Messi, Mbappe & Haaland to fight for FIFA award; Vilda left out

BUDAPEST, September 14

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Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland are on the shortlist for the Best FIFA Men’s Player award, while Spain’s Aitana Bonmati is among the nominees for the Best Women’s Player on the back of winning the Golden Ball at the World Cup.

Half of the dozen nominees in the men’s category were part of Manchester City’s 2022-23 treble-winning squad, while City’s Spanish manager Pep Guardiola is nominated for Best Men’s Coach.

Spain’s World Cup win sees four of their players among the 16 nominees for the women’s award. World Cup runners-up England have four players on the list, with Sarina Wiegman up for the women’s coaching award, while Australia have three players.

World Cup winners Messi of Argentina and Spain’s Alexia Putellas are the current holders of the top player awards.

Spain’s Women’s World Cup winning coach Jorge Vilda was left off the shortlist of nominees, a week after he was fired following an international uproar in the wake of the final.

The nominees were shortlisted by a panel of football experts that included retired players Mia Hamm and Didier Drogba. — Agencies