Lewandowski, Benzema nominated for Fifa’s Best award

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Robert Lewandowski is in the running to retain his Best Fifa Men’s Player award after being named on Monday on an 11-man shortlist alongside Karim Benzema and Jorginho.

Perennial candidates Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo feature among the nominees, with Neymar, Mohamed Salah and Kylian Mbappe also up for a prize first awarded in 2017.

Erling Haaland, N’Golo Kante and Kevin De Bruyne complete the list of potential winners.

Four Barcelona players are included on the women’s best player shortlist – Alexia Putellas, Jennifer Hermoso, Aitana Bonmati and Caroline Graham Hansen.

Chelsea, beaten by Barcelona in last season’s Women’s Champions League final, also have four representatives with Sam Kerr, Ji So-yun, Magdalena Eriksson and Pernille Harder.

Lucy Bronze, who took home last year’s award, was nominated with fellow England international Ellen White.

Canada’s Olympic gold medallist, Christine Sinclair, is in contention, too, as is Stina Blackstenius of Sweden.

Thomas Tuchel is a front-runner for best men’s coach after leading Chelsea to the Champions League title. He faces competition from Roberto Mancini, the mastermind of Italy’s Euro 2020 triumph.

Other nominees are Hansi Flick, Pep Guardiola, Antonio Conte, Diego Simeone and Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni.

The prizes for the best men’s and women’s player, coach and goalkeeper are voted for by the captains and coaches of all national teams around the world, as well as an online ballot of fans and a select number of journalists.

Voting will run from 22 November to 10 December.

The three finalists in each category will be revealed in early January, with the awards ceremony to be held virtually from Fifa headquarters in Zurich on 17 January.

The separate Ballon d’Or award ceremony will be staged in Paris on 29 November.

THE BEST MEN’S PLAYER

Karim Benzema (France / Real Madrid)
Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium / Manchester City)
Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal / Juventus / Manchester United)
Erling Haaland (Norway / Borussia Dortmund)
Jorginho (Italy / Chelsea)
N’Golo Kanté (France / Chelsea)
Robert Lewandowski (Poland / Bayern Munich)
Kylian Mbappé (France / Paris Saint-Germain)
Lionel Messi (Argentina / Barcelona / Paris Saint-Germain)
Neymar (Brazil / Paris Saint-Germain)
Mohamed Salah (Egypt / Liverpool)

THE BEST WOMEN’S PLAYER

Stina Blackstenius (Sweden / BK Häcken)
Aitana Bonmatí (Spain / Barcelona)
Lucy Bronze (England / Manchester City)
Magdalena Eriksson (Sweden / Chelsea)
Caroline Graham Hansen (Norway / Barcelona)
Pernille Harder (Denmark / Chelsea)
Jennifer Hermoso (Spain / Barcelona)
Ji Soyun (Korea Republic / Chelsea Women)
Sam Kerr (Australia / Chelsea Women)
Vivianne Miedema (Netherlands / Arsenal)
Alexia Putellas (Spain / Barcelona)
Christine Sinclair (Canada / Portland Thorns)
Ellen White (England / Manchester City)

THE BEST WOMEN’S COACH

Lluís Cortés (Spain / Barcelona)
Peter Gerhardsson (Sweden / Swedish national team)
Emma Hayes (England / Chelsea)
Beverly Priestman (England / Canadian national team)
Sarina Wiegman (Netherlands / Dutch national team / English national team)

THE BEST MEN’S COACH

Antonio Conte (Italy / Inter Milan / Tottenham)
Hansi Flick (Germany / Bayern Munich / Germany national team)
Pep Guardiola (Spain / Manchester City)
Roberto Mancini (Italy / Italian national team)
Lionel Sebastián Scaloni (Argentina / Argentinian national team)
Diego Simeone (Argentina / Atlético de Madrid)
Thomas Tuchel (Germany / Chelsea)

THE BEST WOMEN’S GOALKEEPER

Ann-Katrin Berger (Germany / Chelsea)
Christiane Endler (Chile / Paris Saint-Germain / Olympique Lyonnais)
Stephanie Lynn Marie Labbé (Canada / FC Rosengård / Paris Saint-Germain)
Hedvig Lindahl (Sweden / Atlético de Madrid)
Alyssa Naeher (USA / Chicago Red Stars)

THE BEST MEN’S GOALKEEPER

Alisson Becker (Brazil / Liverpool)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Italy / AC Milan / Paris Saint-Germain)
Édouard Mendy (Senegal / Chelsea)
Manuel Neuer (Germany / FC Bayern Munich)
Kasper Schmeichel (Denmark / Leicester City)