Cristiano omitted as FIFA confirm nominees for The Best 2023 Awards

FIFA have announced the shortlist for the 2023 The Best Awards with names having been chosen by a panel of football experts with the qualifying period for the women’s awards – The Best FIFA Women’s Player, The Best FIFA Women’s Coach and The Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper – being from 1 August 2022 to 20 August 2023, the date of the FIFA Women’s World Cup Final. For the men’s awards: The Best FIFA Men’s Player, The Best FIFA Men’s Coach and The Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper - the qualifying period was between 19 December 2022 to 20 August 2023 (post 2022 World Cup).

Fans can now vote for their favourite players the various categories with the fan vote (via FIFA.com) carrying a percentage of the overall vote in conjunction with an international jury being comprised of national team captains and coaches and select global journalists.

Many of the candidates for The Best FIFA Men’s Player formed part of Manchester City’s 2022-23 treble-winning squad, while coach Pep Guardiola, is nominated for The Best FIFA Men’s Coach alongside four of his peers.

The one key talking point being generated by the shortlist is the absence of Al Nassr striker Cristiano Ronaldo with the two time The Best FIFA Men’s Player having been omitted from the listing with current holder and Inter Miami striker Leo Messi included.

Performances at the Women’s 2023 World Cup held in Australia/New Zealand are reflected in The Best FIFA Women’s Player nominees. Golden Ball winner Aitana Bonmatí leads a quartet of Spanish nominees. Four players from tournament runners-up England and a trio of Australian players are also part of a 16-player shortlist.

The Best FIFA Women’s Player Nominees

Aitana Bonmatí (Spain); Linda Caicedo (Colombia); Rachel Daly (England); Kadidiatou Diani (France); Caitlin Foord (Australia); Mary Fowler (Australia); Alex Greenwood (England); Jennifer Hermoso (Spain); Lindsey Horan (USA); Amanda Ilestedt (Sweden); Lauren James (England); Sam Kerr (Australia); Mapi León (Spain); Hinata Miyazawa (Japan); Salma Paralluelo (Spain); Keira Walsh (England).

The Best FIFA Men’s Player Nominees

Julián Álvarez (Argentina); Marcelo Brozović (Croatia); Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium); İlkay Gündoğan (Germany); Erling Haaland (Norway); Rodrigo (Rodri) Hernández Cascante (Spain); Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Georgia); Kylian Mbappé (France); Lionel Messi (Argentina); Victor Osimhen (Nigeria); Declan Rice (England); Bernardo Silva (Portugal).

The Best FIFA Women’s Coach Nominees

Peter Gerhardsson (Sweden): Jonatan Giráldez (Spain); Tony Gustavsson (Sweden); Emma Hayes (England); Sarina Wiegman (Netherlands).

The Best FIFA Men’s Coach Nominees

Pep Guardiola (Spain); Simone Inzaghi (Italy); Ange Postecoglou (Australia); Luciano Spalletti (Italy); Xavi (Spain).

The Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper Nominees

Mackenzie Arnold (Australia); Ann-Katrin Berger (Germany); Catalina Coll (Spain); Mary Earps (England); Christiane Endler (Chile); Zećira Mušović (Sweden); Sandra Paños García-Villamil (Spain).

The Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper Nominees

Yassine Bounou (Morocco); Thibaut Courtois (Belgium); Ederson (Brazil); André Onana (Cameroon); Marc-André ter Stegen (Germany).

The FIFA Fan Award Nominees

Club Atlético Colón de Santa Fe fan (Argentina); Fran Hurndall (England); Miguel Ángel, Millonarios fan (Colombia).

Fan voting key dates

Fan voting in all the above categories will start today via FIFA.com (14 September) and will close at midnight CET on Friday 6 October.