Fifa’s The Best Awards 2023 are returning to London this Monday evening, with Manchester City’s Erling Haaland and World Cup star Aitana Bonmati in contention for top prizes.
Other candidates for awards include Pep Guardiola, who is in the running for the best men’s coach award, and Emma Hayes, who is hoping to win the best women’s coach prize.
Fifa holds an event every year for the best men’s and women’s players and coaches. Other prizes are awarded for the best goal in the Puskas Award, as well as to an individual or group recognised for “exemplary fair play behaviour”.
The qualifying period for men’s awards was between 19 December 2022 and 20 August 2023, whereas women’s categories considered performances between 1 August 2022 and 20 August 2023. This means the men’s World Cup will be excluded from considerations for awards, but the women’s World Cup will be included in women’s prizes.
Lionel Messi won last year’s men’s player award following his long-awaited World Cup win. Alexia Putellas and Sarina Wiegman won the awards in the women’s categories for respective best player and best coach.
Previous winners in the fair play category include Denmark’s national team and staff members who acted to treat Christian Eriksen’s cardiac arrest at Euro 2020.
When are Fifa’s The Best awards?
The event will take place from 7:30pm on Monday 15 January. It is being held this year at the Hammersmith Apollo in West London.
How can I watch The Best awards?
The event will be free to stream on Fifa+ and on the Fifa website.
What are the award categories?
The official award categories are:
The Best FIFA Women’s Player
The Best FIFA Men’s Player
The Best FIFA Women’s Coach
The Best FIFA Men’s Coach
The Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper
The Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper
FIFA Puskás Award (awarded for the best goal of the year)
FIFA Fan Award
FIFA Fair Play Award
FIFA FIFPRO Women’s World 11
FIFA FIFPRO Men’s World 11
Who is in the running for the big prizes?
Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe are the main frontrunners for the best men’s player. Lionel Messi, who has won the award seven times, is the third footballer in the shortlist.
