Women’s shortlists for FIFA Ballon d’Or 2013 revealed

Who will be the FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year and the FIFA World Coach of the Year for Women’s Football for 2013?

FIFA and France Football have today announced the names of the players and coaches on the shortlists for these awards (see below). The final decisions will be made, as usual, by the captains and head coaches of the women’s national teams as well as by international media representatives selected by FIFA.

The shortlists for the FIFA Ballon d’Or (best male player) and the FIFA World Coach of the Year for Men’s Football awards will be revealed in four days’ time on 29 October 2013.

The winners of all of the awards will be revealed at the FIFA Ballon d’Or as part of a televised show at the Zurich Kongresshaus on 13 January 2014, during which the FIFA FIFPro World XI, the FIFA Puskás Award (for the most beautiful goal of the year), the FIFA Presidential Award and the FIFA Fair Play Award will also be presented.

The list of ten female players has been drawn up by experts from FIFA’s Committee for Women’s Football and the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ as well as a group of experts from France Football. The list of ten coaches has been drawn up by experts from FIFA’s Football Committee and Committee for Women’s Football and the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ as well as a group of experts from France Football.

In early December, FIFA and France Football will announce the names of the three women and three men, as well as the three coaches for women’s football and three coaches for men’s football, who have received the most votes (without unveiling the winners). The three nominees for the FIFA Puskás Award and the FIFA FIFPro World XI shortlist for the best forwards, goalkeepers, defenders and midfielders will also be unveiled in early December.

Women’s shortlists for the FIFA Ballon d’Or 2013
The following ten women (in alphabetical order) are contenders for the title of FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year 2013:
Nadine Angerer (Germany), Nilla Fischer (Sweden), Lena Goessling (Germany), Saki Kumagai (Japan), Marta (Brazil), Alex Morgan (USA), Yuki Ogimi (Japan), Lotta Schelin (Sweden), Christine Sinclair (Canada), Abby Wambach (USA).

The following ten coaches (in alphabetical order, giving first nationality and then team in brackets) are contenders for the FIFA World Coach of the Year for Women’s Football 2013:
Gilles Eyquem (France/France U-19 National Team), Kenneth Heiner-Møller (Denmark/Denmark National Team), Ralf Kellermann (Germany/VfL Wolfsburg), Shelley Kerr (Scotland/Arsenal Ladies FC), Patrice Lair (France/Olympique Lyonnais), Silvia Neid (Germany/ Germany National Team), Cindy Parlow Cone (USA/Portland Thorns FC), Even Pellerud (Norway/Norway National Team), Anna Signeul (Sweden/Scotland National Team), Pia Sundhage (Sweden/Sweden National Team).

Read the profiles of players and coaches on FIFA.com:
Players
Coaches

Links for mobile devices:
Players
Coaches

Ballon d'Or 2013

A 23-man shortlist for the FIFA Ballon d’Or will be compiled by the FIFA Football Committee and a group of experts from France Football. It will be announced on 29 October.

A ten-player shortlist was unveiled on Friday, 25 October for the FIFA's Women's Player of the Year, which was chosen by experts from FIFA's Committee for Women's Football and the FIFA Women’s World Cup and a group of experts from France Football.

These will both be reduced to three players for each award, being announced at a later stage. From the final shortlists, journalists, national coaches and captains will vote for the winner of the FIFA Ballon d’Or and the FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year.

The winners of all of the awards will be revealed at the FIFA Ballon d’Or gala as part of a televised show at the Zurich Kongresshaus on 13 January 2014.

GER
Nadine ANGERER

Over the course of 2013, Nadine Angerer left little doubt as to her credentials as one of the world’s best, and the goalkeeper was a decisive figure in Germany’s UEFA Women’s Euro campaign in Sweden, helping her country to an eighth continental crown. As the most-capped player among coach Silvia Neid’s young squad, the 34-year-old was a cornerstone of the team. Angerer saved two penalties in the final against Norway, ensuring Germany defended their title with a narrow 1-0 victory. It was a memorable individual display that was a key factor in her scooping the Best Women's Player in Europe Award.
SWE
Nilla FISCHER

Despite narrowly missing out on the 2013 UEFA Women's EURO final with host nation Sweden (after of a 1-0 semi-final defeat to eventual winners Germany), the 29-year-old midfielder has demonstrated in recent months that she is among the best on the continent. Not only did her three goals at the EURO 2013 finals earn her the adidas Silver Boot, but she was also selected in the tournament’s All-Star team. On 1 June, Fischer made her 100th international appearance in a 2-1 friendly win over Norway. After the finals, the ball-winning midfielder, who is also strong in the air, joined German treble-winners Wolfsburg from Swedish first-division outfit Linkopings.
GER
Lena GOESSLING

