Matildas captain Sam Kerr has been nominated for the most prestigious award in world football in recognition of a sensational season.
Australia’s Sam Kerr has been nominated for the world’s most prestigious football award, the Ballon d’Or.
The striker has been recognised for a sensational 2020/21 season in which she won the Golden Boot as the topscorer in England’s Women’s Super League.
Watch the world’s best footballers every week with beIN SPORTS on Kayo. LIVE coverage from LaLiga, Bundesliga, Ligue 1, Serie A, Carabao Cup, EFL & SPFL. New to Kayo? Start Your Free Trial >
Kerr scored 28 goals across all competitions and helped Chelsea triumph in both the Super League and the League Cup.
The Matildas captain also led Australia to the semi-finals at the Olympics, scoring six goals in the Tokyo campaign.
The 28-year-old is one of five Chelsea players to be nominated for the Ballon d’Or, along with Denmark’s Pernille Harder, Sweden’s Magdalena Eriksson, Canada’s Jessie Fleming and England’s Fran Kirby.
In total, there are 20 women in the running for their own prize to be announced in Paris on November 29.
This is only the third time the women’s Ballon d’Or has been awarded.
Norway’s Ada Hegerberg first claimed the prize 2018 and American superstar Megan Rapinoe won in 2019, but the prestigious award was not handed out in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Christine Sinclair, of Olympic gold medal-winning Canada, is also in the running.
Champions League winners Barcelona are represented by Alexia Putellas, already voted UEFA’s best player, and Jennifer Hermoso, joint topscorer in the Champions League.
There were some familiar names on the shortlist for the men’s Ballon d’Or, with six-time winner Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, a five-time victor, among the 30 names revealed for the awarded by the France Football magazine.
The serial favourites face competition that includes Kylian Mbappe, Neymar, Karim Benzema, Jorginho and N’Golo Kante who are also considered as leading runners in the list unveiled by France Football magazine.
French champions PSG can boast Messi, a winner in the Copa America this summer, and teammates Mbappe and Neymar who last season took the ambitious club to the Champions League last-four.
Italian midfielder Jorginho gets the nod after helping Chelsea to the Champions League title as well as playing a major role as Italy won the delayed Euro 2020.
Chelsea teammate Kante, man of the match in the Champions League semi-final and final, is also on the list.
Ronaldo, who was third in the 2019 Ballon d’Or vote behind Messi and Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk, sees former Real Madrid teammate Karim Benzema also nominated.
Also in the running are Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski, the topscorer in Europe with 41 goals, as well as Dortmund’s Erling Braut Haaland, the Champions League’s best scorer with 10 goals.
England, the Euro 2020 finalists, are represented by Harry Kane, Mason Mount, Phil Foden and Raheem Sterling.
Women’s shortlist: Stina Blackstenius, Kadidiatou Diani, Christiane Endler, Magdalena Eriksson, Jessie Fleming, Pernille Harder, Jennifer Hermoso, Marie-Antoinette Katoto, Sam Kerr, Fran Kirby, Ashley Lawrence, Lieke Martens, Vivianne Miedema, Samantha Mewis, Sandra Panos, Irene Paredes, Alexia Putellas, Wendie Renard, Christine Sinclair, Ellen White.
Men’s shortlist: Cesar Azpilicueta, Nicolo Barella, Karim Benzema, Leonardo Bonucci, Kevin de Bruyne, Giorgio Chiellini, Ruben Dias, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Bruno Fernandes, Phil Foden, Erling Haaland, Jorginho, Harry Kane, N’Golo Kante, Simon Kjaer, Robert Lewandowski, Romelu Lukaku, Riyad Mahrez, Lautaro Martinez, Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi, Luka Modric, Gerard Moreno, Mason Mount, Neymar, Pedri, Cristiano Ronaldo, Mohamed Salah, Raheem Sterling, Luis Suarez.
For all the latest Sports News Click Here
