Twenty-three male footballers. Ten female footballers. Ten male coaches. Ten female coaches. They complete the 53 personalities aiming to get their hands on the sport’s most prestigious individual prizes at The Best FIFA Football Awards™ ceremony in Zurich on 9 January 2017. There are some far more fascinating figures behind the names. Fancy joining FIFA.comfor a closer look?
562
international goals is what the ten runners for The Best FIFA Women’s Player have scored between them – 24 more than, incredibly, the 23 men have cumulatively netted. Eighty per cent of the female goals have come from just four players – Christine Sinclair (165), Marta (105), Carli Lloyd (96) and Lotta Schelin (85). The highest-scoring males are Cristiano Ronaldo (68), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (62), Lionel Messi (56) and Neymar (50).
175
centimetres is the height nine of the 21 outfield players vying for The Best FIFA Men’s Player honour do not surpass, namely Sergio Aguero, Antoine Griezmann, Andres Iniesta, N’Golo Kante, Lionel Messi, Luka Modric, Neymar, Dmitri Payet and Alexis Sanchez. There is almost a foot’s difference between Kante and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
50
per cent of The Best FIFA Women’s Player contenders featured for Lyon in 2016. Saki Kumagai and Camille Abily have remained with the French heavyweights all year, whereas Amandine Henry and Lotta Schelin left the club during it, and Dzsenifer Marozsan has recently joined from FFC Frankfurt. Furthermore, Lyon’s Gerard Precheur is up for the women’s coach award.
11
years after Philippe Bergeroo made his debut in goal for Bordeaux, Thomas Worle, his rival for The Best FIFA Women's Coach award, was born. At 34, Worle is the same age as Carli Lloyd and four years younger than Gianluigi Buffon, contenders for the men’s and women’s player gongs respectively.
10
representatives: that is what both France and Germany have among the 53 nominees for the men’s player, women’s player, men’s coach and women’s coach awards. The next best-represented countries are Argentina and Spain, with four nominees apiece.
9
of the ten candidates for The Best FIFA Men's Coach award are now based in Britain or Iberia. France boss Didier Deschamps in the only exception.
6
players who finished runners-up with their country at continental finals made The Best FIFA Men’s Player shortlist, compared with just two winners. Alexis Sanchez helped Chile win the Copa America final against an Argentina team featuring Lionel Messi and Sergio Aguero, while Cristiano Ronaldo claimed gold at the UEFA EURO as silver went to N’Golo Kante, Paul Pogba, Dmitri Payet and Antoine Griezmann.
3
of the 23 candidates for The Best FIFA Men’s Player failed to win a trophy in 2016: Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid), Mesut Ozil (Arsenal) and Dmitri Payet (West Ham United). Twelve of the nominees won league titles with their clubs, while 11 didn’t.
1
nominee for The Best FIFA Men’s Coach award never operated in a defensive role during his playing days: legendary French magician Zinedine Zidane. Chris Coleman, Mauricio Pochettino, Claudio Ranieri and Fernando Santos were defenders; Didier Deschamps, Pep Guardiola and Diego Simeone were defensive midfielders; Jurgen Klopp started out as a striker before being converted into a centre-back; and Luis Enrique played as a right-back, left-back and in front of the defence, as well as in other positions.
0
caps is what N’Golo Kante had going into 2016. Gianluigi Buffon had 154.