As in previous years, Pernille Harder has once again been the definition of consistency in 2020. The 28-year-old Dane made a major contribution to Wolfsburg’s Bundesliga title defence with her 27 goals, including seven from the penalty spot.

Harder, who moved to Chelsea from the double-winning She-Wolves in early September 2020, also became the first foreign player to win Women’s Footballer of the Year in Germany. Her exceptional performances have now earned her a spot among the finalists for The Best FIFA Women’s Player 2020.

3 November 2019 Women’s Bundesliga SC Freiburg 0-8 Wolfsburg

Wolfsburg recorded their biggest win of the 2019/2020 season in this match against Freiburg. Harder scored three times and assisted another goal during her 90 minutes on the pitch. Having already netted one hat-trick in an 8-1 win over FF USV Jena on 29 September 2019 and another two against Leverkusen on 29 November 2019 and SC Sand on 8 December 2019, there is no question that three is a magic number for the Dane.

4 July 2020 DFB Women’s Cup final Wolfsburg 3-3 SGS Essen a.e.t. (3-3 after full time; Wolfsburg won 4-2 on penalties)

After a final full of almost unparalleled drama and excitement, Wolfsburg lifted the DFB Women’s Cup for the seventh time. Harder, Anna Blasse and Dominique Janssen all found the target in normal time, before two saves from Friederike Abt eventually helped them beat SGS Essen 4-2 on penalties. Harder once again demonstrated her nerves of steel during the shootout. Although Alexandra Popp was unable to convert her penalty, Abt denied both Irini Ioannidou and Nina Bruggemann, leaving Harder to coolly slot home the decisive spot-kick.

21 August 2020 UEFA Women’s Champions League quarter-final Glasgow City 1-9 Wolfsburg (0-4)

“And Harder scores again...” is probably the easiest way to sum up the encounter between German double winners Wolfsburg and Scottish champions Glasgow City in the last eight of the UEFA Women’s Champions League. The She-Wolves made short work of their opponents to reach the semi-finals with a resounding 9-1 victory, with Harder adding another four goals to her personal tally along the way.

"I'm happy that I’m at this point in my career now, that I’ve reached this level. Now it’s about sustaining that. But if I stop for just a minute and think about what I’ve achieved, I’m very proud."

"When I was a kid, [becoming the best] was just a dream – a really big dream. But then as I got older, I got better and better, and you start to think: 'Why not?' Becoming the best is a big goal to have, I know that, but it’s something that motivates me and that I train for every day."

"I think the most difficult part of getting to the top is staying there. You shouldn’t be satisfied with what you have done and say: 'Okay, that’s it'. So that’s what motivates me to keep being one of the best players in the world. If I felt like I was complete and satisfied with what I’ve done now, then I would quit playing because I would stop finding football fun."

"In my opinion Pernille is one of the most complete players we’ve had the pleasure of witnessing, especially in the attacking third, where you really attract attention by registering goals and assists. She has enormous technical quality; she’s really good in that area. The same goes for her anticipation, awareness and feel for the game." Stephan Lerch (Wolfsburg coach)

"She’s the best in the world for me, and I would actually say that she’s been at that level for the last couple of years now. Everyone saw how good she is at the last EURO (when Harder excelled in Denmark’s run to the final) but ever since then she’s just kept developing her game, and now she’s at a new level." Nicoline Sorensen (Denmark team-mate)

All winners, including those of the FIFA Fan Award and the FIFA Fair Play Award, will be crowned on 17 December 2020 in a TV show broadcast live, starting at 19:00 CET.

To keep up with the latest news about The Best FIFA Football Awards™, visit FIFA.com, The Best FIFA Football Awards™ official Facebook page, FIFA on Twitter and FIFA on YouTube.

Join the discussion about who should win this year’s awards by using the hashtag #TheBest.