weight (25%) in the final tabulation. Fan voting is available through Feb. 3.
Three finalists for each award will be announced in early February.
Best FIFA Women’s Player
- Aitana Bonmatí (Spain / FC Barcelona)
- Debinha (Brazil / North Carolina Courage)
- Jessie Fleming (Canada / Chelsea FC Women)
- Ada Hegerberg (Norway / Olympique Lyonnais)
- Sam Kerr (Australia / Chelsea FC Women)
- Beth Mead (England / Arsenal WFC)
- Vivianne Miedema (Netherlands / Arsenal WFC)
- Alex Morgan (USA / Orlando Pride / San Diego Wave)
- Lena Oberdorf (Germany / VfL Wolfsburg)
- Alexandra Popp (Germany / VfL Wolfsburg)
- Alexia Putellas (Spain / FC Barcelona)
- Wendie Renard (France / Olympique Lyonnais)
- Keira Walsh (England / Manchester City WFC / FC Barcelona)
- Leah Williamson (England / Arsenal WFC)
Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper
- Ann-Katrin Berger (Germany / Chelsea FC)
- Mary Earps (England / Manchester United)
- Christiane Endler (Chile / Olympique Lyonnais)
- Merle Frohms (Germany / Eintracht Frankfurt / VfL Wolfsburg)
- Alyssa Naeher (United States / Chicago Red Stars)
- Sandra Paños García-Villamil (Spain / FC Barcelona)
Best FIFA Women’s Coach
- Sonia Bompastor (France / Olympique Lyonnais)
- Emma Hayes (England / Chelsea FC Women)
- Bev Priestman (England / Canadian National Team)
- Pia Sundhage (Sweden / Brazilian National Team)
- Martina Voss-Tecklenburg (Germany / German National Team)
- Sarina Wiegman (Netherlands / English National Team)