Harry Kane, Virgil van Dijk and Megan Rapinoe on shortlist for FIFA Best awards
Written by News on 31/07/2019
Harry Kane, Virgil van Dijk and Megan Rapinoe are among the 20 players to be nominated for the FIFA Best Men’s and Women’s Player of the Year awards.
Kane is the sole England representative on the men’s shortlist and is rewarded having led them to the Nations League semi-finals, as well as helping Tottenham to their first Champions League final.
Van Dijk is nominated having been part of the Liverpool side that won the Champions League, as well as winning the PFA Player of the Year award.
Rapinoe is one of several USA players on the women’s shortlist after helping them to win the Women’s World Cup this summer, where she was named Golden Boot and Player of the Tournament winner.
Van Dijk is accompanied on the men’s shortlist by Liverpool team-mates Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane following their Champions League win.
His fellow Netherlands internationals Frenkie de Jong and Matthijs de Ligt are also nominated after helping their country to the Nations League final.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Eden Hazard, Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi are the other nominees on the 10-person shortlist for the men’s award.
Rapinoe has been joined on the shortlist by fellow US internationals Julie Ertz, Rose Lavelle and Alex Morgan.
Two Norwegian players have been nominated: Ada Hegerberg, who was part of the treble-winning Lyon side and Caroline Graham Hansen, who helped Wolfsburg to a German league and cup double.
Arsenal’s Vivianne Miedema, the top scorer in the Women’s Super League and PFA Women’s Player of the Year, is the sole representative of the Netherlands side that reached the World Cup final.
Lyon and France’s Amandine Henry and Australia and Chicago Red Stars forward Sam Kerr are the final two women’s nominees.
FIFA’s panel of experts have taken performances between July 2018 and July 2019 into account when deciding on their nominees.
Fans can vote on the FIFA website for the winner of each award and their choices will be combined with those of journalists, coaches and captains.
The awards will be handed out at FIFA’s Best Football Awards in Milan on September 23.
Men’s Player of the Year shortlist
Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus, Portugal), Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona, Netherlands), Matthijs de Ligt (Juventus, Netherlands), Harry Kane (Tottenham, England), Eden Hazard (Real Madrid, Belgium), Sadio Mane (Liverpool, Senegal), Kylian Mbappe (PSG, France), Lionel Messi (Barcelona, Argentina), Mohamed Salah (Liverpool, Egypt), Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool, Netherlands)
Women’s Player of the Year shortlist
Lucy Bronze (Lyon, England), Julie Ertz (Chicago Red Stars, USA), Caroline Graham Hansen (Barcelona, Norway), Ada Hegerberg (Lyon, Norway), Amandine Henry (Lyon, France), Sam Kerr (Perth Glory, Australia), Rose Lavelle (Washington Spirit, USA), Vivianne Miedema (Arsenal, Netherlands), Alex Morgan (Orlando Pride, USA), Megan Rapinoe (Reign FC, USA), Wendie Renard (Lyon, France), Ellen White (Manchester City, England).
(c) Sky News 2019: Harry Kane, Virgil van Dijk and Megan Rapinoe on shortlist for FIFA Best awards
