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

#TheBest FIFA Women’s Player 2020 nominees are:@LucyBronze@delphsix@CarolineGrahamH@PernilleMHarder@Jennihermoso@SamKerr1
@jsyo341
Saki Kumagai
Dszenifer Marozsan@VivianneMiedema@WRenard

????️ VOTE NOW ???? https://t.co/vm9tDHg4rk pic.twitter.com/bkA6ELHEFq

— FIFA Women's World Cup (@FIFAWWC) November 25, 2020

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.

⚡️⚡️⚡️

???????? Delphine Cascarino, Lyon's #UWCLfinal VISA Player of the Match! #VISAPOTM | @Visa_Fr | #UWCL pic.twitter.com/SLU5AoIvFi

— UEFA Women’s Champions League (@UWCL) August 31, 2020

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.

Pernille Harder wins the UEFA Women's Player of the Year ✨ pic.twitter.com/XpjBL2uu3m

— B/R Football (@brfootball) October 1, 2020

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.

Not one... not two... but three in a row! @samkerr1 is the best goal scorer in the world! pic.twitter.com/GyHq0EsAIG

— NBC Sports Chicago (@NBCSChicago) October 13, 2019

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.

#UWCL final goalscorer ????

Happy birthday Saki Kumagai ???????????????? pic.twitter.com/NxMySLDvzt

— UEFA Women’s Champions League (@UWCL) October 17, 2020

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.

"I'm just so happy to be on the pitch every day, playing football" ????

Dzsenifer Marozsán: the #UWCL Midfielder of the Season ???? https://t.co/3cREWwzMKW pic.twitter.com/1wPPNZYVzH

— UEFA Women’s Champions League (@UWCL) October 2, 2020

#TheBest FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper 2020 nominees are:@bergen_ann@BouhaddiSarah @TIANEendler@hedvig_lindahl @AlyssaNaeher@EllieRoebuck_

????️ VOTE NOW ???? https://t.co/BaussPaAIS@DFB_Frauen | @LaRoja | @svenskfotboll | @USWNT | @Lionesses pic.twitter.com/O4nA4jA3XD

— FIFA Women's World Cup (@FIFAWWC) November 25, 2020

#TheBest FIFA Women’s Coach 2020 nominees are:@Llcortes14 @ritaguari @emmahayes1
Stephan Lerch@wiegman_s
Hege Riise
Jean-Luv Vasseur

????️ VOTE NOW ???? https://t.co/AomqrJMepo pic.twitter.com/L5F2wczVTD

— FIFA Women's World Cup (@FIFAWWC) November 25, 2020

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.

Wimbledon is leveling up, as the annual London-based Grand Slam announced Thursday that it's increasing its purse by 7% across the board in 2025, pushing the total prize money to £53.5 million ($72.59 million) ahead of tennis tournament's June 30th kick-off.

Both the 2025 women's and men's singles champions will earn winner's checks in the amount of £3 million ($4.07 million) — an 11.1% increase over the amount won by 2024 champ Barbora Krejčíková.

With increases across all Slam events, from singles and doubles to wheelchair competitions, even athletes who stumble early will see a raise over last year's competition.

For example, singles players ousted in this year's first round will take home 10% more than in 2024, earning deposits of £66,000 ($89,530).

The 2025 total purse now doubles the prize money offered by the tournament a decade ago, and makes Wimbledon the biggest potential payday across all four of the sport's Grand Slams.

"We're immensely proud of the fact that, if you look back 10 years, you can see the increase over that period and 7% this year," said All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club chair Deborah Jevans. "And we have listened to the players, we have engaged with the players."

Teen swimmer Summer McIntosh made a major splash at the 2025 Canadian Swimming Trials, shattering three world records in just five days of competition in Victoria, BC.

First on Saturday, the Toronto swimmer shaved 1.2 seconds off the Australian Ariarne Titmus's 400-meter freestyle mark to set a new world record time of 3:54.18.

Then on Monday, McIntosh took down a decade-old record in the 200-meter individual medley (IM), becoming the first woman swimmer to complete the race in less than 2:06.00.

Just two days later, the 18-year-old McIntosh broke her own 400-meter IM world record, besting her 2024 Canadian Olympic Trials time by 0.73 seconds with a 4:23.65 race Wednesday.

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With her unstoppable week-long performance, McIntosh became the first swimmer to set three new world records in different individual events at one meet since US legend Michael Phelps's historic run at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

"Going into tonight, I knew I could do something really special because this has probably been the best meet of my career," McIntosh told reporters after Wednesday's race.

That said, the young star is already eyeing new times — and new records.

"Overall, [I'm] happy with the time, but I know I can go faster," said McIntosh following her 400-meter IM performance. "The faster I swim, the happier I am."

The NWSL Championship is on its way back West, with the league announcing on Friday morning that the 2025 title match will kick off from PayPal Park in San Jose, California.

Hosted at the home pitch of 2024 expansion team Bay FC, the game will take place on Saturday, November 22nd.

In addition to the championship match, the 2025 NWSL season's final weekend will include a variety of supporting events like Fan Fest and the annual Skills Challenge competition.

"We're thrilled to bring the NWSL Championship back to the West Coast and to a region with as rich a history in women's soccer as the Bay Area," said NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman in a league statement.

Citing a long list of former USWNT stars with local ties, including Julie Foudy, Kelley O'Hara, and Alex Morgan, Bay FC co-founder Brandi Chastain — a US legend herself — called the Bay Area "the place women's soccer calls home."

"Our community's fabric is woven with the greatest the game has to offer," explained Chastain.

"This community's passion for the game, combined with the excitement surrounding one of our newest teams in Bay FC, makes it the perfect setting to celebrate the league's top talent and crown our next champion," said Berman.

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How to attend and watch the 2025 NWSL Championship

Like last year, the 2025 NWSL Championship will air in primetime, with CBS set to broadcast the match live at 8 PM ET on November 22nd.

Tickets to the game will be available for purchase beginning in August, though interested fans can sign up for presale access online now.

The NWSL and WNBA Players Associations teamed up to release a joint statement on Thursday, with the unions expressing their solidarity with "all people seeking safety, dignity, and opportunity" after the recent ICE raids and ensuing protests in Los Angeles.

The move comes after Angel City published their own social media post addressing the ICE raids last Saturday, with the Los Angeles NWSL club noting "We know that our city is stronger because of its diversity and the people and families who shape it, love it, and call it home."

ACFC also directed immigrants in need of assistance in the wake of the ICE raids to two community organizations: the Coalition of Humane Immigrant Rights and the LA County Office of Immigrant Affairs.

Calling the WNBA Players Association "leaders in this space," NWSL Players Association executive director Meghann Burke told The Athletic that the basketball union initiated their joint statement.

"It's important to stand together as workers' unions," she noted.

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NWSL and WNBA unions speak to families impacted by ICE raids

"It's not lost on us that this country and the world are in turmoil right now," wrote the NWSLPA and WNBPA. "Across the country, families are facing fear, hardship, and uncertainty tied to immigration."

The athlete unions then crystallized their position, saying, "We stand with all people seeking safety, dignity, and opportunity, no matter where they come from or where they hope to go."

"Every person deserves to be treated with dignity and respect," they continued. "We know not every situation is simple. But offering compassion should never be up for debate."