Fresh from their brilliant performances at the World Cup, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe are among the nominees for FIFA’s The Best award for last year, world football’s governing body announced yesterday.

Messi, who has won the prize once before, captained Argentina to victory in Qatar, a career-defining triumph that has boosted his chances of winning an eighth Ballon d’Or but may also make him favourite for this prize.

As well as Mbappe, who netted a hat-trick in the World Cup final, another two Paris Saint-Germain players are nominated in Neymar and Achraf Hakimi.

Karim Benzema, who won last year’s Ballon d’Or for his performances with Real Madrid, is also nominated, as is Robert Lewandowski, winner of the FIFA prize in the last two years.

The list of nominees is completed by Manchester City’s Julian Alvarez, Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland; the Real Madrid pair of Luka Modric and Vinicius Junior; Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Jude Bellingham.

Meanwhile, Alexia Putellas is nominated for the women’s award despite being out for the last six months due to injury.

The Barcelona and Spain midfielder won the award last year and retained the Ballon d’Or in October.

Arsenal striker Beth Mead, runner-up to Putellas for the Ballon d’Or, is also nominated, as are two other members of the England team that won the European Championship on home soil in Leah Williamson and Keira Walsh.

There are also prizes for the best male and female coach, the best goalkeeper, and the Puskas Award for the best goal of 2022.

A public vote, open until February 3, will decide the three finalists in each category.

The winner is then voted for by a jury made up of national team coaches and captains as well as journalists and fans.

FULL LIST OF NOMINEES

The Best FIFA Men’s Player:

Julián Álvarez (Argentina / River Plate / Manchester City)

Jude Bellingham (England / Borussia Dortmund)

Karim Benzema (France / Real Madrid )

Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium / Manchester City )

Erling Haaland (Norway / Borussia Dortmund / Manchester City )

Achraf Hakimi (Morocco / Paris Saint-Germain)

Robert Lewandowski (Poland / FC Bayern Munich / Barcelona)

Sadio Mané (Senegal / Liverpool FC / FC Bayern Munich)

Kylian Mbappé (France / Paris Saint-Germain)

Lionel Messi (Argentina / Paris Saint-Germain)

Luka Modrić (Croatia / Real Madrid )

Neymar (Brazil / Paris Saint-Germain)

Mohamed Salah (Egypt / Liverpool )

Vinícius Junior (Brazil / Real Madrid )

The Best FIFA Women’s Player:

Aitana Bonmatí (Spain / Barcelona)

Debinha (Brazil / North Carolina Courage)

Jessie Fleming (Canada / Chelsea FC Women)

Ada Hegerberg (Norway / Olympique Lyonnais)

Sam Kerr (Australia / Chelsea FC Women)

Beth Mead (England / Arsenal WFC)

Vivianne Miedema (Netherlands / Arsenal WFC)

Alex Morgan (USA / Orlando Pride / San Diego Wave)

Lena Oberdorf (Germany / VfL Wolfsburg)

Alexandra Popp (Germany / VfL Wolfsburg)

Alexia Putellas (Spain / FC Barcelona)

Wendie Renard (France / Olympique Lyonnais)

Keira Walsh (England / Manchester City WFC / Barcelona)

Leah Williamson (England / Arsenal WFC)

The Best FIFA Women’s Coach:

Sonia Bompastor (France / Olympique Lyonnais)

Emma Hayes (England / Chelsea Women)

Bev Priestman (England / Canadian National Team)

Pia Sundhage (Sweden / Brazilian National Team)

Martina Voss-Tecklenburg (Germany / German National Team)

Sarina Wiegman (Netherlands / English National Team)

The Best FIFA Men’s Coach:

Carlo Ancelotti (Italy / Real Madrid )

Didier Deschamps (France / French National Team)

Pep Guardiola (Spain / Manchester City FC)

Walid Regragui (Morocco / Wydad AC / Moroccan National Team)

Lionel Scaloni (Argentina / Argentinian National Team)

The Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper:

Ann-Katrin Berger (Germany / Chelsea FC Women)

Mary Earps (England / Manchester United WFC)

Christiane Endler (Chile / Olympique Lyonnais)

Merle Frohms (Germany / Eintracht Frankfurt / Wolfsburg)

Alyssa Naeher (USA / Chicago Red Stars)

Sandra Paños García-Villamil (Spain / Barcelona)

The Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper:

Álisson Becker (Brazil / Liverpool )

Yassine Bounou (Morocco / Sevilla )

Thibaut Courtois (Belgium / Real Madrid)

Ederson (Brazil / Manchester City )

Emiliano Martínez (Argentina / Aston Villa)

Messi, Mbappe top FIFA Best award nominees

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