Nadine Keßler won the 2014 FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year award on Monday in Zurich. She beat Brazil’s Marta and the United States’ Abby Wambach to win the award for the first time.
Nadine Keßler (Getty Images)
Keßler led her club, VfL Wolfsburg to a second straight UEFA Women’s Champions League title and helped Germany complete a perfect World Cup qualifying campaign. She is often referred to as the “complete midfielder.”
Keßler’s coach at Woflsburg, Ralf Kellermann, won the 2014 Women’s World Coach of the Year award, beating Germany U-20 coach Maren Meinert and Japan coach Norio Sasaki.
Marta won the World Player of the Year five straight times — the most of any male or female — from 2006-10. In 2014 she led Tyresö to the UEFA Women’s Champions League final, losing to VfL Wolfsburg. In December she scored a hat trick against the U.S. in a 3-2 comeback win. She currently plays for FC Rosengård.
Wambach, the 2012 World Player of the Year, helped the United States qualify for the 2015 World Cup in October. Wambach scored 14 goals in 19 matches for the U.S. in a turbulent 2014 campaign. She scored six goals in 10 games in 2014 while battling injuries.
The awards are voted on by a national team captain, coach and journalist from each FIFA country. The process is explained in depth here.
Keßler finished with 17.42 percent of the vote, while Marta finished second with 14.16 percent and Wambach was third with 13.33 percent.
