Every year the FIFA chooses a best player for the men’s and women’s game. These are players with exceptional qualities and they play with the best clubs in the world. The FIFA will announce the winner at The Best FIFA Football Awards. With the Women’s World Cup still fresh in our minds we will have a closer look at the 16 Nominees FIFA Best Women’s Player 2023:
Aitana Bonmati
This is not the first time that Bonmati is nominated for a big prize. She recently won the FIFA Women’s World Cup Golden Ball and was the UEFA Women’s Champions League Player of the season. Bonmati plays as a midfielder for FC Barcelona. Of course she also won the Women’s World Cup 2023 with Spain.
Linda Caicedo
Caicedo is only 18 years old and this makes her the second-youngest South American player to score in two Women’s World Cup matches. Caicedo was one of the highlights of the group stage and has shown the whole world what she can do. The goal against Germany was voted Goal of the Tournament and this has earned her a place among the Nominees FIFA Best Women’s Player 2023.
Rachel Daly
This steady left back plays for the England squad ‘The Lionesses’. They lost the World Cup Finale to Spain. Daly finished last season as the WSL’s top scorer and Player of the Season. Daly will try to reach the next round in the Women’s Nations League with the Lionesses.
Kadidiatou Diani
This amazing footballer made her debut with the French team at the age of 19. It took Diani less than 14 minutes to score her first goal. Diani recently won the Adidas Silver Boot and scored the first-ever hattrick for France during the Women’s World Cup. The centre forward won the award for best player in her competition many times and is now nominated for the Best FIFA Women’s Player Award.
Sam Kerr
An injury kept Sam Kerr on the bench during most of the World Cup matches but she is back. The striker from Chelsea has an impressive amounts of goals per year and won the FWA Women’s Footballer of the Year award two years in a row. Kerr is not the only Australian football player that’s nominated this time.
Caitlin Foord
Foord took over Sam Kerr’s position and helped Australia to the quarter finals of the Women’s World Cup. Foord was an outstanding attacker, but this is no surprise. She made her debut at 16 years old in 2011 for the Matilda’s. Foord plays for Arsenal as a forward.
Mary Fowler
The youngest player for the Matilda’s to score a goal during a WC in over a decade has made it to the list of nominees for the FIFA Best Women’s Football Player. Mary Fowler is not only fluent in Dutch. She moved to the Netherlands when she was young and is fluent in Dutch. Nowadays she plays voor Manchester City.
Alex Greenwood
Anyone who watched the World Cup 2023 knows that Alex Greenwood is not one to give up easily. She kept playing after a collision with one of the Spanish players, that left her bleeding and with a head injury. During the Women’s WC Greenwood completed the most passes (568) of all players. Greenwood keeps the England defence on the best level, together with Lucy Bronze and Millie Bright.
Jennifer Hermoso
Hermoso won the Women’s World Cup 2023 with Spain. The incredible performance from the Spanish team was seen by the whole world. The squad was let down by the Spanish federations, but was able to turn this into motivation to win the WC. Hermoso scored three goals and gave two assists. She is the all time topscorer for the Spanish team and her club FC Barcelona.
Lindsay Horan
This powerhouse plays for Olympique Lyon and the USA Women’s soccer team. She never gives up and scores goals with confidence. The season with Olympique Lyon could not have gone better after winning the league, cup and TrophĂ©e des Championnes. The USA got eliminated by the Netherlands in the knock-out fase during the World Cup.
Amanda Ilestedt
Sweden claimed the third place during the World Cup 2023 and Amanda Ilestedt contributed with four goals. Prior to the tournament Ilestedt only scored 10 goals in 10 years. Women’s World Cup top scorer Hinata Miyazawa can feel Ilestedt breath as she is only one goal behind.
Lauren James
Creative, bold and technical – Lauren James is a talented football player that has only shown half of what she can do. During the World Cup she proved to be one of the key players from the English squad. James plays at Chelsea and still has lots to learn.
Mapi Leon
Mapi Leon is the third Spanish player to be nominated for the FIFA Best Women’s Player Award. Leon has written history by becoming the first female Spanish player to change teams for a transfer fee. FC Barcelona paid 50.000 euro’s for the player to Atletico Madrid. She is the perfect player for the Tiki Taka play style from FC Barcelona.
Hinata Miyazawa
This brilliant Japanese player scored five goals during the World Cup 2023, making her the topscorer. During her entire international career she only scored 4 goals and she got to the same amount in 39 League duels. It was a complete surprise to see her score five goals during the World Cup, but it definitely earned her a spot on the Nominees FIFA Best Women’s Player 2023 list.
Salma Paralluelo
Another young and very talented player on our list. Paralluelo wasn’t always interested in playing for the Spanish national team. She was great at athleticism and won bronze on the 400m sprint. Now she is the Best Young Player Award at the Women’s World Cup. Paralluelo is super fast and skilful, and makes every defenders job hard.
Keira Walsh
The last nominee on the list is Keira Walsh. She plays for FC Barcelona and is well known for her skills. Walsh recovered just in time to help England reach the final during the Wold Cup and earlier that year the midfielder won the 2023 Finalissima. Walsh is often overlooked on the field, but is an absolute key player for the Lionesses. Walsh holds the record for most expensive Women’s football player. She transferred from Manchester City to FC Barcelona for 400.000 euro’s.
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