Liverpool trio, US World Cup winners head FIFA award shortlists

Liverpool’s Champions League-winning trio of Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Sadio Mane (photo, above) joined regulars Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi on the shortlist for The Best FIFA men’s player award, the world soccer’s governing body announced yesterday.

Salah and Mane shared the Premier League Golden Boot — with Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang — for the league’s top scorer with 22 goals each, while Messi was the leading scorer in both La Liga (36 goals) and the Champions League (12 goals) last season.

Centreback Van Dijk was voted both the Premier League Player of the Season and the Players’ Player of the Year and was instrumental in the Merseyside club’s sixth European Cup triumph.

Ronaldo won Italy’s Serie A title in his debut season with Juventus and was also voted the league’s most valuable player. He also led Portugal to the inaugural UEFA Nations League title last month.

US Women’s World Cup winners Megan Rapinoe, who won the top scorer’s Golden Boot and Golden Ball for the best player at the tournament, Alex Morgan and Julie Ertz were nominated for the best women’s player award along with last year’s Ballon d’Or winner Ada Hegerberg.

Hegerberg’s treble-winning Olympique Lyonnais team-mates Lucy Bronze, Amandine Henry and Wendie Renard also made the cut.

Liverpool coach Juergen Klopp and England’s domestic treble winner Pep Guardiola of Manchester City head the nominees for the men’s coach of the year award.

Other nominees include Portugal coach Fernando Santos, Brazil coach Tite, who led his side to the Copa America title, and Africa Cup of Nations winner Djamel Belmadi of Algeria.

The United States women’s national team coach Jill Ellis, who led her side to their fourth World Cup title earlier this month, heads the list of nominees for the best women’s team coach.

She is joined by Lyon’s treble-winning coach Reynald Pedros, Sarina Wiegman, who led the Netherlands to their first-ever World Cup final, and Joe Montemurro who led Arsenal to the FA Women’s Super League title.

The three finalists for each award will be revealed at a later date, with the winners to be announced in a ceremony in Milan on Sept. 23.

Full list of nominees:

The Best FIFA Men’s Player: Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal/Juventus), Frenkie De Jong and Matthijs de Ligt (both Netherlands/Ajax Amsterdam), Eden Hazard (Belgium/Chelsea), Harry Kane (England/Tottenham Hotspur), Sadio Mane (Senegal/Liverpool), Kylian Mbappe (France/Paris St Germain), Lionel Messi (Argentina/Barcelona), Mohamed Salah (Egypt/Liverpool), Virgil van Dijk (Netherlands/Liverpool).

The Best FIFA Women’s Player: Lucy Bronze (England/Olympique Lyon), Ada Hegerberg (Norway/Olympique Lyon), Julie Ertz (US/Chicago Red Stars), Sam Kerr (Australia/Perth Glory and Chicago Red Stars), Rose Lavelle (US/Washington Spirit), Caroline Hansen (Norway/Barcelona), Amandine Henry (France/Olympique Lyon), Alex Morgan (US/Orlando Pride), Megan Rapinoe (US/Reign FC), Wendie Renard (France/Olympique Lyon), Ellen White (England/Manchester City).

The Best FIFA Men’s Coach: Djamel Belmadi (Algeria/Algerian national team), Didier Deschamps (France, French national team), Marcelo Gallardo (Argentina/River Plate), Ricardo Gareca (Argentina/Peru), Pep Guardiola (Spain/Manchester City), Juergen Klopp (Germany/Liverpool), Mauricio Pochettino (Argentina/Tottenham Hotspur), Fernando Santos (Portugal/Portuguese national team), Erik ten Hag (Netherlands/Ajax Amsterdam), Tite (Brazil/Brazilian national team).

The Best FIFA Women’s Coach: Milena Bertolini (Italy/Italian national team), Jill Ellis (US/US national team), Peter Gerhardsson (Sweden/Swedish national team), Futoshi Ikeda (Japan/Japan Under-20 women’s team), Antonia Is (Spain/Spanish Under-17 team), Joe Montemurro (Australia/Arsenal women), Phil Neville (England/England), Reynald Pedros (France/Olympique Lyon), Paul Riley (England/North Carolina Courage), Sarina Wiegman (Netherlands/Dutch national team).

- Reuters