A Guide to FIFA’s Best Football Awards

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HARRIET LANDER/GETTY IMAGES

On November 25th, FIFA announced the nominees for their annual Football Awards, which will take place on December 17th 2020. It will be the first awards held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The window to be considered is based on what was done between July 8th, 2019 to October 8th, 2020, which eliminates any performances from the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Below are the nominees for player of the year and a summary of their accomplishments.

 

THE BEST FIFA WOMEN’S PLAYER
1. Lucy Bronze – England – Olympique Lyonnais & Manchester City

Lucy Bronze won the UEFA Champions League with Lyon, helping the club win its fifth consecutive Champions League. Bronze also won the Division 1 Féminine league title and the Coupe de France with Lyon before returning to Manchester City, where she is now an integral part of their starting XI.


2. Delphine Cascarino – France – Olympique Lyonnais

Delphine Cascarino won the treble with Olympique Lyon — the Champions League, the Division 1 Féminine, and the Coupe de France. She was named Player of the Match in the Champions League Final, as she controlled the game by setting up the first two goals that Lyon scored.

3. Caroline Graham Hansen – Norway – Barcelona

Caroline Graham Hansen won two trophies with Barcelona, winning the Primera División and the very first edition of the Supercopa de España Femenina. Hansen also helped lead Barcelona to the semifinals of the Champions League and was included as part of UEFA’s Squad of the Season.


4. Pernille Harder – Denmark – VfL Wolfsburg & Chelsea

Pernille Harder led VfL Wolfsburg to the Champions League Final, and she won the UEFA Champions League Forward of the Season title due to her efforts throughout the competition. She won the Women’s Footballer of the Year in Germany after winning both the Frauen-Bundesliga and the DFB-Pokal Frauen with Wolfsburg, serving as the team’s top scorer with 38 goals in 33 appearances. Harder joined Chelsea earlier this year after signing a contract for a world-record fee for a women’s player.

5. Jennifer Hermoso – Spain – Barcelona 

Jennifer Hermoso won the double with Barcelona in her first year at the club – the Primera División and the Supercopa de España Femenina. She was also the Primera División’s top goalscorer during the 2019/20 season, winning the award for the second consecutive year and for the fourth time in her career.


6. Ji So-yun – South Korea – Chelsea

Ji So-yun won two trophies with Chelsea, the FAWSL league title and the FA Women’s League Cup, bringing her tally to eight trophies won with the club since signing in 2014. Ji was also part of the PFA Team of the Year and was a finalist for the PFA Players’ Player of the Year.

7. Sam Kerr – Australia – Chelsea 

Sam Kerr managed to win her third consecutive NWSL Golden Boot in her last season at Chicago Red Stars, with 18 goals scored, an NWSL record. She was also named the league’s Most Valuable Player. Her move to England saw her win the double with Chelsea in her first season at the club.

8. Saki Kumagai – Japan – Olympique Lyon

Saki Kumagai was a part of Olympique Lyon’s treble-winning team, winning the Division 1 Féminine, the Coupe de France, and the Champions League. Her efforts in the Champions League, including a goal in the final against VfL Wolfsburg, led her to be named to UEFA’s Squad of the Season. Her efforts at both the club and international level also saw her win the Asian Women’s Footballer of the Year in December 2019.

9. Dzsenifer Marozsán – Germany – Olympique Lyon

Dzsenifer Marozsán was also an integral part of Lyon’s treble-winning season. After the Champions League Final, she was awarded UEFA Champions League Midfielder of the Season. She also won the 2020 Algarve Cup with Germany.

10. Vivianne Miedema – Netherlands – Arsenal

Vivianne Miedema has taken Arsenal to the next level with her goal-scoring prowess. Despite Arsenal only reaching the quarter-finals in the Champions League, Miedema finished as the competition’s top scorer with ten goals. She was also the FAWSL’s top goalscorer during the 2019/20 season with 16 goals. Miedema was integral in Arsenal’s 11-1 win against Bristol City in December 2019, which was the largest victory in the history of the league. During the match, Miedema was involved in ten of Arsenal’s 11 goals with six goals and four assists.

11. Wendie Renard – France – Olympique Lyon

Wendie Renard’s leadership in her central defender role was a massive part of why Olympique Lyon was able to win the treble, so much so that she was named the UEFA Champions League Defender of the Season. The three trophies Renard won this year with Lyon upped her total number of trophies won with the club to 33.


FIFA also shortlisted six goalkeepers for The Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper award and seven coaches for The Best FIFA Women’s coach.

Three finalists from each category will be announced on December 11th, one week before the awards ceremony, with voting open to the public until December 9th.

Vote here.