For the second year in a row, Australia’s own Sam Kerr has been shortlisted for the most prestigious individual award in world football, the FIFA Player of the Year gong.
[jwplayer uhR6V6TN]
Kerr was officially confirmed for the shortlist for The Best FIFA Women’s Player last night, marking her second consecutive nomination for the award and capping off a huge year not only for Kerr individually but for the Matildas as well.
OFFICIAL | The nominees for #TheBest FIFA Women’s Player 2018:
Lucy Bronze
Pernille Harder
Ada Hegerberg
Amandine Henry
Sam Kerr
Saki Kumagai
Dzsenifer Marozsan
Marta
Megan Rapinoe
Wendie RenardFor the period 7 August 2017-24 May 2018 pic.twitter.com/3Yd8PNmINN
— FIFA Women’s World Cup (@FIFAWWC) July 24, 2018
Kerr is one of five return nominees for this year’s award, with England’s Lucy Bronze, Denmark’s Pernille Harder, Germany’s Dzsenifer Marozsan, and France’s Wendie Renard all scoring return nominations after being featured last year as well.
Kerr – who, at 24, is already the all-time leading scorer in America’s premiere UWSL league – was arguably unlucky not to score a nod as a finalist for the award last year. All three finalists in last year’s award – including the winner Lieke Martens – did not feature in this year’s shortlist.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugmdTF4FyN0
Matilda’s coach Alen Stajcic also scored a crucial nomination, being shortlisted for the award for best coach in women’s football.
Under Stajcic’s guidance, Kerr and the Matildas finished out 2017 by achieving Australian football’s highest ever FIFA national ranking of 4th overall. The side is currently ranked 8th in the world, according to FIFA’s latest global rankings.
#TheBest FIFA Women’s Player 2018 nominee | @samkerr1
AFC Women’s Asian Cup finalist with @TheMatildas, @NWSL and @WLeague Golden Boot winner pic.twitter.com/D8UL0WkNXg
— FIFA Women’s World Cup (@FIFAWWC) July 24, 2018
On the men’s side of things, a strong cast of heads who featured prominently in this year’s World Cup is looking to break the decade-long strangle hold that Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have had on the game’s top individual honour.
Golden boot winner Harry Kane, Belgian hero Eden Hazard, Egyptian phenom Mo Salah, French teenager Kylian Mbappé, and Croatian captain Luka Modrić are all among those gunning for that #1 spot.
The awards – voted on by national captains and coaches, as well as media from each of FIFA’s 211 member countries and fan voting online – will be handed out in London on September 24th.
