FIFA THE BEST
Three Africans in 77 nominations as voting begins at FIFA The Best Awards 2024
Voting is now open as FIFA has unveiled a shortlist of nominees for TheBest FIFA Football Awards 2024.
FIFA has unveiled an 11-man nominee shortlist for The Best FIFA Football Awards 2024. There are 77 nominations, of which Africans made scant appearances.
In the main categories of The Best Men and The Best Women where there are 11 nominees in each, only two African women footballers made the cut.
They are Malawi’s national women’s team captain, Tabitha Chawinga and Zambia’s Barbra Banda.
Both are also in contention for the African Women’s Footballer of the Year holding in December in Morocco
The only other African in contention for an award at The Best FIFA Football Awards 2024 is Algeria’s Yassine Benzia whose goal against South Africa is one of the five shortlisted for the Puskas Award.
Malawi’s Tabitha Chawinga played for Paris Saint-Germain and is currently on loan to Olympique Lyonnais.
Barbra Banda, a key figure in Zambia’s qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympics plays for Orlando Pride in South Africa.
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Voting is now open on FIFA’s official website across a number of award categories, with fans set to play a key role in choosing the winners.
The voting will be equally weighted between fans, the current captains and coaches of all women’s/men’s national teams, and media representatives.
The Best FIFA Men’s Player nominees:
Dani Carvajal (Spain), Real Madrid
Erling Haaland (Norway), Manchester City
Federico Valverde (Uruguay), Real Madrid
Florian Wirtz (Germany), Bayer Leverkusen
Jude Bellingham (England), Real Madrid
Kylian Mbappe (France), Paris Saint-Germain/Real Madrid
Lamine Yamal (Spain), Barcelona
Lionel Messi (Argentina), Inter Miami
Rodri (Spain), Manchester City
Toni Kroos (Germany), Real Madrid (now retired)
Vinicius Jr (Brazil), Real Madrid.
Nominees for The Best FIFA Women’s Player
Aitana Bonmati (Spain, Barcelona)
Barbra Banda (Zambia, Shanghai Shengli/Orlando Pride)
Caroline Graham Hansen (Norway, Barcelona)
Keira Walsh (England, Barcelona)
Khadija Shaw (Jamaica, Manchester City)
Lauren Hemp (England, Manchester City)
Lindsey Horan (USA, Olympique Lyonnais)
Lucy Bronze (England, Barcelona/Chelsea)
Mallory Swanson (USA, Chicago Red Stars)
Mariana Caldentey (Spain, Barcelona/Arsenal)
Naomi Girma (USA, San Diego Wave)
Ona Bathe (Spain, Barcelona)
Salma Paralluelo (Spain, Barcelona)
Sophia Smith (USA, Portland Thorns)
Tabitha Chawinga (Malawi, Paris Saint-Germain/Olympique Lyonnais)
Trinity Rodman (USA, Washington Spirit).
Nominees for The Best FIFA Women’s Coach
Arthur Elias (Brazil, Brazil)
Elena Sadiku (Sweden, Celtic)
Emma Hayes (England, Chelsea/USA)
Futoshi Ikeda (Japan, Japan)
Gareth Taylor (England, Manchester City)
Jonatan Giraldez (Spain, Barcelona/Washington Spirit)
Sandrine Soubeyrand (France, Paris FC)
Sonia Bompastor (France, Olympique Lyonnais/Chelsea).
Nominees for The Best FIFA Men’s Coach
Carlo Ancelotti (Italy, Real Madrid)
Lionel Scaloni (Argentina, Argentina)
Luis de la Fuente (Spain, Spain)
Pep Guardiola (Spain, Manchester City)
Xabi Alonso (Spain, Bayer Leverkusen).
Nominees for The Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper
Alyssa Naeher (USA, Chicago Red Stars)
Ann-Katrin Berger (Germany, Chelsea/NJ/NY Gotham)
Ayaka Yamashita (Japan, INAC Kobe Leonessa/Manchester City)
Cata Coll (Spain, Barcelona)
Mary Earps (England, Manchester United/Paris Saint-Germain).
Nominees for The Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper
Andriy Lunin (Ukraine, Real Madrid)
David Raya (Spain, Arsenal)
Ederson (Brazil, Manchester City)
Emiliano Martinez (Argentina, Aston Villa)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Italy, Paris Saint-Germain)
Mike Maignan (France, AC Milan)
Unai Simon (Spain, Athletic Club).
Nigerian journalist, Oluwashina Okeleji who voted under the Nigerian banner as a media practitioner in the FIFA The Best election is one of the few who got a perfect voting pattern.
His deep knowledge of the game is reflected in his vote which came as a perfect mark.
He voted this way:
- 1.Vinicious Jr., 2. Rodri, 3. Jude Bellingham
Okeleji has since 2004 been reporting for the BBC World Service Radio and Television (Focus on Africa Sport) and writes regularly for the BBC African Football website.
He also contributes to World Soccer magazine and Al Jazeera English (Sport). He is a multiple-ward winner.
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Brazil and Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr has been named FIFA Men’s Player after voting was conducted with fans, national coaches, and captains forming the electoral college.
Nigerians may wish to know how their coaches and captain voted. Coach Augustine Owen Eguavoen voted as follows:
- Lionel Messi, 2. Vinícius Jr, 3. Rodri.
Messi, Eguavoen’s first choice did not make the top three. He placed sixth overall.
The Super Eagles captain, William Troost Ekong’s voting sheet reveals he voted this way:
1. Jude Bellingham, 2. Vinícius Jr, 3. Rodri
He nearly had a perfect scoring as the trio made the top three, but Bellingham finished third.
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After controversially missing being named this year’s Ballon d’Or winner,Brazil and Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr was named FIFA Men’s player of the Year in Doha on Tuesday.
The 24-year-old scored 24 goals in 39 appearances across all competitions to help Real Madrid clinch the LaLiga and Champions League double. He also scored in the final win over Borussia Dortmund.
The Brazilian won the award ahead of Spain and Manchester City midfielder Rodri and his teammate at Real, England’s Jude Bellingham.
The 24-year-old, who narrowly missed out on the Ballon d’Or to Rodri in October, was in Doha to collect the award, with Real in Qatar for Wednesday’s FIFA Intercontinental Cup final against Mexico’s Pachuca.
“It seemed impossible when I played barefoot in the streets of Sao Goncalo and now I’m here,” Vinicius said.
Bonmati retained the FIFA women’s Player of the Year award ahead of Zambia’s Barbra Banda and Norway’s Caroline Graham Hansen, having also won the women’s Ballon d’Or for the second consecutive year in October.
The 26-year-old helped her club to a domestic treble last season in a campaign in which Barca also retained the Champions League, and Bonmati scored in the semi-final and final when Spain won the Nations League in February.
“I’m very grateful for this award, but I always say that this is a team effort, with a Barca that won everything and the national team,” Bonmati said.
Real Madrid’s Carlo Ancelotti won the best men’s coach award after the Italian led his club to the league and Champions League double last season.
“I want to share this with the club, with my president and with my players, those of the best club in the world,” Ancelotti said.
-Reuters
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