November 4 – FIFA’s women’s player of the year nominees include just one American, Carli Lloyd, who will defend her “title” against three Olympic champions from Germany and Brazil’s five-time winner Marta.
Germany has forward Dzsenifer Marozsan, who scored in a 2-1 win over Sweden in the Olympic gold medal match, as well as midfielders Melanie Behringer and Sara Daebritz on the list of 10. Behringer retired after the Olympics, having played more than 100 times for her country.
Marta, who won the award every year from 2006 through 2010, had her 11-year streak of making the final shortlist of three candidates broken last year but is again in the running
Voting is held by national team captains and coaches, selected media members and, for the first time, an online fan poll. FIFA will announce the shortlist on December 2 with the rebranded Best FIFA Awards ceremony – now no longer in conjunction with the Ballon d’Or – to be held on January 9 in Zurich.
Candidates:
Camille Abily (France, Lyon); Melanie Behringer (Germany, Bayern Munich); Sara Daebritz (Germany, Bayern Munich); Amandine Henry (France, Portland Thorns); Saki Kumagai (Japan, Lyon); Carli Lloyd (United States, Houston Dash); Dzsenifer Marozsan (Germany, Frankfurt/Lyon); Marta (Brazil, Rosengard); Lotta Schelin (Sweden, Lyon/Rosengard); Christine Sinclair (Canada, Portland Thorns).
Former South Africa coach Vera Pauw has been shortlisted for best women’s coach while Wales manager Chris Coleman and Leicester City boss Claudio Ranieri, who led the side to the most unlikely of Premier league titles, have been nominated for FIFA’s men’s coach of the year. The men’s player nominees will be announced later Friday.
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