In 2013 Lena Goessling achieved what the majority of players only ever dream of: The 27-year-old helped VfL Wolfsburg to glory in the German championship, DFB Cup and UEFA Champions League. As if that were not enough, Goessling was named as player of the match following the continental decider against Olympique Lyon. Shortly afterwards the midfielder was a leading member of the victorious Germany side that took the European Championship by storm in Sweden. Goessling’s towering performances there did not go unnoticed and she was voted on to the all-star team of the tournament as well as shortlisted for the Best Women's Player in Europe Award.
JPN
Saki KUMAGAI

A FIFA Women's World Cup™ winner at the age of 20 in 2011, Japan's Saki Kumagai is a genuine phenomenon in the women's game. Tough in the tackle, always well-positioned and a fine distributor of the ball, she has proved herself to be one of the best defenders on the planet. In the club realm, she switched from Frankfurt to Lyon this year and wasted little time in making her presence felt at the powerhouse French outfit. "She's like a wall," says her coach, Patrice Lair. "She has excellent passing ability, good technique and she's always alert – she's top quality." The sole negative for Kumagai is that she will end the year having not won a single trophy.
BRA
MARTA

The fact that Marta Vieira da Silva was named FIFA Women’s Player of the Year five times in a row between 2006 and 2010 is an indication of her high standing in the game. During her richly successful career the Brazilian star has also helped take her national team further in international competition than ever before, but without yet going on to claim either Olympic gold or the FIFA Women’s World Cup™. She nevertheless continues to delight fans with her skills, both in her country’s famous yellow jersey and for her Swedish club Tyreso FF.
USA
Alex MORGAN

Alex Morgan began 2013 finishing third in the FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year, and the indefatigable forward has carried that form as the calendar has worn on. In January she joined the newly-formed Portland Thorns. Morgan swiftly formed a potent spearhead with Canadian striker Christine Sinclair which propelled the Thorns to the inaugural National Women's Soccer League title, with the American finishing at the top end of the competition’s scoring and assists charts. The Californian, who turned 24 in July, also dazzled at international level. Morgan’s goal earned USA a draw with Sweden that sent them through to the Algarve Cup final, in which she scored both goals in a 2-0 defeat of Germany.
JPN
Yuki OGIMI

Yuki Ogimi (formerly Nagasato) enjoyed a stellar season at club level with the Japan striker taking out the coveted Bundesliga top-scorers crown at Turbine Potsdam. It capped an impressive three-year spell at the German powerhouse side with Ogimi scoring at a rate higher than a goal every second match. The 26-year-old joined English Women's Super League club Chelsea in July and played the final matches of the season with the Londoners. The 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup™-winner also had a profitable year on the international stage scoring six times for the Nadeshiko.
SWE
Lotta SCHELIN

Top scorer in France with 24 goals and voted the league's player of the year, Lyon striker Lotta Schelin has taken her game to a new level in 2013. Boasting all-round ability, the 29-year-old Swedish international carried her momentum into the UEFA Women's EURO on home soil, where she finished at the head of the scoring charts thanks to her five strikes. The hosts' 1-0 semi-final loss to Germany ultimately ended their excellent run, just as Schelin's Lyon side narrowly missed out on UEFA Women's Champions League glory after losing the showpiece 1-0 to Wolfsburg.
CAN
Christine SINCLAIR

After enjoying a standout year in 2012 that included claiming bronze for Canada at the Olympic Football Tournament in London, Christine Sinclair translated her success on the international stage to the club level with newly-formed Portland Thorns of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). The Burnaby, British Columbia native fit right in with Alex Morgan and Co in the city where she went to university from 2001-05 as Thorns marched to the inaugural NWSL title, scoring in Portland’s 2-0 win over Western New York Flash in the final. A captain for both club and country, Sinclair has scored 145 times for Canada, leaving her third of all-time behind Mia Hamm and Abby Wambach.
USA
Abby WAMBACH

Reigning FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year Abby Wambach showed no signs of letting up during 2013. The Rochester, New York native enjoyed a year closer to home playing for Western New York Flash in the inaugural National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) season. Wambach led Flash to the NWSL final where they were ultimately bested by Portland Thorns 2-0, but the prolific scorer struck for 11 goals in 19 games, taking second place in the NWSL scoring charts. On the international level, Wambach reached a massive milestone on 20 June when she struck four times against Korea Republic to surpass Mia Hamm’s all-time scoring record in women’s international football of 158 goals. With Wambach still scoring at will for USA, it seems her recently reached record is likely to stand for some time to come.