Fifa has unveiled the names of the nominees for the Best Fifa Football Awards 2021. The winners will be announced during the online ceremony to be held on January 17, 2022. Two expert groups, one from women’s football and another from men’s football have chosen the candidates in each of the categories.
Among the candidates for the award for the best Fifa player for Italy is the blue midfielder of Chelsea Jorginho. Together with him are candidates Karim Benzema (France / Real Madrid CF); Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium / Manchester City FC); Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal / Juventus FC / Manchester United FC); Robert Lewandowski (Poland / FC Bayern Munich); Lionel Messi (Argentina / FC Barcelona / Paris Saint-Germain); Neymar (Brazil / Paris Saint-Germain); Erling Haaland (Noruega / BV. Borussia 09 Dortmund); N’Golo Kanté (France / Chelsea FC); Kylian Mbappé (France / Paris Saint-Germain) and Mohamed Salah (Egypt / Liverpool FC).
There are two Italian coaches among the FIFA candidates for the award for the best coach, the European champion coach Roberto Mancini and the former Inter and now Tottenham coach Antonio Conte. In the running for the Best Fifa Men’s Football Coach Award are Hansi Flick (Germany / FC Bayern München / German national team); Pep Guardiola (Spain / Manchester City FC); Lionel Sebastián Scaloni (Argentina / Argentina national team); Diego Simeone (Argentina / Atlético de Madrid); Thomas Tuchel (Alemania / Chelsea FC).
Among the candidates for the best goalkeeper award is the goalkeeper of the European national team, former AC Milan goalkeeper and current PSG Gianluigi Donnarumma. Alisson Becker (Brazil / Liverpool FC) also competing; Édouard Mendy (Senegal / Chelsea FC); Manuel Neuer (Germany / FC Bayern Munich); Kasper Schmeichel (Denmark / Leichester City FC).
The voting period for the fans, FIFA announced, has already begun on the World Football Federation website and “will close at 23:59 CET on 10 December”. In early January, FIFA will announce the three finalists in each of the seven categories. In this regard, it should be noted that no representative of Italian women’s football is among the finalists for the awards for best player, best coach and best female goalkeeper.