The Best FIFA Football Awards
Sweden were one of the great success stories of this year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The fact that tens of thousands packed the streets of Gothenburg to welcome them home reflected national pride in the team’s third-place finish, which was achieved with unexpected wins over the likes of Germany and England.
Throughout those homecoming celebrations, as with during the tournament itself, Peter Gerhardsson remained in the background, allowing his players to soak up the applause.
But the unassuming 59-year-old’s astute leadership did not go unrecognised, with Gerhardsson named on the ten-strong shortlist for The Best FIFA Women’s Coach award at the end of July.
In this interview, the Sweden coach speaks about that nomination and goes into detail on why calmness, flexibility and his huge passion for music have helped make him the coach that he is.
Sweden were one of the great success stories of this year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The fact that tens of thousands packed the streets of Gothenburg to welcome them home reflected national pride in the team’s third-place finish, which was achieved with unexpected wins over the likes of Germany and England.
Throughout those homecoming celebrations, as with during the tournament itself, Peter Gerhardsson remained in the background, allowing his players to soak up the applause.
But the unassuming 59-year-old’s astute leadership did not go unrecognised, with Gerhardsson named on the ten-strong shortlist for The Best FIFA Women’s Coach award at the end of July.
In this interview, the Sweden coach speaks about that nomination and goes into detail on why calmness, flexibility and his huge passion for music have helped make him the coach that he is.
You need to trust your players and give them freedom to create and improvise. Structure is important, but too much structure kills creativity.
The Best FIFA Football Awards
“I’d already decided I was going to end my life,” Wendell Lira, then a debt-ridden, injury-plagued footballer, candidly told FIFA.com. “When you can’t put food on the table, give your daughter and wife the minimum they need to get by… I saw no way out."
Wendell Lira sizzled as a Brazil youth international, alongside Denilson, Willian and Alexandre Pato, and was the subject of a bid from AC Milan which Goias rejected.
Two grave knee injuries clobbered the forward's career into freefall, however, and the following years saw him swap clubs as frequently as shorts and receive very little playing time – and, consequently, remuneration.
Wendell was lost at sea. On 6 November 2015, he heard the coastguards’ siren. It came from the FIFA Puskás Award.
“I’d already decided I was going to end my life,” Wendell Lira, then a debt-ridden, injury-plagued footballer, candidly told FIFA.com. “When you can’t put food on the table, give your daughter and wife the minimum they need to get by… I saw no way out."
Wendell Lira sizzled as a Brazil youth international, alongside Denilson, Willian and Alexandre Pato, and was the subject of a bid from AC Milan which Goias rejected.
Two grave knee injuries clobbered the forward's career into freefall, however, and the following years saw him swap clubs as frequently as shorts and receive very little playing time – and, consequently, remuneration.
Wendell was lost at sea. On 6 November 2015, he heard the coastguards’ siren. It came from the FIFA Puskás Award.
On the way from Goiania to Goianesia I cried my eyes out, because I’d already planned on ending my life on that journey. But I couldn’t bring myself to do it, so I returned home.
FIFA eWorld Cup
A new FIFA eWorld Cup™ king has been crowned. ‘MoAuba’ defeated reigning champion ‘MsDossary’ in the Final Showdown in front of a watching crowd at The O2 in London as the competitive FIFA 19 season came to a close.
As well as boasting the prestige of being a world champion and getting his hands on the eWorld Cup trophy, the man from Werder Bremen bagged a life-changing USD 250,000.
“My mother is happy now, she wants six new pairs of shoes,” he said, laughing. “And my sister wants a new car. I couldn’t have imagined this."
One of six Germans at this year’s Grand Final, ‘MoAuba’ became the first of his countrymen to win the competition, despite Germany being one of the most established nations when it comes to competitive FIFA.
A new FIFA eWorld Cup™ king has been crowned. ‘MoAuba’ defeated reigning champion ‘MsDossary’ in the Final Showdown in front of a watching crowd at The O2 in London as the competitive FIFA 19 season came to a close.
As well as boasting the prestige of being a world champion and getting his hands on the eWorld Cup trophy, the man from Werder Bremen bagged a life-changing USD 250,000.
“My mother is happy now, she wants six new pairs of shoes,” he said, laughing. “And my sister wants a new car. I couldn’t have imagined this."
One of six Germans at this year’s Grand Final, ‘MoAuba’ became the first of his countrymen to win the competition, despite Germany being one of the most established nations when it comes to competitive FIFA.
The hardest thing at the eWorld Cup is to stay calm. In a tournament like this, you normally play worse than you usually do because you’re nervous. I tried to chill and play like I would play at home.
#159 Malayan Tigers regain their bite
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Belgium
Pts. 1746
Brazil
Pts. 1726
France
Pts. 1718
England
Pts. 1652
Uruguay
Pts. 1637
Portugal
Pts. 1631
#34 Argentina building on positives
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USA
Pts. 2180
Germany
Pts. 2059
Netherlands
Pts. 2037
France
Pts. 2029
England
Pts. 2027
Sweden
Pts. 2021
Toolkit for Member Associations: With this toolkit, FIFA has established guiding principles and minimum requirements that will help leaders and organisers in our sport to ensure a safe and nurturing environment for the youngest members of the football family.
The Israel Football Association
Burstein building for the future with Israel's women
FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking
Men's Ranking #84
Women's Ranking #64
