FIFA candidates for awards announced
Kylian Mbappe, the teenage star of France’s World Cup-winning team, and Luka Modric, the Croatia captain who was selected the tournament’s best player, joined five-time winners Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal and Lionel Messi of Argentina among 10 candidates for FIFA men’s player of the year.
France also has Antoine Griezmann and Raphael Varane among the candidates. Belgium, which lost to France in the semifinals, has Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard.
Also finalists: top World Cup scorer Harry Kane of England and Mohamed Salah of Egypt.
France could sweep the main awards with Didier Deschamps and Zinedine Zidane heading 11 candidates for best men’s coach.
Deschamps led France to the World Cup title and Zidane led Real Madrid to the Champions League championship.
The nominees include World Cup coaches Zlatko Dalic (Croatia), Roberto Martinez (Belgium), Gareth Southgate (England) and Stanislav Cherchesov (Russia).
The others are Pep Guardiola (Manchester City), Massimiliano Allegri (Juventus), Juergen Klopp (Liverpool), Diego Simeone (Atletico Madrid) and Ernesto Valverde (Barcelona).
Candidates for the women’s player award include Wendie Renard of France, Dzsenifer Marozsan of Germany, Saki Kumagai of Japan, U.S. international Megan Rapinoe, five-time FIFA winner Marta of Brazil and Australia forward Sam Kerr.
The nominations for top coach in women’s soccer include Sarina Wiegman, who heads the Netherlands, and Asako Takakura, who coached Japan to the Women’s Asian Cup title.
The winners will be announced Sept. 24 in London.
