Lewandowski and Benzema in FIFA Best list
Four Barcelona players get the nod among women
LAUSANNE: Robert Lewandowski is in the running to retain his Best FIFA Men’s Player award after he was named Monday on an 11-man shortlist alongside Karim Benzema and Jorginho.
Perennial candidates Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo feature among the nominees, with Neymar, Mohamed Salah and Kylian Mbappe are also up for a prize first awarded in 2017.
Erling Haaland, N’Golo Kante and Kevin De Bruyne complete the list of potential winners.
Four Barcelona players are included on the women’s best player shortlist — Alexia Putellas, Jennifer Hermoso, Aitana Bonmati and Caroline Graham Hansen.
Chelsea, beaten by Barcelona in last season’s Women’s Champions League final, also has four representatives with Sam Kerr, Ji So-yun, Magdalena Eriksson and Pernille Harder.
Lucy Bronze, who took home last year’s award, was nominated with fellow England international Ellen White.
Canada’s Olympic gold medallist Christine Sinclair is in contention too, as is Stina Blackstenius of Sweden. Thomas Tuchel is a frontrunner for best men’s coach after leading Chelsea to the Champions League title. He faces competition from Roberto Mancini, the mastermind of Italy’s Euro 2020 triumph.
Other nominees are Hansi Flick, Pep Guardiola, Antonio Conte, Diego Simeone and Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni.
