Five Blues nominated for FIFA awards

The shortlists for The Best FIFA Football Awards have been revealed and include strong representation for Chelsea Women, with Sam Kerr, Lauren James, Ann-Katrin Berger, Zecira Musovic and manager Emma Hayes all in the running for individual honours.

World governing body FIFA today revealed the nominees for their various annual awards, which cover both the men’s and women’s game, and the voting for all of those prizes is now open at their official website FIFA.com.

All five of Chelsea’s nomination come from our women’s team, following an incredible 2022/23 campaign which saw us retain the Women’s Super League crown for an unprecedented fourth year as well as claiming a third consecutive FA Cup triumph, in addition to reaching the final of the League Cup and semi-finals of the Champions League.

Sam Kerr and Lauren James are both among the 16 names on the nominations list for The Best FIFA Women’s Player. It is the second year in a row Kerr has been nominated for that award, following an impressive campaign during which she netted 28 goals in 38 appearances, and has already seen her receive a place in the PFA WSL Team of the Year and a nomination for the Women’s Ballon d’Or.

For James, it is a first FIFA nomination after her breakthrough 2022/23 season. She shone throughout our two trophy triumphs before being part of the England squad which reached the final of this summer’s World Cup, her progress being recognised with the PFA Young Player of the Year award last month.

Impressively, Chelsea supply two of the seven nominees for The Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper award, with Ann-Katrin Berger and Zecira Musovic both in contention. Berger has made the final three-person shortlist for the prize for the last two years, while Musovic receives her first nomination.

The other of Chelsea Women’s five representatives on the FIFA shortlists is another familiar one. Blues manager Emma Hayes is one of five names in the running for The Best FIFA Women’s Coach, an award she won in 2021 and was nominated for again last year.

The winners of each award will now be chosen by a combination of a panel of international team captains and managers, journalists, and a public vote. You have until 11pm (UK time) on Friday 6 October to cast your vote for all of the Blues nominated for FIFA awards here.