Carli Lloyd is a finalist and the favorite to win the FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year Award. (Photo Copyright Patricia Giobetti for The Equalizer)
United States midfielder Carli Lloyd, Japan midfielder Aya Miyama and Germany forward Celia Sasic are finalists for the FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year. The finalists were announced on Monday.
United States coach Jill Ellis, England coach Mark Sampson and Japan coach Norio Sasaki are finalists for the FIFA Women’s Coach of the Year Award.
Lloyd was left out of the top three for the Puskas Award, given to the player who scores the best goal of the year. Lloyd scored a hat trick in the first 16 minutes of the 2015 World Cup final, with her third goal coming from midfield. Goals by Alessandro Florenzi, Wendell Lira and Lionel Messi are finalists for the award.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Neymar are finalists for the Ballon d’Or as best men’s player on the planet. Bayern Munich’s Pep Guardiola, Barcelona’s Luis Enrique and Chile’s Jorge Sampaoli are up for Men’s World Coach of the Year.
Winners for all of the awards will be announced on Jan. 11, 2016 in Zurich, Switzerland. Voting for top players and coaches is conducted by players, coaches and media. (Full disclosure: I hold the American media vote for the women’s awards.) The Puskas Award is voted on by fans.
The United States won the Women’s World Cup this summer for the first time since 1999, led by Golden Ball and Silver Boot winner Lloyd, who is the heavy favorite to win the World Player of the Year award.
