FIFA release shortlist for 2015 Ballon D'Or and World Coach of the year

The award ceremony will take place on 11 January 2016

FIFA have announced the much-awaited Ballon d’Or nomination list of 23 players, along with the nominees for FIFA World Coach of the year. The shortlist was decided by football experts from the FIFA Football Committee and a group of experts from France Football. The panel takes into consideration the performance of players and coaches between 22 November 2014 and 20 November 2015.

The 10 coaches who have been nominated were chosen by the Committee for Women’s Football and the FIFA Women’s World Cup, FIFA Football Committee, and by a group of experts from France Football.

The final voting for the much-coveted awards will take place between 26 October 2015 and 20 November 2015. The people who participate in the final voting include captains and head coaches of the men’s national teams and international media representatives selected by France Football.

The final shortlist of 3 candidates will be released on 30 November 2015 after counting of the votes.

23-man shortlist for the Ballon D’Or

The majority of the Ballon d’Or nominees are players from the two Spanish La Liga giants, Barcelona and Real Madrid. 6 players are from the Blaugranas while 5 are nominated from their arch rivals. Bayern Munich have also as many as 5 players on the shortlist, including Arturo Vidal, who spent half of the season in Turin with Juventus before moving to Bavaria in the summer.

English Premier League clubs have 5 players on the nomination list, with 3 from Manchester City and one each from Chelsea and Arsenal. Serie A and Ligue 1 have one entrant each in the list.

1. Sergio Aguero (Argentina/Manchester City)
2. Gareth Bale (Wales/Real Madrid)
3. Karim Benzema (France/Real Madrid)
4. Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal/Real Madrid)
5. Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium/VfL Wolfsburg/Manchester City)
6. Eden Hazard (Belgium/Chelsea)
7. Zlatan IbrahimovicÂÂÂÂ? (Sweden/Paris Saint-Germain)
8. Andres Iniesta (Spain/FC Barcelona)
9. Toni Kroos (Germany/Real Madrid)
10. Robert Lewandowski (Poland/FC Bayern Munich)
11. Javier Mascherano (Argentina/FC Barcelona)
12. Lionel Messi (Argentina/FC Barcelona)
13. Thomas Muller (Germany/FC Bayern Munich)
14. Manuel Neuer (Germany/FC Bayern Munich)
15. Neymar (Brazil/FC Barcelona)
16. Paul Pogba (France/Juventus)
17. Ivan Rakitic (Croatia/FC Barcelona)
18. Arjen Robben (Netherlands/FC Bayern Munich)
19. James Rodriguez (Colombia/Real Madrid)
20. Alexis Sanchez (Chile/Arsenal)
21. Luis Suarez (Uruguay/FC Barcelona)
22. Yaya Toure (Côte d'Ivoire/Manchester City)
23. Arturo Vidal (Chile/Juventus/FC Bayern Munich)

FIFA #BALLONDOR 23 candidates, one trophy. Who do you think will be crowned on 11 January? https://t.co/VNSyEfqCqo pic.twitter.com/W0qlYk2FIk

— FIFA.com (@FIFAcom) October 20, 2015

Coaches shortlisted for World’s Coach of the year award

As for the World Coach of the year award, there is only one national team coach in the shortlist – Jorge Sampoli who guided Chile to Copa America glory. The rest of the list includes managers from the majority of the European big guns.

The awards will be given away in a ceremony in Zurich on 11 January 2016. Cristiano Ronaldo currently holds the Ballon d’Or, but is expected to be overtaken by Lionel Messi this time round. Joachim Low was voted as World’s Best Coach of the year in 2014 after he led Germany to a World Cup win in Brazil.

1. Massimiliano Allegri (Italy/Juventus)
2. Carlo Ancelotti (Italy/Real Madrid)
3. Laurent Blanc (France/Paris Saint-Germain)
4. Unai Emery (Spain/Sevilla FC)
5. Pep Guardiola (Spain/FC Bayern Munich)
6. Luis Enrique Martínez (Spain/FC Barcelona)
7. José Mourinho (Portugal/Chelsea)
8. Jorge Sampaoli (Argentina/Chilean national team)
9. Diego Simeone (Argentina/Atletico Madrid)
10. Arsene Wenger (France/Arsenal)

FIFA #BALLONDOR 10 coaches, but only one FIFA World Coach of the Year for Men's Football https://t.co/VNSyEfqCqo pic.twitter.com/blidRGrqtz

— FIFA.com (@FIFAcom) October 20, 2015

Women’s Player of the Year nominees

FIFA had also announced the list for Women’s Player of the Year and FIFA World coach of the year for Women’s football. The grounds on which the voting takes place are same to that of the men’s awards. The performance of all the players around the globe is monitored between 22 November 2014 and 20 November 2015.

10 players have been shortlisted for the award in women’s football by the FIFA’s Committee for Women’s Football and the FIFA Women’s World Cup and a group of experts from France Football. The final shortlist of three players and three coaches each will be announced on November 30, along with the nominees for the FIFA Puskás Award.

1. Nadine Angerer (Germany/Brisbane Roar/Portland Thorns)
2. Ramona Bachmann (Switzerland/FC Rosengård)
3. Kadeisha Buchanan (Canada/West Virginia University)
4. Amandine Henry (France/Olympique Lyonnais)
5. Eugénie Le Sommer (France/Olympique Lyonnais)
6. Carli Lloyd (USA/Houston Dash)
7. Aya Miyama (Japan/Okayama Yunogo Belle)
8. Megan Rapinoe (USA/Seattle Reign)
9. Celia Sasic (Germany/1.FFC Frankfurt)
10. Hope Solo (USA/Seattle Reign)

Women’s Coach of the Year nominees

Quite naturally, the number of players from the United States is high, as they won the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada. Nadine Kessler won the award last year but she has not been nominated this time.

The list for FIFA World Coach of the year in Women’s football was also released by FIFA.

1. Calle Barrling (Sweden/Swedish U-19 national team)
2. Colin Bell (England/1.FFC Frankfurt)
3. Farid Benstiti (France/Paris Saint-Germain)
4. Jill Ellis (USA/USA national team)
5. Laura Harvey (England/Seattle Reign)
6. John Herdman (England/Canadian national team)
7. Gerard Precheur (France/Olympique Lyonnais)
8. Mark Sampson (Wales/English national team)
9. Norio Sasaki (Japan/Japanese national team)
10. Thomas Worle (Germany/FC Bayern Munich)

All the winners will be announced in a Gala ceremony on 11 January 2016, along with the men’s football awards.